The heartwood of White Oak is light brown to dark brown. Some boards may have a pinkish or grayish color. The sapwood is cream to white in color. The grain is mostly straight and open. The texture is coarse. There is considerable variation among boards in color and grain

BOTANICAL NAME:

ORIGIN:

North America – Widespread throughout the Eastern United States. The white oak group comprises many species, of which about eight are commercial. The average white oak tree height is 60 to 80 feet.

COMMON NAMES:

Basket Oak, Chestnut Oak, Cow Oak, Mountain Oak, Rock Oak, Swamp Oak, Tanbark Oak, Eastern White Oak, Stave Oak, Ridge White Oak, Cucharillo, Encino, and Roble.

JANKA HARDNESS:

1360

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Average – Change Coefficient .00365 – 1% more stable than Northern Red Oak

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE:

Widely available – 15.1 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.

INTERESTING FACTS:

White oak is virtually impervious to liquids, and has been used extensively for ship timbers, barrels and casks. White oak is the state tree of Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland.

Native Americans and early settlers would boil and eat white oak acorns.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The heartwood of White Oak is light brown to dark brown. Some boards may have a pinkish or grayish color. The sapwood is cream to white in color. The grain is mostly straight and open. The texture is coarse. There is considerable variation among boards in color and grain.

COLOR CHANGE:

White Oak undergoes a medium degree of color change, with a slight ambering over time.

MAIN USES:

White Oak wood is used for flooring, architectural millwork, doors, boat building, furniture, veneers, caskets and paneling. The tannins found in White Oak are often used in the formulation of dyes.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

White oak is slightly softer than red oak. It is a very dense and durable wood with average dimensional stability. White Oak has great wear resistance. It is strong and bends well due to its straight grain.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

White Oak has excellent machining qualities. Nails will hold well, although pre-boring is advised. White Oak sands satisfactorily. During the finishing process, tannins at the surface can react with some liquids causing the wood to turn green or brown. The effect seems more pronounced with water-based finishes. White Oak accepts stain well.