With its distinctive grain patterns and warm, reddish-brown hues, it’s no wonder red oak is one of the most popular wood species used in furniture, flooring, millwork, and other applications. But what exactly makes this hardwood so versatile? Read on to learn more about what red oak is commonly used for.
An Overview of Red Oak
Red oak (Quercus rubra) is a hardwood species native to North America. It grows abundantly across the eastern United States and Canada. Red oak has a straight, pronounced grain pattern and a rich color that ranges from light tan to an appealing reddish-brown. It’s known as a ring-porous wood, meaning the earlywood pores are much larger than the latewood pores, creating a distinctive grain pattern.
Red oak rates 1290 on the Janka hardness scale. This means it’s harder than softwoods like pine, but slightly softer than other domestic hardwoods like maple, hickory, and its white oak cousin. It’s a strong, stable wood that’s more affordable than exotic hardwoods. These characteristics make red oak suitable for a very wide range of applications.
4 Top Uses for Red Oak
Thanks to its abundance, workability, durability, and warm, attractive coloration, red oak is one of the most widely used hardwoods. Here are four of the most common uses for red oak lumber and veneer:
1. Flooring
Red oak is the most popular wood used for solid hardwood flooring in North America. It has just the right hardness to resist impacts and abrasion from foot traffic. The pronounced grain has visual interest. And the range of color tones from light tan to reddish-brown allows for customization based on stain selection. New flooring technologies like engineered wood and prefinished hardwood have further expanded red oak’s popularity thanks to their ease of installation.
2. Furniture
The fine grain and reddish tones of red oak complement a variety of furniture styles from traditional to contemporary. It’s commonly used for living room, bedroom, and dining room furniture, as well as home office pieces. Red oak has enough hardness to stand up to daily use and its attractive grain patterns make it an appealing wood for exposed frames and accents. It also takes stain very well, allowing unlimited customization options.
3. Millwork
Red oak is frequently used for trim, mouldings, doors, and custom cabinetry. Its strength makes it suitable for structural components and its ability to accept different stains allows it to be easily matched with a home’s interior. Red oak works well with traditional styles like Craftsman and farmhouse or stained in darker tones for a contemporary look. It machines and glues up nicely for millwork fabrication.
4. Veneer
Red oak veneer highlights the dramatic rays and grain patterns inherent in the species It’s used on the surfaces of composite or laminated panels and components to provide an attractive real wood look Red oak veneer is also sliced into super thin sheets and applied to substrates to produce items like doors and furniture economically, This allows more design flexibility using the visual appeal of real wood,
Other Notable Uses
Beyond the major applications listed above, here are a few other common uses for red oak lumber and veneers:
- Kitchen cabinets, islands, and pantries
- Tabletops
- Bar tops
- Architectural woodwork like decorative panels, wainscoting, and sound absorbing acoustic panels
- Caskets and other funeral furnishings
- Pallets, crates, baskets
- Flooring for trucks, trailers, and shipping containers
- Blocking, bracing, and other structural members in construction
- Commercial wall panelling
- Handrails, newel posts, and balusters
With proper finishing and maintenance, red oak also performs well for outdoor uses like patio covers, planter boxes, benches, and exterior siding and trim.
Why is Red Oak Used So Widely?
Red oak has cemented itself as one of the most versatile and sought-after domestic hardwoods due to a combination of beneficial characteristics:
- Abundant supply from sustainable well-managed forests makes it accessible and affordable
- Attractive grain patterns and color range provide visual interest
- Durable, stable, and hard enough for high-use applications
- Easy to work with using both hand and machine woodworking tools
- Takes stain evenly without blotching
- Can be crafted into wide array of products when sawn, rotary cut, sliced, or sanded
- Pairs well with many furniture styles from Mission to modern
- Provides a feeling of warmth and natural beauty as an interior finish material
Sourcing Quality Red Oak
The many advantages and broad uses of red oak mean demand is high year-round Whether you need red oak lumber, plywood, veneer, or custom millwork for your next project, the experts at Forest Plywood can help We source red oak from well-managed North American forests. Our on-site milling services allow us to supply material precisely matching your specifications. Reach out today to learn more!
Red Oak Is Porous
Red oak is much more porous and absorbent than white oak, which is one of the main ways they are different. The porous feature of red oak can be both a hindrance and a benefit. On the one hand, red oak is more likely to get water damage, which can cause it to warp. Therefore, it is not the ideal choice for installation near sinks or water. Red oak is also more prone to shrink than white oak.
On the other hand, red oak finishes and stains easily compared to other woods. Red oak’s open pores let stains soak in, so when a dark stain is used as a finish, the grain patterns stand out.
Small bumps called tyloses usually block the pores of white oak trees. This helps the tree cut off infected branches. These tyloses make the wood from white oak almost impervious to water and resistant to the elements.
Fig.1 – Red Oak End Grain. Fig.2 – White Oak End Grain.
The above end grain pictures show the pores that extend through the wood. In red oak, these pores are open, while in white oak, these pores are filled. In fact, if you put red oak in water, the pores let air bubbles pass through the sample. This cannot be done with white oak.
How To Identify White Oak and Red Oak Properties
Both red oak and white oak are large trees found throughout the United States and Canada. The wood from these two trees is popularly used for a variety of purposes, from furniture to construction. When deciding which is better for your home, it helps to be able to tell the difference.
The colors in white oak are slightly varied. White oak colors range from light brown to dark brown and even into the dark yellows. Separate boards of white oak lumber may have different tones. The grain pattern is eye-catching but less prominent than red oak. White oak grain tends to be narrow but detailed.
The color of red oak is more pink-red, as its name suggests. It is a little lighter than white oak. The grain patterns in red oak are also more elaborate and wavier. Quality red oak catches the eye easily with its wild patterns. You can also identify red oak from white oak by the texture. Red oak is open-grained and softer than rigid, closed-grain white oak.
Fig.1 – Unstained Red Oak. Fig.2 – Unstained White Oak.
The pictures above show the typical coloring of unfinished red and white Oak. Color variations between the growing regions can be significant in both red and white oak. When looking for oak furniture or cabinet doors, be sure to color-match the wood with your current furniture.
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FAQ
What is red oak most commonly used for?
What is the best use of red oak?
What are human uses for red oak?
Why is red oak so cheap?
What are some of the most popular uses for red oak?
Red oak is used for furniture, doors, architectural joinery, mouldings, veneers, and cabinets. This wood is also used for industrial purposes and can be found in agricultural implements, posts, and railway ties.
What are some of the disadvantages of using red oak?
Red Oak is not good for outdoor use because Red Oak is an open-pored wood that soaks up water like a sponge. This leads Red Oak to rot and decay quickly in outdoor use. Because of having a lot of tannins, Red Oak tends to turn black when get contact with dirt, water, or soil.
What are the benefits of using red oak?
Here are just a few of the benefits of using red oak for your cutting board: – It’s incredibly strong and sturdy. – It’s resistant to scratches and dents. – It has a beautiful, natural grain pattern. – It’s easy to clean and maintain. So if you’re in the market for a new cutting board, be sure to consider red oak.
Is red oak good for outdoor use?
We already know Red Oak is an excellent choice for indoor use. But when it comes to the exterior applications, let’s see, Is Red Oak good for outdoor use? Red Oak is not good for outdoor use because Red Oak is an open-pored wood that soaks up water like a sponge. This leads Red Oak to rot and decay quickly in outdoor use.