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Traditional Strip Flooring in today’s market place is synonymous with NOFMA
Grading Standards and the Certified NOFMA Manufacturers and the MFMA Grading
Rules and Manufacturers. These two associations set the industry standards for
Strip Flooring products.
Briefly, Traditional Strip Flooring is produced from an economical grade
of domestic hardwood lumber. As the name implies, more narrow strips are cut
from this wider lumber and all sides are milled to create the strip flooring.
Then the strips are sorted; by grading from clear of defects, to the more
economical lower grades with shorter lengths and more frequent knots and other
defects.
This is in contrast to our more rustic “True Planking” with its wider widths,
longer lengths and interesting knots and graining.
In detail, grading standards for the majority wood species manufactured in the
US follows the NOFMA grading rules which are now administered by the National
Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). Grading Rules for Northern Hard Maple, Beech
and Birch are established by the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA)
and their member mills. Hickory/Pecan is also graded using MFMA standards today.
Pine and Fir flooring products are graded by their own association/industry
standards (SPC) & (WWPA).
The NOFMA grading rules grew out of the National Oak Floor Manufacturers
Association (NOFMA) grading standards for Red and White Oak species. These same
standards are now used for Ash, Cherry and Walnut Strip Flooring and
manufactured by NWFA member mills.
Strip flooring is produced in 1 ½”, 2 ¼” and 3 ¼” widths and grading steps from
the cleanest being Clear and steps down to Select, No 1 Common and No 2 Common
Grades for NOFMA. The grade steps are 1st Grade, 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade for the
MFMA and the mixed grades of 2nd & Better is often seen in the market place.
A number of mills currently produce wider planking products in 3” through 7”
face widths generally following these same grading rules.
Historically strip flooring in the United States grew from the need to provide
wood flooring for VA and FHA financing following World War II. All homes that
qualified for financing under these mortgage lending programs were required to
have a hardwood floor. Strip flooring still commands the majority of the
hardwood flooring market.
rip flooring is run from a lower grade (3A & 2B) lumber and ripped down into
narrow strips. The larger knots are then sawn out of the blanks producing
shorter lengths but cleaner flooring. The blanks are then milled into flooring
and then graded at the end of the line with the goal of yielding the higher
grades which typically sells for a higher price.
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