Grading Guide

Our grading guide explains exactly what makes each grade unique—from Prime’s almost flawless planks to Character’s natural idiosyncrasies—so you can easily choose a floor that fits your style and vision.
grading guide
Engineered Oak GIant Engineered Oak Engineered Oak Herringbone Solid Oak Herringbone
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Engineered Oak GIant Engineered Oak Engineered Oak Herringbone Solid Oak Herringbone
Douglas Fir Ash Elm Walnut
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Douglas Fir Ash Elm Walnut

Choosing Your Timber Grade

Every piece of timber tells its own story—rich with natural features that make wood a unique material. Grading simply groups these natural features—like knots, grain, and colour variation—so you can choose the look that suits your space.

Grading isn’t about quality—every Chauncey’s floorboard is crafted to the same high standard, no matter the grade. What changes is the appearance: things like the number and size of knots, the variation in colour, grain pattern, and the presence of natural features such as sapwood or splits. This guide will help you find the grade that feels right for your project.

Key Terms

Knots
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SOUND KNOT – A sound (or tight knot) is a a knot that
is solid and firmly held within the board—these are
structurally secure and won’t affect the integrity of the
floor. Sound knots may have filled cracks.

PIN KNOT – A very small, sound knot—usually no more
than 10mm in diameter —caused by the early growth of a
tiny branch. Pin knots are sound (structurally secure) and
add subtle, natural detail to the wood without disrupting its
clean appearance.

FILLED KNOT – An open knot that has a crack or hole,
which has been professionally filled to create a smooth,
stable surface while preserving the wood’s natural charm.

Sapwood
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The younger, paler wood found near the outer edge of the tree. It can appear as lighter streaks in the board and is considered a natural feature, more common in rustic grades.

Medullary Rays
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Medullary rays are natural, shimmering streaks often seen in oak, especially when the timber is quarter sawn. These silvery markings run across the grain and add unique character to each board.

Split
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A natural crack or lengthwise split that develops along the grain of a timber board. It’s not a flaw in craftsmanship, but a characteristic of how solid wood behaves as it adapts to its environment. These stable surface-level splits are professionally filled.

Bristol Tectonic® Oak Planks

Prime grade engineered oak flooring

Oak – Prime

Our cleanest and most uniform option, Prime grade offers a sleek, refined look with minimal variation.

  • Little colour variation
  • Mainly clear boards
  • Occasional sound pin knots up to 10mm allowed
  • No splits or sap permitted
View Planks Download Guide
Character Grade oak flooring showing knot

Oak – Character

Character grade celebrates the natural charm and individuality of the wood. You’ll see a broader range of colour variation and distinctive grain, giving the floor a warm, lived-in feel.

  • Colour variation permitted
  • Filled knots up to 35mm
  • Sound knots up to 70mm
  • Cracks in knots up to 100mm, either end of knot
  • Occasional stable end splits – length of splits can be up to the width of the board
  • Occasional sound hard sap up to 10% of face area of the board
View Planks Download Guide

Giant Tectonic® Oak Planks

Matt Oiled Extra Wide Giant Engineered Oak Flooring - Wood Flooring Project

Giant Oak – Mill Run

Mill Run offers a natural mix of our oak grades, showcasing a wide range of timber’s unique features. Each batch varies, with different amounts of clear boards, knots, splits, and sapwood.

Expect a beautiful blend of colour variations—both subtle and bold—as well as straight or wavy grain patterns. Knots of all sizes, traces of sapwood, and striking medullary rays add to the rustic charm and character of this grade.

Perfect for those who love the full story and texture of natural oak.

View Giant Oak Download Guide

Tectonic® Engineered Oak Herringbone

Oak Herringbone – Prime

This grade offers a clean, elegant look with minimal colour variation for a consistent finish.

  • Minimal colour variation permitted
  • Occasional sound pin knots up  to 10mm allowed
  • No sapwood
View Parquet & Patterns Download Guide
Herringbone Milky Coffee

Oak Herringbone – Character

Character grade brings out the natural beauty and individuality of the wood, with a broader range of colour variation and more visible knots.

  • Some colour variation permitted
  • Sound knots up to 30mm allowed
  • Filled knots up to 15mm allowed
  • Limited sapwood
View Parquet & Patterns Download Guide

Tumbled Solid Oak Herringbone

Clear Oiled Tumbled Herringbone

Solid Oak – Mill Run

Mill Run offers a natural mix of our oak grades, showcasing a wide range of timber’s unique features. Each batch varies, with different amounts of clear boards, knots, splits, and sapwood.

Expect a beautiful blend of colour variations—both subtle and bold—as well as straight or wavy grain patterns. Knots of all sizes, traces of sapwood, and striking medullary rays add to the rustic charm and character of this grade.

Perfect for those who love the full story and texture of natural oak.

View Tumbled Herringbone Download Guide

Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir Select Grade flooring with Invisible Lacquer

Douglas Fir – Select

Select grade Douglas Fir features mainly clear boards with a clean, consistent appearance.

  • Mainly clear boards
  • Sound knots allowed up to approx. 30mm
  • Open knots replaced by 30mm plugs
  • Small open knots filled
  • No splits permitted
  • Limited sapwood allowed
View Douglas Fir Download Guide
Douglas Fir Rustic grade wood flooring

Douglas Fir – Rustic

Rustic grade embraces the full, natural character of Douglas Fir.

  • Sound knots are allowed without any limitations
  • Open knots are replaced by 30mm/50mm plugs
  • Small open knots filled
  • Sapwood is allowed without restrictions
  • Occasional heart and end cracks up to 100mm are allowed but are filled
View Douglas Fir Download Guide

European Ash

European Ash Flooring - Wood Flooring Product

Ash – Select

Select grade European Ash features mainly clear boards with a clean, consistent appearance. Occasional sound knots are allowed as described below:

  • Unselected for colour (brown)
  • Occasional sound knots – max. 20mm (30mm on 260/300mm wide boards)
  • Filled knots — max. 10mm (15mm on 260/300mm wide boards)
  • Minor (end) cracks up to 20mm allowed
  • Sap and natural olive ash heartwood allowed
View Ash Download Guide
Ash flooring with Invisible Lacquer

White Ash – Select

Select grade White Ash offers a clean, natural white tone with limited colour variation for a fresh, consistent look.

  • No ‘olive ash’ heartwood permitted
  • Occasional 10mm pin knots
  • Limited colour variation (natural white tone)
View Ash Download Guide

Elm

Matt Oiled Elm Flooring

Elm – Mill Run

Our Mill Run Elm is supplied in a mixed width and in a mix grade which features varying characteristics including cracks up to 200mm, sound knots up to 90mm and filled knots up to 40mm. It may contain larger colour variations and traces of sapwood, as this is typical for elm.

View Elm Download Guide

Elm – Select

Select grade Elm features a beautiful mix of grain patterns and natural colour variation, giving each board subtle individuality.

  • Sound knots maximum of 15mm (20mm for 260mm and wider)
  • Filled knots maximum of 30mm (40mm for 260mm and wider)
  • Mixed grain
  • Some natural colour variation
View Elm Download Guide

American Black Walnut

American Black Walnut wood flooring

Walnut – Select

140/180/220mm wide:

  • Knots up to a maximum of 25mm
  • Filled knots up to a maximum of 15mm
  • Limited sapwood (steamed to balance colour)

260mm wide:

  • Knots up to a maximum of 30mm
  • Filled knots up to a maximum of 15mm
  • Limited sapwood (steamed to balance colour)
View Walnut Download Guide

Grading Guide

Download our guide to help you select the right grade of wood for your project.

Download Grading Guide

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