Paint grade hardwood and plywood is typically a smoother material best suited for painting as it takes on layers of paint very evenly. This is industry lingo for a variety of species that would be considered “paintable woods” such as beech, soft maple, poplar, birch, etc…Paint grade woods can have defects that are filled and painted over. Technically, any wood can be painted. However, you would not want to paint over a species with a deeper grain such as oak or ash or any other wood with an outstanding grain pattern and natural beauty in color. Stain grade hardwoods and plywoods are a range of wood species that you would want to see the natural color of perhaps with a simple clear finish like white oak, walnut, mahogany, etc…Other stain grade woods like red oak are optimal for absorbing stain colors evenly throughout the grain of the wood and work well with dark and light stains. Our team of experts can help make sure that you are confident in selecting the right type of wood to use for your project based on your desired outcome.