What Does Below Grade Mean In Flooring

Cabin grade hardwood floors like all hardwood floors are meant to be a mosaic.

What does below grade mean in flooring.

Below grade below grade refers to a house s level that is below the earth s surface such as a basement or the lower level of a split level house. Except in the case of an at grade slab concrete floor most residential structures that have a basement or crawlspace below cannot carry the weight of a concrete floor. Quality engineered flooring on the other hand is manufactured to have better resistance to higher or lower than normal moisture. However many homeowners don t realize that it s not only the type of wood that matters but it s the also the wood s quality or grade that ultimately determines the finished look of your flooring.

Any one piece or in this case a board may look odd or out of place but the entire floor installed will be perfect for the customer that has that need. Hardwood flooring installers break down any home into three separate sections that determine which types of hardwood flooring in specific locations. Below grade flooring below grade refers to flooring that is installed below the earth s surface this could be anywhere from 4 inches to 30 feet below ground or deeper. This moisture in turn migrates through below grade cement walls and slabs.

It does not matter if the depth is. Tavern or cabin grade. This section applies to all levels of a home which are at ground level. These below grade areas provide functional spaces for uses such as storage office space mechanical electrical rooms parking tunnels crawlspaces etc while below grade areas in buildings provide important critical functions for the building the subject of below grade building enclosure systems although.

For example a floor may be sold as 1 common and better meaning it is a combination of 1 common select and better and clear grades. It is worth noting that some sellers combine grades of hardwood. Some of these types include hardwood and bamboo. Concrete is the only below grade flooring that does not work upstairs due to weight limitations.

Wood flooring that has absorbed excess moisture can swell in size causing the edges of the boards to cup and or buckle the wood. Installing below the recommended grade level can result in too much humidity and moisture getting into your hardwood floor causing it to warp and even crack. There is on grade above grade and below grade definitions. This has the most visible character with many knots pinholes and color variations present.

While floors made with organic materials can be installed below grade they are not generally recommended for high humidity areas.