
4397 State Route 9 • Warrensburg, New York 12885 • phone: 518.623.9339 • email: info@countyfloors.com

Red Oak Flooring

Bruce Red Oak Balance Plank line

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Wood Flooring Species Janka Hardness Scale Glossary of Terms

Wood Flooring
Species Pages:

Wood Flooring Species

Red Oak

Scientific Name:

Quercus rubra

Other Names and Species:

Black Oak
Buck Oak
Canadian Red Oak
Common Red Oak
Gray Oak
Eastern Red Oak
Leopard Oak
Maine Red Oak
Mountain Red Oak
Northern Red Oak
Spanish Oak
Spotted Oak
Southern Red Oak
Swamp Red Oak
Water Oak

Origin:

The commercial domestic species of red and white oak are widely distributed throughout the United States.

Appearance:

The heartwood and sapwood of red oak are similar in appearance, which is light-colored with a reddish tone. The grain of red oak is open, and also somewhat coarser, and so more porous, than that of white oak, which tends to have longer rays.

Depending on whether the wood is plainsawn, riftsawn, or quartersawn, the grain of red oak can have a plumed or flared appearance, a lighter grain pattern with low figuring, or a "flake" pattern that is referred to as "tiger rays" or "butterflies." Red oak boards can show a pronounced variation in appearance, depending on subspecies group, origin, growing season, and other factors.

Properties:

Red oak is notably stiff and dense, has high shock resistance, and resists wear.

Janka Hardness: 1290

White oak has a ranking of 1360, while red oak is 1290.

Workability:

Red oak has good resistance to splitting and excellent holding ability. Red oak sands better than white; by contrast, white oak has better machining qualities. Because of its relatively high porosity and low concentration of tannin, red oak works better for bleached floors than white oak.

Principal Uses:

Oak is practically synonymous with high-quality, durable, and distinctively attractive wood floors. In addition, it is widely used in ship building, furniture and veneers, kegs and casks, truck and trailer beds, caskets, paneling, and mining timbers. Oak also makes a nice-burning fuel wood, and it yields tannin for the formulation of dyes.

Other Oak Species:

Learn more about available grades of Red Oak hardwood flooring:

County Floors • 4397 State Route 9 • Warrensburg • New York • 12885
518.623.9339 • info@countyfloors.com