When deciding what type of hardwood floors to install in your home there are a lot of different factors you must consider. The basics are the type of wood you want to use and of course what type and color of stain to use. But a less obvious, yet equally important factor that often gets forgotten is what type of cut or saw to use on the wood you want to install. By cutting or sawing wood from different directions or angles you can change the orientation of the grain in the wood. Here are three of most popular wood cuts and how they differ. Hopefully this will make it easier for you to determine the cut you want for your home.
Plain Sawn
Most basic hardwood floors today are plain sawn. Common characteristics of this cut are character markings and figure patterns that result from the annual rings. Characteristic cathedral graining is also brought out in plain sawing. Plain sawn floors tend to be available in wider widths than other types of cuts.
Quarter Sawn
Quarter sawn floors are found less often in homes these days, but still have a big following in homeowners who like unique characteristics. This type of cut slices the wood perpendicular to the wood’s annual growth rings at a 60-90 degree angle, which results in a straight grain appearance. It almost looks like small tiger stripes. The angle of the cut also makes quarter sawn boards stronger than plain sawn.
Rift Sawn
Rift sawn boards are similar to quarter sawn, in that the annual growth rings manifest as straight grain once they are cut. This also means both rift and quarter sawn boards do not show cathedral grain characteristics that are common in plain sawn floors. The finished product looks very uniform when installed as flooring. The big difference between the two is that rift boards are cut at a more acute angle. They are cut at a 30-60 degree angle instead of a 60-90 degree angle.
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