The grade of a hardwood floor describes the visual aspects of a floor. Because each board is unique, we have grouped them together based on the color variations and character marks that are naturally present in your wood floor. The choice of a grade is simply a question of look. It has no impact on its quality, its resistance, or its durability.
Light and even in appearance, the Select & Better grade shows a slight tonal variation between the boards. This grade is composed of natural sapwood coloration. Boards with marked color contrasts are not accepted in this grade.
The rich, contrasting appearance of the Distinction grade is the result of a moderate selection of natural tones of the species. There are light to pronounced variations among boards.
The moderately constrasting appearance of the PRO grade is the result of a mixture of all the natural shades of the species dominated by full-bodied tones. There are moderate variations among boards.
The constrasting appearance of the Authentic grade is the result of a mixture of all the natural shades of the species dominated by full-bodied tones. There are moderate to pronounced variations among boards.
Uniform and with slight contrasts, the R&Q grade features a linear single grain, which is distinctive to quarter sawn wood. The coloration is a balanced blend, ranging from cream to golden brown, with only light variations between boards. This grade is offered in White Oak only.
Knots are a portion of a branch, contained in the wood. Although their features are unique, they can be classified by their shape and size. At Mercier Wood Flooring, we arrange them in three categories:
They are dark brown to black streaks or lines, which follow the wood grain.
They are fine openings or cracks; present on the floor surface, showing us wood really is alive.
