Wood Species: Oak (Red)

Scientific Name: Quercus rubra

Trade Name: Red Oak

Family Name: Fagaceae, Beech Family

Common Names: Red Oak, Northern Red Oak

Regions of Distribution: The Red Oak is native to North America, in the northeastern United States and southeast Canada. It grows from the north end of the Great Lakes, east to Nova Scotia, south as far as Georgia and states with good soil that is slightly acidic.

Countries of Distribution: North America.

Appearance

Color: Reddish tone, slightly redder than white oak. Heartwood and Sapwood are similar.

GRAIN: Open, slightly courser (more porous) than white oak. Plainsawn boards have a have a plumed or flaired grain appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quarterflawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies.

Variations within species and grades: More than 200 subspecies in North America; great variation in color and grain, depending on the origin of wood and differences in growing seasons. Northern, Southern and Appalachian red oak all can be divided into upland and lowland species. Because they grow more slowly, upland species have a more uniform grain pattern than lowland species, with more growth rings per inch.


Properties

Hardness/Janka: Northern: 1290 (benchmark). Southern: below average (1060; 18 percent softer than Northern red oak.

Dimensional stability: Northern: average (8.6). Southern: Below average (11.3; 31 percent less stable than Northern red oak).

Origin: North America.

Availability: Easily Available.

Average and maximum lifespan: Average - 200 years; Maximum - 400 years.


Workability

Sawing/Machining: Above average in all machining operations.

Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is followed: Suggested sequence: First cut - 50 at 7-15 degree angle with the grain; Second cut - 80 with the grain; Third cut - 100; Hard plate - 100; Screen - 100 or 120.

Nailing: No known problems.

Finishing: Stains well and demonstrates strong stain contrast. Red oak generally works better than white oak for bleached floors because it is more porous, and because tannins in white oak can discolor the floor.

Common Uses: The northern red oak is one of the most important oaks for timber production in North America. The wood is of high value. Other related oaks are also cut and marketed as Red Oak, although their wood is not always of as high a quality. These include black oak, scarlet oak, pin oak, shumard oak, southern red oak and other species in the red oak group. The northern red oak is widely planted and naturalized also in Central Europe.

Red oak wood grain is so open that smoke can be blown through it from end-grain to end-grain on a flatsawn board.


Detailed Description

Plant habit and life style: A large, deciduous tree, the red oak can grow to 75-feet in height. The tree has a rounded outline, upright spreading branches, a large single truck.

Buds: Chestnut brown.

Leaves: Alternate leaf arrangement: 5-to-8 inch long leaves; 4-to-6 inches wide. Mature foliage is dark green. Leaf surface is lustrous.

Flowers: pale yellow-green catkins (male); adds slight seasonal interest in May; monoecious

Fruits: 0.75" to 1" long brown acorn borne singly or in pairs. Acorns have a large, saucer-like cap and take two years to mature (black oak group) can be numerous, creating a litter problem on lawns and sidewalks

Habitat: Northeastern and Northern U.S. (zone 3)