We are installing new floors and ordered rift sawn white oak as we like the consistent lines. It looks like there are some rift and quartered and plain sawn wood. I appreciate that wood will have some variations... but not sure if it is standard to have some various "cuts" when you order a rift sawn floor. I counted eight (8) pieces that stand out in a room which is 14' by 20'. Please let me know if you believe this is standard/acceptable or if I should request some sort of compensation.

Explain stand out.

Pics?

when it is Rift and quartered you sill get an occasional piece that looks more plain sawn and is normal.

order more waste and weed them out if you dont like it or you have to order strait quarter sawn which will cost you more.

100% rift sawn is a custom order and most mills usually only do rift mixed with quartersawn.

That being said, if you paid for all rift and didn't get it , that is not normal. If you accidentally ordered rift and quartered, then the mill or supplier didn't do anything wrong.

Years ago , I worked on a high end house in Greenwhich ,CT and the supplier sent rift and quartered when 100% rift is what was ordered.Luckily, the homeowner was okay with the mix up.

I ordered rift sawn...... we had to wait an additional 2 weeks as they only had rift and quartered in stock. We largely got rift but in a 14th room there are about 8 pieces which are partially rifled and quartered..... The installer agreed but said it was standard as did another member on this forum so I think we may be being too picky? I appreciate everyone's feedback and would love to hear more views

* in a 14 X 20 room there were.....

IF the pieces are installed , I would just leave it as a board that is mixed rift and quartered is certainly a nice looking board although it isn't 100% rift.

If the boards are not installed, ask the supplier to take them back and get you 100% rift boards to replace them.

On a practical note, I estimate that less than 1% of the world's population would ever notice such a thing. It's probably a beautiful floor.

The Official Flooring Grading Rules of NOFMA cover oak
(unfinished and prefinished), beech, birch, hard maple, ash,
and hickory/pecan. Flooring grades are determined by the
appearance of the face surface.
Oak is separated as red oak and white oak and by grain direction:
plain sawn (all cuts), quartersawn (50% quartered
character), rift sawn (75% rift character), and quarter/rift
sawn (a combination). Oak flooring has four main grade
separations—Clear, Select, No. 1 Common, and No. 2
Common. Clear is mostly heartwood and accepts a 10-mm
(3/8-in.) strip of bright sapwood or an equivalent amount
not more than 25 mm (1 in.) wide along the edge and a
minimum number of character marks and discoloration, allowing

This information comes out of the Wood Handbook National Forest Products Lab US Dept of Agriculture. Hope this answers your question as too what percent is allowed. It is possible to have one end of the board plainsawn and the other end quarter or rift. Only the way it is sawn can be controlled the grain can and will vary. But just not to the same degree.