When you are searching for hardwood floors, you should know that wood comes in various grades. Though grades can change between domestic and exotic woods, most varieties of wood have higher grades and a personality grade, the second being sold as factory or discount flooring. Each grade for flooring is measure according to the standard of appearance. If the wood is just about unblemished, then the grade will be higher.
If the wood has color variations, knots, and uneven grains, then the wood is generally given a lesser or discounted grade. The grade nonetheless, infrequently is a reference to the quality of the wood. Other things like the cut of the hardwood identify its appearance also. Some logs are cut lengthwise deep in the guts of the log and are called heartwood. Others are cut close to the outer surface or bark of the log and are called sapwood. The color will infrequently change so strongly between the heartwood part of the tree and the sapwood part of the tree that alternative styles of hardwood may come from the same log.
For example, red pecan is processed from the heartwood and white pecan is processed from the sapwood of a pecan tree. The direction of the cut is also an important factor. Quarter sawn planks are formed by cutting at once across the tree rings, showing parallel lines in the wood. The lowest grade of flooring is labeled as "cabin," "tavern," or "personality" grade. All these are basically factory seconds for flooring, as wood at this grade can be bought at a serious discount thanks to the failings in appearance. Because of this, personality is really a good outline for this grade of wood, as the outer layer of each piece is covered in personality markets. This includes varied knots, grain textures differentiations, streaks, or color fluctuations. While purchasing about 10 % more of this grade for flooring is one common idea, all personality grade wood gives a country appearance to any room - thus, the names "cabin" and "pub" grade.