HARDWOOD

LUMBER
GRADING
PRE-TEST
1. What type of wood requires longer
time to come to maturity?

a. Softwood
b. Standing wood
c. Hardwood
d. Rough wood
2. This is based on the amount of usable
clear material on board?

a. Clear cutting
b. Pieces
c. Surface
d. Face
3. What is the highest grades for hardwood
lumber?

a. F1F
b. Select
c. FAS
d. Common
4. This perfect for woodworking and furniture
building that only require one face of a board to be
facing outward.

a. F1F
b. Select
c. FAS
d. Common
5. An assessment method that is carried out
only after grading assessment methods has
been complete.

a. Machine Grading
b. Proof Grading
c. Visual Grading
d. Stress Grading
 TERMS
Clear Cutting- clear or blemish free
part of the tree.
Grade- based on the amount of clear
material in a board.
Lumber -is wood that has been
processed into uniform and
useful sizes.
1. What is the purpose of the video?

2. How are you going to tell the wood’s grades?

3. How may the appearance of the wood affect

our judgment when we have an
understanding of the various wood grades?

4. Is it true when wood which is less appealing

has already been determined to be of lower
quality? And why?
 Hardwood are harder than softwoods and not as
easily dented. Hardwood requires a longer time to
come to maturity, so their lumber is more highly
priced than softwood lumber.

Lumber grading or hardwood lumber grading is

confined to lumber export NHLA or National
Hardwood Lumber Association to establish
uniformity of inspecting hardwood lumber.
 Grades are based on the size and number of clear pieces
that can be obtained from a board when it is cut up to be
used to make a product.

Unlike the halo effect lumber grades are not determined

by gut reactions to what a person thinks the grade should
be, but actual measurements of clear sections and
definitions for defects.

Hardwood lumber producers’ “grade” their lumber,

assuring consumers of the lumber of the quality for the
intended use. Put simply, lumber grading serves quality
assurance needs.
 3 TYPES
OF
GRADING
 - performed by a trained
VISUAL GRADING assessor.

This assessor visually inspects

each piece of timber as it
comes off the line and assigns
the grade.

This is the most used method

of grading, especially when the
intention of the piece is to be
used for appearance
application.
 MACHINE
GRADING
• this type of assessment
utilizes sensors or testing
machines to compare the
board against the criteria
laid out in the grade
definition. It is expensive
and requires frequent
calibration to ensure
accuracy.
 PROOF GRADING
• An assessment method that is carried
out only after other grading assessment
methods have been complete.

• Mainly used on timber material that is

to be used in structural environment.

• The process involves testing for

strength and stiffness, applying loads.
And sent back for reprocessing if it
does not pass the grade definition.
 Hardwood lumber is usually graded on the basis
of the size and number of cuttings (pieces) that can
be obtained from a board when it is cut up and used
in the manufacture of a hardwood product.

The upper grades provide the user with clear long

pieces to provide a measurable percentage of clear,
defect- free wood for each grade.

Common grades are designed to be re-sawn it to

shorter clear pieces.
LUMBER GRADES
 FIRST AND SECOND LUMBER
(FAS)
• FAS is the highest and priciest of the hardwood
lumber grades.

• Derives from an original grade 'First and Seconds',

will provide the user with long, clear cuttings – best
suited for high quality furniture, interior joinery and
solid wood moldings.

• Both face should be clear of blemishes

 FAS ONE FACE (F1F)
• The second highest grade, amounts to
practically the same as FAS

• Best face meeting FAS guidelines and the other

face No. 1 Common

• F1F has the same uses as FAS.

 SELECT (SEL)
• Select grade hardwood lumber is blend of both FAS and
Common No.1.

• Select grade lumber is perfect for woodworking and

furniture building since most projects only require one
face of a board to be facing outward.

• Selects will give you the benefits of the FAS grade but the
cost savings of a Number 1 Common board.
 NO. 1 COMMON (NO.1C)
• It is often referred to as the cabinet grade in the USA because
of its adaptability to the standard sizes of kitchen cabinet
doors used through out the United States.

• It is widely used in the manufacture of furniture parts.

• Both faces of the board must meet the minimum requirement

for No.1 Common
 NO. 2 COMMON

• Often referred to as the Economy grade because of its price

and suitability for a wide range of furniture parts.

• It is also the grade of choice for the US hardwood flooring

industry.

• If the poorest face meets the minimum requirement for

Number 2A common, it does not matter what grade is the
better face.
 NO. 3 COMMON
• This grade is often used shelving,
paneling, fences and siding.

• Characteristics may include-black

knots, loose knots or knot holes, large,
edge knots which might chip out,
heavy blue stain heavy shake and
massed pitch.

• Low cutting yield.

COMPREHENSION CHECK
 Activity 1- Crossword Puzzle

3 4

Across Down
3. The highest of the hardwood lumber grades 1. Only needs to meet the clear face requirement
5. Design to be re-sawn into smaller pieces on one side
2. Trees that are broad leaf like mahogany
4. Combination of FAS and Common No.1
COMPREHENSION CHECK
ACTIVITY 1
1. What type of wood requires longer time
to come to maturity?

a. Softwood
b. Standing wood
c. Hardwood
d. Rough wood
2. This is based on the amount of usable
clear material on board?

a. Clear cutting
b. Pieces
c. Surface
d. Lumber Face
3. What is the highest grades for hardwood
lumber?

a. F1F
b. Select
c. FAS
d. Common
4. This perfect for woodworking and furniture
building that only require one face of a board to be
facing outward.

a. F1F
b. Select
c. FAS
d. Common
5. An assessment method that is carried out
only after grading assessment methods has
been complete.

a. Machine Grading
b. Proof Grading
c. Visual Grading
d. Stress Grading
1 . Where you can apply the concepts you have
learned and the skills you have acquired in
this lesson.
2. Why it is important to know the different
hardwood lumber grades?
3. Can you give examples where you can use the
knowledge in lumber grading in doing
your wood works?
4. Where can you use your knowledge in lumber
grading?
What did you realize on our
lesson today?
Identify the grade of the following wood below whether FAS, F1F,
Select or Common No.1, 2 or 3 and explained how did you came up
with that decision.

1 2 3 4 5 6
Rubrics:
9-10 Identified the grades correctly and well explained.
7-8 Identified the grades correctly but did not explain very
well.
5-6 Identified 2 grades and explained very well.
3-4 Identified 1 grade and did not explain very well.
1-2 Did not identify grades and did not explain very well.
 DEDUCEMENT:

Look for 3 wooden products in your house (furniture, frames, boxes). Take a
picture of it and identify the type of wood it was made (hardwood or softwood)
and judged the grade of the wood used. (ex.: FAS, F1F, Select, or Common)
and write and short explanation how did you came up with your decision.

Rubrics:
Identified the grades correctly----------------------10 pts.
Explained precisely----------------------------------- 10 pts.
Total ------------------------------------------------------ 20 pts.