SPECIES: Red Oak

Appearance

Color: In red oak, the heartwood and sapwood are similar, although the sapwood is lighter in color. Red oak has a slight pink to reddish tone that is slightly redder than white oak.

Grain: Red oak is open-grained with a slightly coarser and more porous structure than white oak. Other than this distinction, the grain of red oak and white oak are similar.

There are over 200 subspecies of red oak in North America with a significant variation in color and grain, depending on the origin of the wood and differences in growing seasons. Northern, Southern and Appalachian red oak are generally divided into upland and lowland species.

Workability

Red oak is above average in all machining operations. It sands satisfactorily if the proper sanding sequence is followed. Red oak stains well and tends to demonstrate strong stain contrast. Red oak is generally better suited than white oak for bleached floors because it is more porous and because tannins in white oak can discolor the floor.