Oak is widely distributed throughout the United States. Northern, Southern and Appalachian red oak can all be divided into upland and lowland species. Because they grow more slowly, upland species generally have a more uniform grain pattern than lowland species, with more growth rings per inch.
The Tree:
The tree can reach a height of 125 ft (38 m) with large diameters.
General Wood Characteristics:
The sapwood of oak is white to very light brown, while the heartwood is light to dark brown in the white oak group and reddish brown in the red oak group. Oak wood has a coarse texture; it is heavy, straight-grained, hard, tough, very stiff, and strong. Fast-grown oak, with wide rings, is heavier than slow-grown oak.
Hardness (Janka):
Northern red oak 1290 pounds.
Dimensional stability:
Average.
Durability:
Stiff and dense; resist wear, with high shock resistance.
Variations within species and grades:
More than 200 subspecies in North America; great variation in color and grain, depending on the origin of the wood and corresponding differences in growing seasons.
Comments:
* Color variation: very small color change upon exposure to intense light.
* color change will disappear within a few months
* Indentation: show minimal indentation appearance because of its open grain and natural reddish color.
