Click Here To Read Cabin Grade Product Reviews!
Cabin Grade / Shop Grade / Tavern Grade / Irregular Flooring are alternate terms for "Factory Seconds." It is a very popular and less expensive alternative to the manufacturer's full priced and fully warranted wood flooring.
Cabin grade, shop grade, irregular or tavern grade hardwoods should produce a very attractive floor, but it's important to keep your expectations realistic. 95% of our customers who order fifteen to twenty percent overage on Cabin or Shop Grade are able to complete their flooring project. The vast majority of our customers are thrilled to get a beautiful hardwood floor at a fraction of the cost.
That doesn't mean that 80% of the flooring is perfect. It means that the material can be installed as a floor and you can finish your project.
Many of our customers think we know what defects are present in these floors. In reality, we purchase Factory Seconds sight unseen so we actually have no idea what the specific flaw might be. We don't open the cartons for inspection when they reach our warehouse; we tell you what the factory tells us in regards to any defects.
Not all planks will have imperfections; some will look perfect while others will have some sort of visible surface flaw, including but not limited to:
- Color Variation. This includes differences in shade, tone, and hue between a cabin grade floor and its corresponding First Quality SKU counterpart. This can include both stain color variations and deviations that occur naturally.
- Natural Hardwood Variation. Hardwood is a natural product. Pinholes, knotholes, mineral streaks, dents, and bark pockets are a few examples of hardwood inconsistencies that might be present or more prominent in Cabin Grade hardwood.
- Length Variation. Short boards are just that: shorter than average. They can still be installed, and help give cabin grade floors a unique look. Short boards should be expected and planned for.
- Manufacturing Variation. Cabin Grade floors are manufactured on the same equipment and production lines as First Quality products. These pieces are selected out due to discrepancies in finish quality such as roughness, surface cracks, and reduced finish thickness. They may also have inconsistencies in the tongue & groove or locking mechanism.
- Milling Variation. This includes differences in product thickness, width, edge defects such as bevels and out of square edges, and corner breaks.
- Shape Variation. A Cabin Grade hardwood plank may be bent or crooked or have edge defects such as bevels and out of square edges.
- Other visual or physical variations that don't prevent installation or proper use.
It's important to put some extra forethought into installing cabin grade hardwood, especially regarding imperfect planks. If you want the surface imperfections hidden, plan to install those boards in closets or in areas of the room that will be hidden from view, such as under furniture or throw rugs.
We sell cabin grade flooring every day. We do our best to explain the risk involved in purchasing cabin grade flooring, and we encourage you to call our office during normal business hours to speak with one of our flooring experts. They will be more than happy to answer your questions about cabin grade flooring.
The bottom line: we want you to be happy with your flooring. If you're looking for big savings and a unique, characterful hardwood floor, than this product is for you! We hope you will recommend Floors To Your Home to family and friends when you tell them how much you saved!
These floors are sold without any Factory Warranty and are sold as is.