Floor Cutting Options
How the board is cut from the log will create different patterns in the grain. Once you have selected a specific type of wood for you floor, Bellevue Floor Service will show you the cuts that are available.
Plainsawn Lumber
This is the most common and least expensive method for saying wood. Plainsawn lumber is made by making the first cut on a tangent to the circumference of the log and the remaining cuts parallel to the first. This method of sawing provides the widest boards with the least amount of waste. Most of the lumber created from plainsawing is flat-grained with some vertical-grained wood. Plainsawn lumber will expand and contract more across the width of the boards with humidity fluctuations. This is an important consideration, especially when using radiant heat.
Quartersawn Lumber
This type of lumber is produced by first quartering the log and then sawing perpendicular to the growth rings. Quartersawn lumber is more expensive as it produces relatively narrow boards, nearly all vertical grained and creates more waste. The use of quartersawn lumber is a popular option for flooring because it is more dimensionally stable, it wears more evenly, and the grain in more pronounced. This is ideal for use in applications that include radiant heat.
Riftsawn Lumber
Riftsawing, is a process much like quartersawing. The angle of the cut in the log is just slightly changed, creating a desirable flake effect in the grain of the wood. Because riftsawing creates more waste it is generally the most expensive of the three cutting processes.