In our previous post we clarified what the letters “CVG” in CVG Douglas fir flooring stand for. It stands for C&Btr Vertical Grain Douglas fir not Clear Vertical Grain Douglas fir .  But what does the C&Btr grade actually mean? The C&Btr grade is the highest available clear grade for Douglas fir flooring and paneling. The grade C&Btr denotes the maximum allowable characteristics contained in for example a Douglas fir flooring board beyond the clarity of the face within a given size and dimension. This has been determined by the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau or WCLIB for short. 

What do I mean by “maximum allowable characteristics”?  Well I’m referring primarily to things such as small sound pin knots and or pitch pockets.  Other characteristics will go on to include torn or raised grain, light skip and or seasoning checks.  While we don’t often run into the later most people tend to be more concerned with the former.  The knots!  Again I must reiterate that the C&Btr grade lays out the maximum allowable characteristics beyond the clarity of the face of the board.  So while you might be concerned about receiving too many knots on the face of your material it’s important to source your material from a reputable and reliable company that mills and sources high quality Clear Vertical Grain Douglas fir such as Altruwood.  Ordering 200SF, 300SF or 500SF may only contain a few boards in the whole lot with small sound pin knots, if that.  Even then you can choose to leave the pin knot in the board or simply trim it out. 

It’s important to remember that while grade rules do outline the maximum allowable characteristics that can be found on the face of say CVG Douglas fir paneling & flooring, you’ll find sourcing your lumber from a reputable company with years of experience such as Altruwood that your material will exceed those grade rules.