Grades of flooring
Because wood is a completely natural product, it is entirely normal that colour, knots and sap vary from species to species, from grade to grade and even from batch to batch. This is one of the things that makes wood so interesting.
The thing that governs the colour variations, knots and sap content more than anything else, is the grade of the wood used to make the flooring planks you choose. Here at UK Wood Floors, we grade wood according to how it looks and this is undoubtedly one of the best ways of determining how much variation there is likely to be in colour; how many knots there is likely to be in the wood and how big they might be, as well as the amount of sap likely to be present in the wood.
We have 2 grades of wood to choose from, they are:
• Prime or AB
• Rustic or ABCD
Although the names of the grades of wood may well suggest that certain grades might be better than others, it is important to point out that the grade of wood has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the wood, it concerns itself purely with appearance.
Regarding colour variations in wood, prime grade wood is a “cleaner” looking plank, with little variation. Rustic grade wood on the other hand, features more of a colour variation. You should expect our rustic grade to showcase significant colour variations, but in many ways this can add to their charm, depending on the look you’re hoping to achieve.
While knots provide character and authenticity, our AB grade with minimal knots provides a modern charm.
Finally, when it comes to the sap, the higher the grade the less sap your flooring has. Sapwood is the part of a tree that is situated on the outside of the trunk and is the youngest part of the tree. As the wood matures it contains less sap and the wood with the lowest sap tends to be found at the heart of the trunk. Clearly you would expect the higher the grade of wood, the lower the amount of sap and you would be absolutely correct.
Which grade of wood you choose for your flooring project will depend not only upon your budget, but also on the overall look you’re trying to achieve. Like all things interior, the choice is a personal one, but if you feel you need help to make a decision, our dedicated and experienced sales team will definitely be able to help you choose.
