Red Oak Flooring(Domestic)
- Quercus spp.
Wood Floor Appearance
Color: Heartwood and sapwood are similar, with sapwood lighter in color; most pieces have a reddish tone. Slightly redder than white oak.
Grain: Open, slightly coarser (more porous) than white oak. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain
Wood Floor Appearance
; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies.
Variations Within Species And Grades: Over 200 subspecies in North America; great variation in color and grain, depending on the origin of the wood and differences in growing seasons. Northern, Southern and Appalachian red oak can all be divided into upland and lowland species.
Properties
Hardness/Janka:
Janka:1290 Northern (benchmark). Southern: 1060; 18% softer than Northern red oak.
Dimensional Stability: Northern: average (8.6). Southern: below average (11.3; 31% less stable than Northern red oak.
Durability:
Workability
Sawing/Machining: Above average in all machining operations.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed.
Nailing: No known problems.
Finishing: Stains well & demonstrates strong stain contrast. Red oak generally works better than white for bleached floors because it is more porous, and because tannins in white oak can discolor the floor.
Comments:
Origin: North America
Availability
Easily available.
White Oak Flooring(Domestic)
- Quercus spp.
Wood Floor Appearance
Color: Heartwood is light brown; some boards may have a pinkish tint or a slight grayish cast. Sapwood is white to cream.
Grain: Open, with longer rays than red oak. Occasional crotches, swirls and burls. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain
Wood Floor Appearance
; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butt
Variations Within Species And Grades: Considerable variation among boards in color and grain texture, but variations not as pronounced as in red oak.
Properties
Hardness/Janka:
Janka: 1210 (6% softer than Northern red oak)
Dimensional Stability: Average (1-.5; 22% less stable than red oak)
Durability:
Workability
Sawing/Machining: Excellent machining qualities.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed.
Nailing: No known problems.
Finishing: During the finishing process, tannins at the surface can react with some liquids to turn the wood green or brown. This effect tends to be mroe pronounced with products that have a high water content, such as wood bleach & water-based finishes.
Comments: Stains very well and accepts stain evenly.
Origin: North America
Availability
Easily Available.
Tasmanian Oak(Imported)
- Victorian ash
Wood Floor Appearance
Color: Pale straw with occasional pinkish high-lights, tan colors, some medium gray/brown colors; over time overall color variation is muted with an ambering of the straw colors to darker tan.
Grain: All riftsawn.
Variations Within Species And Grades: Even range of color shadings.
Properties
Hardness/Janka:
Janka: 1350 (5% harder than Norhtern red oak).
Dimensional Stability: Data not available.
Durability:
Workability
Sawing/Machining: Cuts easily; some splintering when routing.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed.
Nailing: No known problems
Finishing: No known finishing problems.
Comments: Has been known to cause contact dermatitis.
Origin: Australia
Availability
Moderately available.
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