Making the grade - A guide to appearance grading UK grown hardwood timber
In This Series
Register to download the full publication
This guide details appearance grades applicable to hardwood planks and boards from trees grown in the UK. It broadly follows the grading criteria set out in EN 975 - 1 but with modifications to take account of the timber availability, species, characteristics and production methods found in the UK.
Three appearance grades are defined for all species. However, some mills or users may wish to make fine distinctions within these grades so each grade can be split into two sub-grades, plus 'special feature' grades.
The Guide was commissioned by the Forestry Commission, the Welsh Development Agency, the Northern Ireland Forest Service, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Forestry Trust.
Contents
- The appearance grading system used in this guide
- Detailed grading criteria
- Ash
- Beech
- Oak
- Sycamore
- Sweet chestnut
- Cherry
- Lime
- Elm
- A comparison between this system and the European and British standards
- Measurement of sawn hardwood timber
- Properties and uses of UK hardwoods
- Specification, sourcing and certification
Suggested Reading
Moisture in timber
One of the most important factors affecting the performance and properties of wood is its moisture content. The amount of water present in wood can affect its weight, strength, workability, susceptibility to biological attack and dimensional stability in a particular end use.
We estimate that over 80% of...
14/02/2017 | Wood Information Sheet
Timbers - their properties and uses
This sheet sets out the properties of 140 timber species commonly used in the UK. A brief overview of the properties a specifier should consider is followed by a reference table that can be used to help with species selection or to determine species with comparable properties when alternatives are...
05/01/2015 | Wood Information Sheet
Care of timber and wood-based products on building sites
Timber is one of the most common materials on a building site but is often one of the least respected. Despite being reasonably resilient and able to withstand a certain about of abuse without damage, a lack of care both before and during the construction process can affect wood products...
04/07/2016 | Wood Information Sheet
