Porcelain vs ceramic tile: What are their differences?

Wood vs. beef; what is the connection? Well, real wood has a different grade just like the different cuts of meat you’d find at the supermarket!

Keep in mind that for hardwood and engineered floors, the top surface is made of genuine wood.

To better explain this concept, let us look at the 4 beef grades we’ll use as a comparison:

• Grade 4: ground beef to make hamburgers
• Grade 3: flank steak
• Grade 2: a rib eye
• Grade 1: filet mignon.

All grades are of the highest quality, but the price per pound varies from $4 per pound for ground meat to $30 per pound for filet mignon. Sometimes you just want a hamburger and other times the occasion calls for a filet mignon!

Each Piece is Prepared In Its Own Way

Each different grade requires its own unique preparation according to its profile for optimal flavour. Furthermore, each piece of meat is unique only to itself and so, even though the grade may be the same, the flavour may be slightly different. The Rib Eye of one versus the other may have more meat or less meat, more bone or less bone, more fat or less fat. This is the same for hardwood manufacturers. So each batch of hardwood flooring has its own personality, because wood, much like all things living, is completely unique!

How Many Names Are There To Describe The Grades of Wood? 

In hardwood, each grade can have up to 20 different names depending on the creativity of the manufacturers and the lots produced.

How Do We  Understand Hardwood Grades

The following are the criteria flooring grade categories have  for you to better make an informed decision:

• Grade 4: Open knots, chapped, lots of color variation and shorter board lengths on average.
• Grade 3: Knots present are full with color variations. The length of boards range from short to longer-averages that are dependant on the particular batch and materials.
• Grade 2: Fewer knots or no knots at all. There is less variation in the wood, but the variations are still visible. Boards are considered as the largest average planks.
• Grade 1: Found in all species of wood, it means there is no colour variation and no naughts. The average lengths of planks are long. For certain species that naturally have lots of variations in the wood itself (like Walnut and Hickory,) Grade 1 means simply means it has no naughts.

How To Save Money on Your Hardwood Floor Installation?

Tip #1:

If you have a large space to cover that contains bedrooms and closets, you can choose the best looking boards and install them in the open areas such as the living room, dining room or hallways.

Then, install the boards that are less to your liking in the bedrooms and install the cut or less attractive boards in the closets. In fact, 60% of the floor in the bedrooms is covered by beds, night tables or carpets. It is therefore more advantageous to recover the remnants of your hardwood floors and install them in your bedroom or closet in order to hide the less aesthetic boards. In other words, this allows you to “jump” from one grade to a higher one for the same price! This strategy will only result in a 3-5% loss on most grades instead of 8-10%. This will save you the cost per square foot of your wood floor.

Tip #2:

Hardwood flooring in medium to dark colors hide color and knot variations. For example, if you choose a Café au lait or lightly bleached color, the grade difference will not be very visible. Therefore, there will be no need to purchase the higher grade, as the difference is very small. During manufacturing, the application of color sifts and evens out the variations in the wood.

How To Choose The Right Grade. A Picture is Worth 1000 Words.

The end result starts with your initial goal! What is your inspiration: Instagram photo, Google, magazine, photos at a friend’s house? A member of the team is always available to answer your questions at 450 824 7600.  All you have to do is answer the 5 questions: width, luster, grade, color, species! You will receive several choices for all types of use and in all budgets to achieve the result you want.

If you need professional advice or are looking for a flooring distributor in Quebec, British Columbia or other Canadian provinces, we are the right ones for you! Canada Floors Depot offers a wide range of flooring, flooring materials, equipment and accessories, don’t hesitate to contact us! 

Regards,
Team Canada Floors Depot