As many people may be aware wood is one of the most well known natural materials available on the market, with that in mind it is worth noting that it comes with many variables and unique differences that contribute to making it the beautiful product that is loved so widely across the world. There are so many different grades of wood available which means that there’s no real guarantee of two pieces of wood ever being identical, so if you receive a sample of wood flooring but the actual pack looks slightly different it is normal and there’s nothing to worry about, it’s the same product but due to something called natural variation it may seem different.
When it comes to buying new wood flooring it’s always advised to view samples first, many companies offer these for free whilst others ask for a small fee. A sample can be a great way of getting an idea of what the floor may look like in the room of your choice, however when you do receive your sample, should you order the product it’s important to consider a few things:
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The end product may vary in colour, knots or grains due to the fact that the planks may have come from different trees and just like people; no two trees are ever the same.
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The variation of the wood is entirely down to the grade that you choose to purchase.
More about the grades:
Prime Grade – This is the most premium grade of wood flooring, it is also the one that is the most uniformed in appearance and any knots in the wood are small and less noticeable.
Select Grade – This grade offers minor colour variation in the wood but it still has random imperfections in the planks which is to be expected with a natural product.
Natural Grade – There is much more noticeable variation in this grade but the different characteristics of it vary widely by the species of wood that the plank is made from.
Rustic Grade – This is probably the most popular grade of wood flooring at the moment, it offers many knots and imperfections in the board with a distinctive variation in colour throughout.
This is why it’s so important to order samples of the products that you wish to order but also to remember that when the product arrives it may not resemble the sample. This isn’t because the product is wrong, it’s because natural variations cause every batch of a natural wood floor to vary slightly in colour, knots and imperfections as previously mentioned.