Quarter sawn oak patches, what should I expect

6 years ago

Just went to look at our new floors and these patches jumped out and do not appear right at all. Looks like batches of quarter sawn red oak was mixed in with our rift cuts. I could understand some mixed in, but not what appears to be the whole patch/bulk of a package was used all next to each other.

We did not specify quarter or rift on our order, but the sample we picked out from and what we wanted as all rift cut. Even the website doesn't say.

We picked out: 3 ¼” Unfinished Select Red Oak

Center of picture does not look consistent with the boards to the right and left.

Here is one looking up into the room, you can see foreground is the patch of all quarter sawn, then back to full rift towards the fireplace.

Could this be what is considered select and better? and if so, did the installers just fail to mix in the different cut types?

Last picture shows closer up view, see 2-3 boards with different grains that stand out compared to the rest.

To me it looks like 2 different types of flooring and does not mix at all.

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Jackie
Original Author

6 years ago

Have been on and off the phone with GC today. End result: They are going to pull out the patches and put in the right wood. They have had to put all other plans on hold for this so not exactly sure on timing yet, but I know or original close date of 7/1 wont happen.

My GC asked to let everything else proceed then patch right before we close...I said no way. They would have put the island over a bad patch thinking its covered, problem solved. We are thinking long term, in 20 years we might not have that island and would want to refinish the floors, and not want to have to deal with the eyesore at that time.

I appreciate everyone's help, I am glad its getting fixed.

ILoveRed: Here are photos of the floor upstairs (office nook at top of stair) and hall way to master. Hand rails and newels to be stained to match floor, black iron spindles.

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Comments (16)

cpartist
6 years ago
If you didn't pay for rift or quarter sawn, you got exactly what you specified. I see nothing wrong with it.
bennyben75
6 years ago
Whoever installed the flooring should have done a better job in spreading out and mixing the quarter sawn boards in a random pattern. It does look very patchy.
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Jackie
Original Author
6 years ago
CP - That is hard news to hear...normally I have been all over the details and didn't even know this was an option that I needed to consider or specify. The sample boards we have are all rift sawn.

Here is a close up where you can see this main patch of quarter sawn next to rift (back by the open door).
mark1993
6 years ago
I am certainly not an expert in wood or flooring, but to my eye it looks inconsistent with the two types of wood. Personally, I prefer the rift. Sorry you are having to deal with this.
cpartist
6 years ago
Oh ok. I see it there. The problem is that it looks like they didn't spread out the boards using boards from different boxes. I know when my guys did my floors, they'd take one board from box one, a second board from box 2, a third from box 5, another from box 1, another from box 4, etc.
Jackie
Original Author
6 years ago
So just ran down to the house to meet with the flooring installer. He is going to have the wood supplier out to determine what is going on.

I did learn and need to correct my terminology used so far. These patches are rift/quarter sawn, and I expected the flat/plain sawn (more grain with the darker grains), with maybe some variation but the majority of it should be the flat/plain. I did not pay for nor order the rift or quarter sawn, but a whole bunch of it was installed. There is a big patch in the kitchen as well.

He was thinking it might have been a mix up in the warehouse...

Fingers crossed they will fix, cabinets are showing up tomorrow, so let the good times roll.
cpartist
6 years ago
Secret. If you got the rift sawn mostly, you got a more expensive flooring than the ones with the dark lines. Rift sawn and quarter sawn are much more expensive and some consider it more desirable.
chispa
6 years ago
Do NOT let them install anything else until the floor issues is corrected to your satisfaction. Once other stuff gets installed on top of a problem material you have less leverage, and willingness from the contractor, to get it fixed.
Jackie
Original Author
6 years ago
CP - You are correct that it is a better product. I think its pretty close to 60 (plain)/40 (rift/quarter) on the mix, the problem is I want it consistent:)

Upstairs is all the plain sawn and looks great, its is what we sampled the stain from. As the different cuts show the stain differently.

Chipsa - good call about making sure they do not install cabinets, door and trim.
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Oh I would absolutely be upset about that. You sound like you're handling it quite well! I'm having a fit here for you. I like both types of flooring separate but unfortunately it visually looks like a mistake.

Side note - Thank you for clarifying what type of flooring and size you had installed. We're planning to have select red oak installed throughout our house and it's nice to see photos that are labeled with all the info!

What color and brand floor stain did you pick? It very pretty.
Jackie
Original Author
6 years ago
Sheeisback - handling well is relative. It’s stressful for sure. The color is Duraseal 50% Provincial / 50% dark walnut. Bona traffic Hd extra matte water poly.
strategery
6 years ago
Not a good match. The installers fault for not pointing it before or during. The homeowner obviously wanted a good match.
rwiegand
6 years ago
If you don't specify what you get will be "run of the tree" as it were, a mixture of plain sawn, rift, and quarter depending on which part of the tree it came from and the angle of the cut relative to the growth rings. There are ways the sawyer can optimize yield of rift/quartersawn, but it's very wasteful, hence expensive. The other approach is to sort the boards after they are cut. There will be relatively few quartersawn, again resulting in a higher price. Heres a good diagram.

Unfortunately your installer wasn't paying any attention to grain, a very, very common problem in almost everything made of wood (and the reason that most factory cabinets and furniture are drenched in nearly opaque stain). He should either have intermixed the boards with different patterns (the typical solution) or sorted them using the QS wood someplace special or reselling it at a substantial markup.
ILoveRed
6 years ago
I love the qs and rift sawn. I love the plain sawn. But on your floors they don’t play well together. I agree with Chispa, don’t allow any door jambs or anything else to happen until this is resolved.

Any pictures of the upstairs that you are happier with??
ILoveRed
6 years ago
So much nicer! What a difference.

Quarter sawn oak patches, what should I expect

Jackie
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