Why Wood ?
REAL WOOD FLOORING
The right choice!
Wood is nature’s own highly durable building material with a beauty
that is 
always in fashion. A real wood floor will last for generations, and
add permanent value to any home or office. Theden Forest Products uses only
the best Canadian West Coast woods to provide the distinction, beauty and durability
of natural Canadian flooring.
On Wood
Let’s start with the fact that not all wood is equal; not all trees of the same species are equal; and not all parts of the same tree are equal.
The beauty of wood always shows through!
A few things you might not know:
- Not all cuts are equal: Edge grain (the wood on the outside of the tree) is sawn as a radial cut. Flat grain is sawn on the tangent.
- The heart of the tree has more knots. These are there when the tree is young but many drop off as the tree grows bigger.
- The outer shell is sapwood. This is the living part of the tree and gets proportionally less as the tree grows. This is also the part of the tree with the most clear wood (free of knots).
- The stump end of the tree has the largest size, the higher kiln dried density, the least sapwood and relatively more clear wood.
- A small tree gives more flat grain. It takes a larger tree to make edge grain. This is what’s so good about Powell River Forests. We can grow big trees!
So, what makes the best floor?
- The most durable part of the tree is edge grain heart wood from the higher density part of the tree (i.e. the stump end).
- The floor must have beauty. Mixed grain with a limited number of sound knots may be your choice. Of course, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
- Installing over radiant floor heating there is somewhat less choice. The most stable will be heart wood cut as edge grain and kiln dried to exacting standards. It is also a good idea to select a narrower board which will have more pressure points to take the annual moisture swings of the seasons. Let us know if you have radiant floor heating; we will be happy to advise you of the various pros and cons.
Grown and manufactured in Powell River, BC Canada!
