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TruGrade is a proprietary wood grading system developed by Navy Island, revolutionizing the way architects, designers, and woodworkers specify and experience wood veneer. It addresses a long-standing frustration within the industry: the inconsistency and lack of clarity in existing grading standards. TruGrade empowers you to achieve predictable, beautiful results, transforming how you work with wood veneer.
For decades, the industry has relied on the Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association (HPVA) grading system. While well-established, the HPVA standards suffer from a critical flaw: isolated grading. This method focuses on individual wood characteristics without considering the overall aesthetic appeal of the veneer panel.
Inconsistent Appearance: Wide variations in appearance exist within a given grade, leading to unpredictable results and frustrated clients.
Subjective Terminology: The HPVA standards use subjective terms like “slight,” “occasional,” or “few,” leaving room for interpretation and disputes.
Architects, designers, and contractors struggle to communicate their vision accurately, leading to mismatched expectations and costly rework.
TruGrade revolutionizes wood veneer grading with three key features:
TruGrade provides clear, concise, and objective definitions for 54 visual wood characteristics, encompassing color, grain structure, figure types, and more.
Benefit: Eliminates ambiguity, enabling precise communication and predictable results.
A unique color scale allows for accurate identification of overall veneer color and variations within the panel.
Benefit: Ensures consistent color matching, creating a harmonious aesthetic.
A 100-point numeric grading system assigns negative values to undesirable characteristics, considering the overall aesthetic impact.
Benefit: Provides a comprehensive and objective measure of veneer quality.
TruGrade’s innovative approach to veneer grading was recognized with the prestigious IWF (International Woodworking Fair) Challenger’s Award in 2006, a testament to its impact on the woodworking industry. Watch the video to better understand the importance of the TruGrade standards.
| Comparison of Grades | ANSI/HPVA | TruGrade™ |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Color | 🟢 | |
| Sapwood | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Heartwood | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Color Streaks | 🟢 | |
| Color Variation | 🟢 | |
| Grain Color | 🟢 | |
| Cell Polarization | 🟢 | |
| Figure Types | 🟢 | |
| Figure Density | 🟢 | |
| Figure Compression | 🟢 | |
| Figure Contrast | 🟢 | |
| Figure Distribution | 🟢 | |
| Flares | 🟢 | |
| Mineral Flare | 🟢 | |
| Blisters | 🟢 | |
| Wild Grain | 🟢 | |
| Butted Crown | 🟢 | |
| Merged Crown | 🟢 | |
| Offset Crown | 🟢 | |
| Crown/Qtr. Balance | 🟢 | |
| Grain Bow | 🟢 | |
| Missing Crown | 🟢 | |
| Loose Grain | 🟢 | |
| Grain Wave | 🟢 | |
| Manufactured Eye | 🟢 | |
| Grain Slope | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Grain Contrast | 🟢 | |
| Leaf Width | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Conspicuous Pin Knots | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Sound Knots | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Spike Knots | 🟢 | |
| Burls | ★ | 🟢 |
| Burl Vein | 🟢 | |
| Mineral Streaks | 🟢 | |
| Mineral Speck | 🟢 | |
| Mineral Pocket | 🟢 | |
| Gum Spots | 🟢 | |
| Gum Lines | 🟢 | |
| Bark Pockets | 🟢 | |
| Sinew Grain | 🟢 | |
| Ice Fleck | 🟢 | |
| Shadow Grain | 🟢 | |
| Flake | 🟢 | |
| Worm Tracks | 🟢 | |
| Worm Speck | 🟢 | |
| Glass Worm | 🟢 | |
| Vine Marks | 🟢 | |
| Cross Bars | 🟢 | |
| Rough Grain | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Repaired Splits | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Offset Splice Lines | 🟢 | |
| Knife Marks | 🟢 | |
| Sequence Allowance | 🟢 | |
| Panel Matching | 🟢 | |
|
★ the size is defined but the quantity is not. Everything in green is objectively defined. Everything blank is either not defined or defined by one of the following subjective terms: slight, occasional, small or few. |
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