Red Oak Lumber Grading

Introduction
Basis for Grading
Economic Means of Obtaining Clear Pieces of Timber for Different Applications
RED OAK – A Typical Lumber Specification

Introduction

American red oak lumber is graded in the USA for the export market using the rules of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA). The NHLA grading rules maximise both the yield and the value of sawn timber which minimizes waste and reduces pressure on the environment. In addition, these rules provide both the buyer and the seller with a consistent language for conducting temperate hardwood lumber transactions. Buyers worldwide rely on the NHLA’s grading rules to specify degrees of quality.

Basis for Grading

American hardwood lumber is usually graded on the basis of the size and number of clear pieces (clear cuttings) of timber that can be obtained from a board when that board is cut up for manufacturing. The grade, therefore, simply designates the percentage of clear, sound wood obtainable from any one board and not the overall appearance of that board. For instance, the top grade of lumber available is FAS, (First and Seconds), must have a minimum size of 6 inches wide and 8 feet long and be capable of producing 83 1/3% clear wood. The maximum number of clear cut pieces that make up this 83 1/3% clear wood is four. Each of these clear cuttings pieces must have a minimum size of 3” wide by 7 feet long or 4 inches wide by 5 feet long.

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Economic Means of Obtaining Clear Pieces of Timber for Different Applications

Recognizing that the needs of specific applications vary widely based upon the vision of individual designers, it is generally accepted that, due to the long lengths required, doors and mouldings usually call for the higher lumber grades such as FAS or F1F (FAS One Face), which yields longer clear lengths of timber, while the lower grades such as No. 1 and No. 2 Common may be better suited for furniture production where narrower and shorter clear pieces of wood are desirable. Similarly, applications such as strip or parquet flooring would be more economically produced from lower grade material. Even where smaller pieces of lumber are glued together to produce large pieces with greater stability, the use of lower grades may well be a viable proposition.

RED OAK – A Typical Lumber Specification

Grade	Typical Lumber Specification
FAS	6” and wider allowing 10 – 15% of 4” and 5” 7’ and longer with a fair spread. Maximum 16’
Selects	4” and wider 6’ and longer
No. 1 Common	3” and wider (usually 4” and wider) 4’ and longer
No. 2A and 2B Common	3” and wider 4’ and longer

Although the basis for all grading is the NHLA grading Rules, in practice, mills are increasingly producing specifications to match the specific requirements of individual buyers.

e.g. Red oak is readily available as “ripped and pulled strips” and in wide specifications.

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