The Value & The Costs of
Unique Wood Flooring Species or Character Grade
The Value
Unique species of wood flooring are those that range beyond your more accessible woods of maple, oak, and hickory. They may include less known species (like Rosewood, Walnut, and Mahogany.
“Character grade” in the context of flooring refers to the visual of the wood, factoring in variables like texture, knots, wormholes, mineral streaks, amongst other variables. Different grades of hardwood floors determine the likelihood of visual consistency.
Striving for ultimate consistency with a rare wood species across a large span of floor will result in many unused boards and will create more waste. However, there are mills around the country who are working hard to ensure that renewable lumber practices are maintained even at the highest tier product. To learn more visit the Sustainable Home Design section of our website.
The Costs
Certain species of wood, like Walnut, take more time to mature and mill than the more commonly available products. Additionally, the geographic region in which woods like walnut grow are limited in comparison to other wood types, like Hickory, Oak or Maple, resulting in overall higher cost per material.
The character grade of wood also impacts price for its ultra high quality and visual consistency. Many of the most sought after hardwood floor grades come from the center of a tree, ensuring that the wood is inherently strong, and has less sap influence – The less sap present, the more consistent the wood grain and color.
Since the modern homes we design often utilize a substantial amount of wood flooring, a slight increase in the cost per square foot of a product can have a major impact on overall building costs, which means these specialty wood materials are typically reserved for projects in our highest price range.