OAK RIFT & QUARTER SAWN (R&Q) EXPLAINED

All rift & quarter sawn boards share one common characteristic: the growth rings manifest themselves on the face of the board as straight grain.  

Medullary rays are an important part of a tree’s biology, supplying water and nutrients as the tree grows. These large bands of radial cells, or medullary rays, emanate outward from the centre of the log, similar to the spokes of a wheel. While all trees have medullary rays, they are most pronounced in the oaks and to lesser degrees in the other hardwoods. The quarter sawing process reveals the beautiful and uniquely distinctive appearance of these rays. In quarter sawn oak, a visual distinction is made between “quartered” and “rift” boards: Quartered boards exhibit the most medullary rays. Rift boards exhibit less to no medullary rays.

The medullary rays literally jump off the face of the board when finished. It is this sparkle that makes quarter sawn flooring the preferred choice for architectural and design projects of distinction.

Rift & Quarter sawn oak flooring in light shades is highly valued in minimalistic interiors.

Specific grade Characteristics: 

• vertical grain only 
• medullary ray occurs 
• knots max 1 cm 
• light colour changes 
• mixed width only 100/140/180/220 mm

General to all Oak grades in Bespoke REM program:

• no sapwood 
• no discolouration due to early stages of brown rot 
• even colour, as all our top layers are cut one-by-one, fresh from the log. 
• occasional moon rings allowed