MFMA GRADING RULES & GUIDE SPECIFICATIONS FOR MAPLE FLOORING SYSTEMS MFMA Northern Hard Maple Flooring MFMA Northern Hard Maple is a dense, strong, remarkably hard and supremely durable product. MFMA Northern Hard Maple offers a wide range of uses and color possibilities. MFMA Northern Hard Maple is close-grained, hard-fibered, free from slivering and splintering, and polishes well under friction. MFMA Northern Hard Maple flooring has a natural beauty when given a transparent finish and is suited for a variety of uses. Hard maple has an unusual ability to resist pointed pressure without abrasion. It is easily covered with attractive finishes. Purpose The Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA) provides these Grading Rules, including proposals on care, as a guide to specifiers, architects, end users, and other professionals. MFMA, its members and employees do not warrant the information contained herein as proper under all conditions. MFMA reserves the right to revise these Grading Rules as necessary. Length Distribution by Grades No individual piece shorter than 9” admitted. For a complete breakdown of length distribution by grades visit our web site: (www.maplefloor.org). Beech and Birch Flooring These rules also apply to beech (Fagus grandifolia) and birch (Betula alleghaniensis) flooring. Rules Governing Reinspection Even the most experienced inspectors will occasionally misgrade some pieces. Therefore: Shipments shall be considered to be the grade invoiced if, upon inspection by an official inspector of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association, 95 percent or more, in feet, is found to be of grade invoiced. Where the degrades are in excess of 5 percent, in feet, of the shipment, the degrades in excess of the 5 percent shall be the property of the manufacturer of the flooring. The quality of the flooring in the condition in which it leaves the manufacturer is held to govern the grade, as subsequent lack of care and improper treatment in laying, sanding, or finishing are not chargeable to the manufacturer. In the event that the amount below grade is found to be 5 percent or less, in feet, of the total amount of the item, the cost of reinspection shall be borne by the complainant. If more than 5 percent in feet, the expense shall be borne by the manufacturer of the flooring. For dispute resolution contact MFMA. Specific “Guidelines for Reinspection” are available upon request. In any dispute involving the grade of the flooring material where an MFMA reinspection is requested, the determination of the MFMA inspector shall prevail. Color in Grading Changes in the color of lumber supplied to our mill manufacturing members is a result of supply and demand of raw maple lumber. Because wood is a natural product, it is subject to color variations resulting from differing growing conditions. The color of maple heartwood is brownish -- the sapwood is much lighter. Consistency of color cannot be controlled in the manufacturing process, and color variation is not a grading defect. Strips of maple are generally hand mixed on site to ensure a good color blending of maple flooring strips in order to avoid groups of darker boards from being placed in the same area. However, some flooring strips do not show their true color until after floor sealer has been applied. In other words, an installer may mix the floor to achieve the desired result, but it is impossible to identify those maple flooring strips that will have a darker appearance once floor sealer is applied. 
First Grade Northern Hard Maple – The highest standard MFMA grade is hand selected to minimize the natural character variations of the species.
Second and Better Grade Northern Hard Maple – The most commonly specified flooring, this grade exhibits more natural variations than first grade.
Third Grade Northern Hard Maple – This grade has the same structural integrity as first and second and better and exhibits more natural variations than either grade. This grade is ideally suited for the value engineered application.
Moisture Control We recommend maintenance of 6 percent to 9 percent average moisture content following manufacture. Upon receipt of shipment, proper moisture controls must be exercised to maintain proper moisture content. Maple Specs MFMA-RL (Random Length) Tongued and Grooved Flooring
MFMA-FJ (Finger-Jointed) Tongued and Grooved Flooring
Edge Grain Edge-grain hardwood flooring is specially selected and consists of pieces in which the annual rings range from 30 degrees horizontal to 90 degrees vertical. Since hard maple is generally produced from lumber sawn out of relatively small logs with varying knurls, resulting in considerable variation in a single piece, flooring shall be considered to be all edge-grain if 75 percent of each piece falls within the above-mentioned range. Kiln Drying Flooring shall not be considered of specified grade unless the lumber from which the MFMA flooring is manufactured has been properly kiln-dried. End Matching All MFMA flooring shall be end-matched unless otherwise specified. Bundled Strip Flooring Bundled MFMA flooring is flooring bundled in average length bundles. A bundle may include pieces from 6 inches under to 6 inches over the nominal length of the bundle. MFMA flooring is bundled by grade in conformance with regular grade requirements. No individual piece shorter than 9” is admitted. Nested Strip Flooring Nested MFMA flooring is flooring bundled continuously end to end, typically in 7’ or 8’ bundles (6-1/2’ to 8-1/2’ actual length). MFMA flooring is bundled by grade in conformance with regular grade requirements. No individual piece shorter than 9” is admitted. Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association |