Appalachian sells its solid hardwood under three grade names: Prestige, Advantage and Excel. The names don't tell you much by themselves. Below we cover what Appalachian says each grade means, what the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) says about grade names, and what each grade costs today in our solid hardwood flooring collection. We're talking about the Appalachian brand here, not the mountain region.
Quick answer: Prestige, Advantage or Excel?
- Prestige covers 21 of our 26 Appalachian listings, in red oak, hard maple and white oak, at $5.09 to $6.99 per sq ft. If colour choice matters most, start here.
- Advantage covers 3 listings in hard maple and red oak, all at $5.50 per sq ft. Appalachian's grade document doesn't describe Advantage for those two species, so judge it by the boards themselves.
- Excel covers 2 red oak listings: Natural at $5.39 per sq ft and Amaretto at $6.99 per sq ft. On Appalachian's red oak pages, Excel allows more kinds of character marks than Prestige.
- A higher-sounding grade doesn't mean a higher price. One Prestige hard maple is $5.49 per sq ft and Advantage is $5.50 per sq ft, so pick your colour and species first, then look at grade.
What Prestige, Advantage and Excel actually mean
Appalachian's grade specification (January 2022 edition) keeps it simple: the grade of a wood floor represents its appearance, and choosing a grade is a matter of appearance. Planks are sorted by colour variation, knots, splits and other marks that occur naturally in the wood. Grade describes how the floor looks, not how strong it is or how it wears.
The document then lists the marks each grade allows. For red oak, Prestige lists mineral streaks, nuanced coloration and pin knots. Excel lists character marks, colour variation, micro cracks, mineral streaks, pin knots and small filled knots. In other words, Excel shows more natural variation and Prestige is the calmer look. Advantage only appears on a white oak page, so for Advantage maple or red oak, look at the boards.
Why grade names do not transfer between brands
Under the NWFA standard for factory-finished solid wood flooring, appearance guidelines belong to each manufacturer, and certified flooring is graded against that maker's own guidelines. So Prestige means what Appalachian says it means. Another mill's top grade or "character" grade can look quite different even when the name sounds familiar. The standard also says factory-finished flooring usually comes in two or three appearance grades, and Appalachian uses three.
For more background, our character grade vs select grade guide explains the select and character terms. Our Lauzon and Appalachian comparison puts the two brands side by side, and the Appalachian and Lauzon hardwood overview covers the wider range.
What the NWFA length minimums say about grade
Grade affects board length too. For planks 3 inches up to 5 inches wide, the NWFA sets these minimum average board lengths (in its own grade wording):
| NWFA appearance grade | Average board length minimum |
|---|---|
| Comparable to a Select and Better | 33 inches |
| Comparable to a #1 Common and Better | 28 inches |
| Comparable to a #2 Common | 22 inches |
The average is taken over a shipment of 1,000 sq ft or more, not box by box, and no single piece can be shorter than 9 inches. Ask us what average length to expect before you plan your layout.
Appalachian solid hardwood in our catalogue: what all 26 share and how prices fall
All 26 of our Appalachian solid hardwood listings are 19mm (3/4 inch) thick, nail-down, semi gloss and not waterproof. There are 12 red oak, 12 hard maple and 2 white oak, and 22 are in stock. Grade and price are where they really differ, so here are the in-stock listings sorted by price.
| Price per sq ft | Grade | Species | Box price | Coverage per box | Listings in stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5.09 | Prestige | Hard maple | $101.80 | 20 sq ft | 1 |
| $5.19 | Prestige | Hard maple | $103.80 | 20 sq ft | 2 |
| $5.39 | Excel | Red oak | $101.87 | 18.9 sq ft | 1 |
| $5.49 | Prestige | Hard maple | $103.80 | 18.9 sq ft | 1 |
| $5.50 | Advantage | Hard maple | $103.95 | 18.9 sq ft | 2 |
| $5.50 | Advantage | Red oak | $103.95 | 18.9 sq ft | 1 |
| $5.99 | Prestige | Red oak | $113.21 | 18.9 sq ft | 1 |
| $6.69 | Prestige | White oak | $126.44 | 18.9 sq ft | 2 |
| $6.99 | Excel | Red oak | $132.11 | 18.9 sq ft | 1 |
| $6.99 | Prestige | Hard maple | $132.11 | 18.9 sq ft | 2 |
| $6.99 | Prestige | Red oak | $132.11 | 18.9 sq ft | 8 |
Prices checked October 4, 2026. Price per sq ft is the box price divided by the coverage per box.
- Prestige alone runs from $5.09 to $6.99 per sq ft, a $1.90 spread within one grade.
- Prestige and Excel both appear at $6.99, so Excel isn't always the cheaper choice.
- Advantage at $5.50 per sq ft is only $0.01 more than a Prestige hard maple at $5.49.
- The first two rows are the three narrower-plank maple colours, packed at 20 sq ft per box.
