Grades, a visual guide | Redefining industry standards

4 October 2024

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It’s a common misconception that timber used in interiors, like our engineered European oak boards, utilises grading systems based on structural or compositional characteristics such as strength, longevity or resistance to wear. This is untrue. All our grades (as well as every colour, format and finish) feature the same industry-leading three-layered solid oak construction, robust 25-year warranty, and are hand-crafted from responsibly sourced European oak.

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In the interiors space, timber grades relate purely to aesthetics and scarcity, not quality.

The clear definition between grades gives designers the creative freedom to enrich each fit-out with a specific aesthetic – whether they are looking for a clean finish that celebrates the refined grain of natural European oak, or a richly textured surface replete with knots and individual character.

This makes certain grades more scarce than others because there is simply less timber with fewer characteristics in an average oak tree making it a less abundant resource.

To learn more about the natural characteristics of oak, read our blog Oak is a living material | Characteristics of oak.

Grading systems and standards vary across producers and regions and are not subject to official classification by a regulated body, such as in steel or glass. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to confusion and misconceptions in the market for consumers.

At Tongue & Groove, we organise our boards into three grades – Prime, Classic, and Natural.

Natural is derived from the majority of the tree, and celebrates the unique essence of European oak, with a richly textured grain and an abundance of knots. These boards add a characterful expression and organic beauty to an interior.

Despite being our most accessible grade, Natural aligns aesthetically with more premium grades in the industry.

Classic, our most popular grade, celebrates the naturally dynamic textured grain of European oak, bringing an organic elegance and tactile quality to interior fit-outs.

A versatile finish that features fewer knots than our Natural grade yet retains the naturally dynamic grain and character of European oak.

Our Prime grade features minimal knots and showcases the natural grain of European oak.

This industry leading grade brings a clean and minimalist look that is well suited to contemporary interiors.

The clear definition between each grade allows Australia’s A&D community to make informed decisions and achieve a consistent finish that redefines notions of luxury regardless of the grade.

The ability to specify across grade, finish, colour, and format of our engineered European Oak boards gives designers unprecedented choice and brings new possibilities to the design community.