Quartersawn floors are a relative rarity today and as such they have cache among homeowners looking for the unique. Quartersawing slices perpendicular to the wood's annual growth rings, resulting in a straight grain appearance that also exposes the medullary rays, producing a unique figure or fleck that is highly sought after for furniture and cabinet making (see figure 2). Those familiar with the Arts and Craft and "Mission Oak" style of the early twentieth century will recognize this fleck. The straight grain of quartersawn wood is also very consistent, making it desirable among furniture makers.
Appearance Is Determined by the Way a Log Is Sawn
The face appearance of a floor plank is determined by the way the wood grain is exposed by the saw. All logs consist of concentric annual growth rings of wood, beginning in the center and moving outwards. In plainsawing a log is moved back and forth on a saw carriage and rotated with each successive slice until it is cut from the outside inwards. The growth rings, visible at the end of the board, will typically range from parallel with the surface of the board to a 30 degree angle or more from the surface of the board.
In quartersawing, the log is first quartered and then the quarters are cut again into slices. This method produces both quartersawn and riftsawn boards. The center boards (true quartersawn) will have growth rings positioned at 60-90 degrees to the board's surface. As the cuts are made from the quarters, they become more rift sawn (growth rings at 30-60 degrees from the surface). When flooring companies refer to quartersawn wood, they are referring to a specialty wood flooring cut that is a combination of quarter and rift sawn.
Structural Differences of Plainsawn and Quartersawn
Assuming that the wood flooring you purchased was properly kiln dried, you shouldn't have to worry about the dimensional stability of the wood you choose, or the method with which it was sawn. Both plainsawn and quartersawn wood floors are fine choices. But if you are faced with a particularly demanding flooring application, such as a very high-traffic floor in a restaurant or pub, or a situation where moisture is more likely, then quartersawn would be the preferred choice. This is because quartersawn lumber expands and contracts vertically instead of horizontally, giving it superior dimensional stability across the width. (By comparison, plainsawn lumber shrinks and swells less in thickness than quartersawn wood.)
Superior stability is why quartersawn lumber is used in the construction of string instruments, helping keep the neck of a violin stable despite constant stress and pressure.
Price Differences
Because quartersawn lumber takes more time to produce and produces less yield (there is no boxed heart left over to market as pallet lumber), it costs more than plainsawn. There is also demand for quartersawn lumber among furniture and cabinet makers, boat builders, instrument makers, and others.
