Quality timber flooring products make an enormous difference to the finished result. Understanding the attributes of quality product has is something that is very difficult for a person that hasn’t been working in the timber flooring industry. And it’s an important thing to understand. There are quite literally hundreds of products available on the market, and the quality varies widely. It’s not as simple as ‘you get what you pay for’ either.
There are products that are excellent value and others that are overpriced.
So how do you know if you’re getting a top-quality grade of timber for your flooring project? The Australian Timber Flooring Association has strict standards that define the grades of every timber product produced in Australia.
Grading is carried out visually. And sets guidelines for the quality of each timber product, as well as the recommended usage. It also sets rules about which individual planks should be discarded because of certain attributes that affect the overall durability and appearance of the installed timber floor.
The grading process is rapid and generally relies on quick visual assessment where graders must assess the size and extent of a feature without relying on measurement. Due to this some inaccuracy in grading can occur that may result in a limited number of boards that are outside grade limits.
At Know-How Flooring Sydney, we only ever recommend quality timber flooring products at any price point. And if, for the sake of your budget, you choose to go for a mid-range timber, we will always make you aware of the potential pitfalls and make sure you are well-informed about how to maintain your timber flooring to maximise its life span.
What does the timber grading tell you?
A timber flooring product’s grade is designed to communicate two things.
The first is to measure the strength characteristics of the product. This is important information if your floor is to be installed over the top of joists (a ‘floating’ floor), which is common if you need to apply an acoustic underlay prior to installing your timber floor over the top. These attributes are measured by the moisture content of the planks, the tolerances that were used during production, as well as the incidence of machining errors that may have taken place.Furthermore, you will see that the exposed surface of the timber product will be given a separate grade to the unexposed side.
The second goal is to measure the visual character and aesthetic present in a floor. This takes into account the consistency of the product in large batches and the types of flaws that may show up. This process is a visual inspection undertaken by the inspectors appointed by the ATFA. There is a risk that the timber that was provided by the manufacturer or importer to the ATFA was part of a ‘good batch’, but they do their best to minimise that risk.
It’s important to note that colour variability isn’t part of the grading process. Some timber products can have a wide variety of tones and colours in the same packages of supplied timber. In many cases, that’s simply the intended look and some customers find it desirable.
Categories that timber is be graded into
Select Grade Timber
Medium Feature / Standard Grade
Standard Grade Timbers have significantly more character than Select Grade.
To some degree this will depend on what features are typically present in a particular species. Whether there are typically a large amount of knots, or evidence of borer activity in the timber perhaps.
Standard Grade Timber can provide a beautiful result. But it needs a great deal of careful planning to make sure that the arrangement of the planks is aesthetically pleasing. Like all timber flooring installers, we prefer to work with Select Grade timber. But we are confident in our skills to know we will make Standard Grade Timbers look great. Indeed, some customer prefer Standard Grade or even High Feature Grade (see below) timbers because they are after a rustic, antique aesthetic. If you are thinking of this, give Know How Flooring Sydney a call and we’ll guide you through the process to help you achieve the desired result.
High Feature Grade
This is the lowest grade of timber. There may be very common knots throughout the boards and significant bore holes scattered throughout the planks. You will also find the visual look of the planks can vary widely. Some might be almost featureless, while others will be replete with knotholes and distinctive grain patterns.
Some of these timbers will be unsuitable for installation over joists, as these features may compromise the strength integrity of some planks.
Features of timber flooring products that can affect how it is graded.
Gum veins
Past Borer Activity
At times you can see small holes in the timber as in the picture below. This is a feature more common in natural woods rather than engineered timber products. They aren’t drilling holes. Rather, they are associated with small insects that attack the living tree prior to harvesting.
Less discoloration and fewer holes are permitted in Select Grade than the other two grades.
Knots
Knots and any hollows associated with them are permitted within limits in all three grades. The knots must be secure and not at risk of falling out, but in Select Grade the splits that can be seen within these knots, known as knot checks, are not permitted.
Small knots may appear in Select Grade timbers from time to time unless they fall in the category of knot checks. The knot in the second photo meets Standard Grade requirements and the knot in the third photo is from a High Feature Grade timber.
Checking
Checks are where some wood fibers separate on the surface of the board...
In Select Grade only short, narrow checks are allowed. In Standard Grade, the check can be wider. With High Feature Grade, the check can can be of any length.
Gum Pockets and Overgrowth
When trees become damaged in nature they’re able to protect and repair themselves by growing over the injury. These features aren’t allowed in Select Grade but are permitted to different degrees in Standard and High Feature Grade.
The depth of the gum pockets in the first two photos shows that these timbers would not be permitted in ANY grade. But the third photo could be allowed in both Standard Grade and High Feature Grade.
An example of the difference between grades
Manufacturer grading
Many manufacturers have developed their own set of grading rules. Most comply with the guidelines set by the ATFA, but in some cases they have invented new grades that lie between Select Grade Standard Grade.
It can be confusing, as there are many different grades in the marketplace. Wherever possible, refer to the ATFA grade. At Know-How Flooring Sydney, we can guide you through this minefield and help you pick the quality timber flooring product that is exactly right for you.
Timber Grade name mixes
You might see the description ‘Standard and Better’, which is a mix of Select and Standard grade flooring. This means that the supplied timber has both standard and select grade timbers deliberately mixed in together. The idea is to provide a floor appearance that has a little more character than Select Grade.
Some manufacturers may supply ‘Select and Better’ while at times we can mix them together ourselves to achieve this look. may mix grades at the time of installation to suit an owner’s request.
‘Feature and Better’ is a similar mixed product, which mixes High Feature and Standard planks together.