Selects and F1F Hardwood Lumber: When One Clear Face Is Enough

Selects and FAS One Face (F1F) are the grades for buyers who need one clean face and do not need the back to match. Each board has a better face that meets FAS and a poorer face that meets No.1 Common. The back can be used where it is hidden, which is why these grades can cost less than FAS for the same part.

Grade	Face rule	Typical minimum board	Typical yield
FAS	Both faces meet FAS (poorer face decides)	6 in wide, 8 ft long	83 1/3% (10/12) clear cuttings
F1F (FAS One Face)	Better face FAS, poorer face No.1 Common	6 in wide, 8 ft long (trade summaries, check)	Better face 83 1/3%
Selects	Better face FAS, poorer face No.1 Common	4 in wide, 6 ft long	Better face 83 1/3%
No.1 Common	Poorer face decides	3 in wide, 4 ft long	66 2/3% (8/12) to under 83 1/3%
No.2A Common	Poorer face decides	3 in wide, 4 ft long	50% (6/12) to under 66 2/3%

The NHLA rulebook governs. Sizes and yields are typical figures from published summaries. The F1F minimum comes from trade summaries and one extension summary describes F1F as Selects with a 6 in width requirement, so check it in the rulebook edition your contract names.

How the grade is decided

For most NHLA grades the board is graded from its poorer face. The grader counts clear cuttings of a minimum size on that face and checks that they cover the share of the surface that the grade asks for. For FAS the share is 10/12 of the surface. For No.1 Common it is 8/12.

Selects and F1F break that pattern. The better face has to meet the FAS rule. The reverse face has to meet No.1 Common. Purdue Extension adds that the reverse side of the cuttings does not have to be sound for these two grades, and that special wane limits apply to each of them. In practice a Selects board can have a clear, good face and a back with knots, as long as the back still meets the No.1 Common yield.

Where Selects and F1F fit

Because the back is allowed to be plainer, these grades suit parts where only one side is seen. The rule is simple: if both faces of the part will be visible, use FAS. If one face is hidden, F1F or Selects can supply the same visible quality.

Part	Faces seen	Grade to quote
Cabinet door stiles and rails, painted or stained on the front	Front only	Selects or F1F, or FAS if both sides show
Face frames	Front only	Selects or F1F
Drawer fronts	Front only	Selects or F1F
Table tops and panels	Both faces may show	FAS or the better face on the top, agreed in writing
Stair treads	Top and nosing	FAS, or Selects with the better face up
Interior parts, drawer sides, backs	Hidden	No.1 Common or a lower grade

This is a practical rule drawn from how the grades are defined, not an NHLA requirement. Tell the mill which face is the show face, and ask how it marks that face in the bundle. Our guide to NHLA lumber grades explains the other grades.

Selects and better, F1F and better

Many mills sell Selects and better (the Selects and FAS grades together) or F1F and better as one price. That is a mix: FAS boards and Selects boards in one pile. Purdue Extension notes the practice. Before you accept it, ask what share of the load is FAS and what share is Selects or F1F. If your parts use the better face only, the mix is fine. If both faces show, you need a FAS-only quote.

Species and size exceptions

The standard rule is written for the common species. Some species have their own modifications:

• Walnut and butternut: FAS admits shorter and narrower boards than the standard 6 in by 8 ft. Purdue Extension lists a 5 in minimum width and boards 6 and 7 feet long.
• Cherry: small knots not over 1/8 inch in diameter can be admitted in the cuttings under the rule for that species.
• Oak: plain red oak and white oak follow the standard rule, with a consideration for mineral stain.

Confirm the species rule and the rulebook edition for the species you buy. Our guide to hardwood grading rules compared shows how NHLA names relate to European and other systems, and the measurement rules page explains how surface measure sets the number of cuttings.

How to check a Selects shipment

1. Ask which face the mill graded as the better face, and that it is marked.
2. Pull a sample of boards across several bundles and look at the better face first.
3. Turn the board over and check the reverse face against No.1 Common.
4. Measure a few boards against the minimum size of the grade you bought. A board narrower or shorter than the minimum is out of grade, whatever its faces look like.
5. Write the result against the contract grade. For the process of agreeing a pre-shipment check, read pre-shipment lumber grading.

What to write on the RFQ

Quote the grade name, the face rule and the share of FAS if the mix is “and better”. Say which face is the show face. Then send your lumber RFQ and we pass it to up to 3 mills or yards that carry that grade.

RFQ line: Hard maple (Acer saccharum), Selects, 4/4 rough, KD 6-8%, better face FAS, NHLA edition named, no FAS-only requirement.