Prestige: the widest choice of colour and species
Most of the range is Prestige: 9 red oak, 10 hard maple and 2 white oak listings. For a pale floor, Natural Hard Maple is $6.99 per sq ft, or $132.11 for an 18.9 sq ft box. Our Moka hard maple is the same price and box size, so choosing between them comes down to colour.
Red oak has the widest Prestige price range. One listing is $5.99 per sq ft and eight are $6.99, including Gunstock below. Both price points have the same grade, species, thickness and coverage, so the $1.00 per sq ft gap has nothing to do with grade.
White oak has the smallest selection and costs less than the $6.99 red oak. Our Paisley white oak is $6.69 per sq ft ($126.44 per 18.9 sq ft box), $0.30 less than Gunstock. To see how maple, red oak and white oak compare, read our species comparison.
Advantage: three listings at one price
Advantage is the second-smallest grade in our catalogue. Rosewood hard maple, Walnut hard maple and Walnut red oak are each $5.50 per sq ft ($103.95 per 18.9 sq ft box), or $1.49 per sq ft less than the usual $6.99 Prestige price. The photo below shows a Walnut red oak sample board with its grade labels. Checking that label is a quick way to confirm what you're buying.
Excel: two red oak listings and a $1.60 gap
Both Excel listings are red oak, packed at 18.9 sq ft per box. Natural is $101.87 per box ($5.39 per sq ft) and Amaretto is $132.11 per box ($6.99 per sq ft). Colour is the only listed difference between them, so the $1.60 per sq ft gap isn't about grade.
Natural lets you compare two grades in the same species for less money. With Amaretto, the grade stays the same and you can focus on colour.
What the grade changes on a 400 sq ft order
Say your room is 400 sq ft. Add the 5% waste allowance we build into quotes and you're ordering for 420 sq ft. At 18.9 sq ft per box, 420 divided by 18.9 is 22.2, so you'd buy 23 boxes. Here's the material cost before HST:
| Option | Box price | Boxes | Material before HST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunstock red oak, Prestige | $132.11 | 23 | $3,038.53 |
| Paisley white oak, Prestige | $126.44 | 23 | $2,908.12 |
| Walnut red oak, Advantage | $103.95 | 23 | $2,390.85 |
| Natural red oak, Excel | $101.87 | 23 | $2,343.01 |
Choosing Walnut Advantage instead of Gunstock Prestige saves $647.68 on material, and Natural Excel saves $695.52, both before HST. Installation, delivery and trim depend on your floor and subfloor, so they're not included here. Our hardwood flooring price guide covers the rest of a solid hardwood budget.
When to choose each grade
- Choose Prestige if your colour only comes in Prestige, which is true of both white oak colours and 10 of the 12 hard maple listings. It's also the pick if you want the calmer look Appalachian describes for red oak.
- Choose Advantage if one of the three walnut or rosewood colours suits your room and $5.50 per sq ft fits your budget.
- Choose Excel if you want red oak with more visible natural character.
- Shop by price, not grade name, if cost comes first. The grades overlap across price points.
Checks before you order
- Compare real boards. The NWFA standard says colour match is judged by eye, and that new flooring may not match showroom sample boards because different wood species react to light differently.
- Expect a few off-grade pieces. The NWFA standard allows up to 5% of pieces in certified flooring to fall outside the chosen appearance grade. That's a good reason to keep your full waste allowance.
- Plan for nail-down. All 26 listings are nail-down installs, so make sure your subfloor suits that before you pick a colour.
- Keep it to dry areas. None of the Appalachian listings are waterproof.
- Sheen isn't a factor. All 26 are semi gloss, so you're really choosing colour, species and grade.
Appalachian hardwood grades FAQ
What is the difference between Prestige and Excel grade?
Both are Appalachian appearance grades. On the red oak pages of Appalachian's specification, Excel allows more kinds of natural marks than Prestige. We carry 2 Excel listings and 21 Prestige listings.
Is Excel a lower grade than Prestige?
Not necessarily. Appalachian says choosing a grade is a matter of appearance, and the prices don't rank them either: Excel Amaretto is $6.99 per sq ft, the same as most Prestige red oak. Choose by how the boards look in your room.
What is Advantage grade in Appalachian hardwood?
Three of our listings are Advantage grade, all at $5.50 per sq ft. Appalachian's specification only sets Advantage rules for white oak, so for maple and red oak, look at the boards or ask us to confirm before you order.
Where can I read Appalachian hardwood flooring reviews?
We don't publish customer ratings. What we can give you is the specifics: thickness, installation method, current prices and Appalachian's published grade rules. When you read reviews elsewhere, keep in mind that each brand defines its own grade names.
What is cabin grade hardwood, and is it one of these grades?
No. That term isn't used in our Appalachian listings, which use Prestige, Advantage and Excel. The NWFA grades for factory-finished flooring are Select and Better, #1 Common and Better, and #2 Common.
Get a solid hardwood quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your room sizes and the colour and grade you like through our quote request page, or get in touch through our contact page. We'll price your floor using current box prices.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819