The Different Grades Of Antique Oak Flooring

If you are looking to achieve a certain charm or feeling of nostalgia within your home, a suggested area that oftentimes gets overlooked is flooring. Antique oak flooring is characterized by unique trademarks like stress cracks, nail holes and expected wood knots. And with the natural worn look of aging patina comes a kind of warmth not easily achieved by other design elements. Old factories, mills, barns and breweries provide wood reclamation sources throughout the world. Because all of this material differs in age, appearance and quality, there are now different flooring grades to classify the wood. By knowing what each grade entails, you will be able to make a sound investment in a type of antique oak to meet all of your home design needs.



The first kind of grade is actually separated into two subgroups: country grade antique oak flooring and country grade antique white oak flooring. Oak that is country grade generally comes unfinished and plain sawn. There are many natural characteristics intact with this type of oak flooring, including color variations, tight wood knots, cracks, varying wood grains and insect tracts. The second type of subgroup, country grade selected for white oak, is done so for the more consistent coloring and light brown palette. It is preferred by those seeking a more historic oak look within their home. It comes with many of the same characteristics as the plain country grade and is available unfinished, plain sawn and square edged. Country grades are most often re-milled from used barn beams and old boards.

Rustic grade antique oak flooring has more of a varied color palette than the other types of wood grades. Along with a wider color variance, verification of prior use is found in prevalent sawmill marks, larger knots and nail holes and weathered cracks. The natural characteristics also found with the rustic grade are very similar to the country grade. A variance in grain patterns, worm tracks, knots and holes from nails all contribute to an authentic antique floor feel. This re-milled wood is most often sourced from antique barn siding, sheathing boards and the rare outside layer of aged barn beams.



The last kind of antique oak flooring grade is what is known as old original surface grade. The source for this re-milled wood is solely sourced from antique barn siding and the outside edges of barn beams. This is the most rural kind of wood flooring as the sawmill marks and naturally occurring wood characteristics have been left untouched. This is thought to give the flooring the look of an old bar room and the texture of a rough barn interior.