Common Trade Name: Red Oak, American Red Oak, Northern Red Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus rubra
Color Range: Light to medium brown heartwood with a pink or rosy-red cast. Sapwood has a paler hue that blends seamlessly into the heartwood.
Availability: Abundant and popular domestic hardwood
Janka Scale Hardness: 1,220 lbf (5,430 N)
Average Weight per BF: 43.8 lbs/Cu. Ft.
Common Uses: cabinetry, fine furniture, flooring, interior trim, wall panels, box beams, custom millwork, turning blanks and decorative wood panels
What Is Red Oak?
Red oak lumber is one of the most undeniably popular woods for many American homes. It gives off such a character that imitation vinyl and laminates were manufactured to mimic its look. Quercus rubra is the top-rated lumber among all other red oak species. Northern red oak has made a significant contribution to industrialization. It was used for railroad ties, fine furniture, steamboats, and fuel.
Red oak is valued for its strength and durability, attractive finish, workability, and slow depreciation. It has a nicely figured heartwood and a rosy sheen with straight and open grain. Its excellent hardwood properties and abundant supply make it a mainstay even until the modern era. The lumber is now used in many wood accent walls and shiplap paneling. It is still a popular choice for architectural millwork, custom molding, flooring, and a multitude of woodwork.
Where Is Red Oak Sourced From?
Red oak is a deciduous tree distributed throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its natural range covers almost half of the US and the southern portion of Canada. Red oak tree often thrives in fertile upland forests. In a conducive environment, it can reach a height of 150 feet and a diameter of about 6 feet.
Northern red oak has a high commercial value for its timber used as lumber, while defective logs are marketed as firewood.
What to Look for When Buying Red Oak?
Red oak has an open grain that can blow smoke into it from end grain to end grain on a flat board. It is sold as veneer and solid lumber, flat-sawn, or quarter-sawn. You can identify a good red oak wood in stock by its reddish-pink color and a thin line of sapwood. In high-grade red oak lumber, the sapwood is almost nonexistent.
Depending on how you will use it, boards with similar colors may be ideal if you aim for a clear finish. FAS red oak is knot-free, but lower grades may have the distinctive knots best for rustic wooden projects.
Pros and Cons of Red Oak
Red oak takes up about one-third of the commercially sold domestic hardwood in the US. It is popular not only for its outstanding qualities but also as one of the most affordable premier hardwoods.
Pros
- Attractive appearance
- Strength and durability (indoors)
- Easy to work
- Finishes well
- Abundant supply
Cons
- Very heavy
- Poor insect resistance
- Porous
FAQs
Can red oak furniture go outside?
Red oak may be highly durable, but its grain is not meant for outdoor weather. It was used in traditional ship building but it called for high ship maintenance. Finished white oak wood may fare better than red oak in an outdoor setting.
Is red oak a tonewood?
Red oak may be used as a tonewood because of its warm and lively tonal character with great sustain and projection. However, it is not often used for bodies, necks, and guitar fretboards for its poor working characteristic since it is porous and brittle.
Where to Buy Red Oak
Red oak lumber is widely distributed by many lumber stores. It is sometimes lumped with other oaks which all share similar characteristics making it hard to identify authentic Quercus rubra.
Authentic red oak wood is easier sourced from reputable specialty lumber dealers like Alderfer Lumber Company Inc. Alderfer offers solid red oak wood lumber and boards and other domestic and specialty lumbers. These woods are sustainably-sourced, kiln-dried, and well- preserved. Thus, you can guarantee that you make a sound investment in whatever woodworking projects you undertake.
Call us today or send us an email to inquire about lumber stocks you do not otherwise see on our website. We have plenty of supplies available in our inventory that may not have been updated on our website. Alderfer is committed to providing high-grade, authentic lumber with excellent service and reasonable prices.
