Wood grades reflect the natural features found in a wood floor, categorised by the number and size of elements like knots, sap, and tonal variations on each board.

Choosing a Grade

Think about whether you want a sleek, clean look for your project or a floor bursting with natural character. You might even prefer something that strikes a balance between the two.  Selecting the right grade for your floor is a vital part of the specification process, yet it often gets overlooked. There are five main timber grades to explore: prime, select, natural, rustic, and super rustic.

Every Atkinson & Kirby wood floor is graded by its appearance. Make sure to compare similar options to find the one that best matches your needs, as there are significant differences in the grades, from the ultra-clean prime boards to the more character-filled rustic ones, each offering its own unique look and feel.

Learn more about our wood flooring grades and their characteristics below.

Prime Grade 

Prime grade is given to our clearest boards that contain only a small amount of colour variance and knots. Prime grade floors are a good choice when you want a minimal and uniform look.

Select Grade 

Select grade has the occasional smaller knot and colour variance. Select grade floors are the ideal choice when you want a minimal look, but are looking for a bit of natural character to break up the floor.

Natural Grade

Natural grade floors fall between prime and rustic; they contain plenty of character and natural variances, but the size of knots and splits will not be as prominent as they are in rustic boards. Natural floors showcase the rustic characteristics of oak and offer numerous choices in colour, process and finish.

Rustic Grade

Rustic floors offer beautiful character and variation that showcase the beauty of natural hardwoods. Splits, knots and interesting colour variations blend together to produce a finished floor full of charm and personality. Rustic is one of the most popular flooring choices not only due to its beautiful aesthetic but how it offers a more sustainable floor with less wastage.

Super Rustic Grade

Super rustic floors are our most varied and characterful boards. The super rustic grade is given when characteristics such as large splits are a prominent feature of the floor. They may be sanded or finished to accentuate the appearance and create a floor full of character and natural variation.

Talk to our sales team for more information on grades and how they would fit with your project

Email as specification@akirby.co.uk or call 01695 573234