Changes in the color of lumber supplied to our mill manufacturing members are a result of supply and demand of raw maple lumber.
Because wood is a natural product, it is subject to color variations resulting from differing growing conditions. The color of maple heartwood is brownish, while sapwood is much lighter. Consistency of color cannot be controlled in the manufacturing process, and color variation is not a grading defect.
Strips of maple are generally hand mixed on site to ensure a good color blending of maple flooring strips in order to avoid groups of darker boards from being placed in the same area. However, some flooring strips do not show their true color until after floor sealer has been applied. In other words, an installer may mix the floor to achieve the desired result, but it is impossible to identify those maple flooring strips that will have a darker appearance once floor sealer is applied.