Reading timber grades: FAS, 1COM, 2COM and our A/AB/BC

FAS, 1COM, 2COM often look intimidating. The core of every grading rule is one sentence: how much clear material this board yields once defects are cut out.

Yield is the point

Under NHLA rules the grades correspond roughly to minimum yields: FAS at least 83.3%, 1COM at least 66.7%, 2COM at least 50%. The larger and more numerous the clear cuttings, the higher the grade.

Why a higher grade is not always cheaper

If your components are short — 300 mm drawer sides, say — 1COM or even 2COM lets you use short clear sections and can cost less per part than FAS. For panels over 2 m, low grades cannot yield the length and end up costing more. Match the grade to the component size rather than buying the highest grade available.

Our A / AB / BC for lamella

Lamella is already cut to size, so there is no customer-side cutting and we grade on appearance rather than yield:

• A — clear face, minimal colour variation, for visible panel faces;
• AB — small sound knots and light colour variation, for general panels and door cores;
• BC — visible knots, colour variation and mineral streak, for backs, liners and hidden parts.

Judgement is against the sample both sides approve. A photo of your sample with the enquiry makes the quotation much more accurate.