Grain direction

Lower grades may have more defects that need to be removed. And the end boards on a diagonal floor are not cut at 90°, which means that the cutoff waste has to be re-cut before they are used as starter boards on the next rows. Parquet wood flooring generally requires 10% extra material in a square room and 15 to 20% for rooms with lots of angles and corners.

National industry standards allow manufacturers to sell products with a maximum of 5% defects that do not fall within that grade of flooring. Most manufacturers of unfinished flooring abide by these standards. However, many manufacturers of prefinished wood flooring have proprietary grades for their products. A knowledgeable dealer should be able to help predict the amount of waste. Lower grades of wood will have more defects, which might lead to more waste. Then again, a defect to one person might be an aesthetically pleasing element to someone else.

Buyer Beware!

Not all wood flooring is created equal. Although two products may be designated the same grade and species, there can be significant differences in quality. As a national wood flooring inspector, I handle countless complaints and I always feel sorry for the unsuspecting consumer.

Given that it’s a full-time job for a professional to keep up with all the changing products, how is the consumer to know if the flooring was poorly dried in China, poorly milled, has a brittle finish, or, if it is engineered, how the inner veneer plies are constructed? In addition, it’s difficult to find a salesperson who is truly knowledgeable about the wood flooring products they sell.

Don’t be fooled by the chains that advertise on television and radio and in magazines that claim they have the best products and best warranties. Two manufacturers that I can continually depend on to manufacture to high standards are Taylor Lumber and Owens Flooring. With help from other professionals around the country, I have started a database,, which monitors the quality of wood flooring products.

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