End Matching

At Marks Lumber, we end-match our circle sawn Douglas Fir flooring, saving our customers significant time and money. End matching involves precision trimming both ends of all material with a tongue and groove profile. If material is not end-matched, then every board must be trimmed in the field which takes a ton of time, and results in much more waste that must be removed from the job site. This process is performed as our team puts your specific order together.

Making our flooring product 100% usable is the goal of the end-match and order completion process. Defects are marked by the operator, and then removed by the optimizing trim saw. The remaining flooring is then automatically end-matched. The resulting tongue and groove fit together perfectly so that almost no trimming of the flooring is required.

Effects of End-matching on Estimates

Sales associates at Marks Lumber now estimate that there is less than half the excess that we recommended before we improved our rough sawn flooring by end-matching it.

Before we began end-matching our flooring in 2016, we suggested 10-12% overage for our flooring; now we generally recommend 3% to 5%, taking into account installation error and waste.

Putting your Order Together

Planer mill staff steadily runs flooring through the optimizing trim-saw and automatic end-matcher. Finished material is measured by the trim saw, so the team keeps tabs on the process and finishes orders as required.

Several times throughout the order, the milling team checks the material's moisture content. This moisture test is the third time in this process that the milling team notes moisture content.

Previously moisture checks were first done in the kiln, and then secondly on the out-feed or 'back' of the planer. When the milling team completes your order, the mill operators will note your product's moisture content and apply their initials on the form included with your installation instructions.

To complete the order, the mill workers band and wrap the entire order and mark the order as complete. At this time the office team will get in touch with the customer or installer.

Now your custom Made-in-Montana, Grown-in-Montana circle sawn flooring order is ready to acclimate, install, and enjoy!

Note:

This article is the last in the series on the manufacturing process for Marks Lumber's famous Douglas Fir Flooring.

Previous Post: Expert Tips for Installing Circle Sawn Douglas Fir Flooring.

Learn More About Our Montana Wood Flooring Products