home depot unfinished hardwood floor inferior?

[iexpl]

HI,

I was looking for unfinished red-oak select or better hardwood floors in a MA home depot store. Noticed that the stuff they claim to be select is actually marked as #1 common by the manufacture. The manufacture is Harris Tarkett. Also, the floor does not have NORMA stamping on the back.

This made me wonder if home depot has its own definition of select and actually making #1 common grade as select grade. When I asked the workers there, they said that is select with no further explanations.

Anyone else has experience with home depot's unfinished hardwood flooring?

Thanks

-eve

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Since you are in MA, it is not all that far to go to CT. You may want to check out the flooring at CT Hardwood Group in Enfield CT. They do have a web page showing what they make. I don't know about cost, but you can be sure the quality is better.

[Shannon Pate]

The guys at Home Depot, and most of the general public, think hardwood is hardwood. Sure, they know theres oak, cherry, and others, but that it.

They don't know theres Red Oak or White Oak...

They don't know the difference between #1 & #2

Nor do they realize the benefit of select over common.

My guess is the boards are exactly as marked. #1 Common, which by the way, makes a very pretty floor.

Shannon Pate

[CWatters]

Thickness?

[Ba r r y]

I bag on the BORGs all the time here, I'm no fan.

However! I recently purchased a whole bunch of red oak 2 1/4" flooring in CT, and it's NOFMA stamped, and of _SUPERB_ quality, for $2.99 sq/ft. The thickness is extraordinarily consistent as well.

Out of the first 9 19.5 sq/ft bundles, I tossed ONE 2 foot board, simply because it's kind of ugly. Not really ugly, just a little, when compared to the rest. The rest are straight, clear, good-looking, and in perfect condition. About 30% of it is quartersawn.

HD beat Limber Liquidators top grade price by $.45 a foot, and LL's stuff in Hartford was not NOFMA graded.

I hate BORGs, but I give two thumbs up on this stuff.

Barry

[Test Tickle]

I can't recall how it was graded or marked, but I put down about 800 square feet of the Borg's red oak about two years ago. It went down fine, and looks perfect still. It was the best price, and I'm very happy.

tt