Differences Between Red Oak And White Oak

Lets talk about Oak Wood today

Lets talk about Oak Wood today. The reason I want to talk about Oak is because there are two different types of Oak theres Red Oak and White Oak and the color of them is not the only difference!

How about we begin with the differences of these two trees by comparing their colors, the feel, acorns, and leaves? The color of the white oak tree varies with yellow and brown tones while the red oak tree has more of a pinkish tint to it so when stained it really gives that red hue. As far as the feel of the two woods; the white oak is scaly and the red oak has ridges crisscrossing along the trunk. The acorns on the red oak tree usually need two seasons to fully mature while the white oak acorns are fully grown in just one season. Also, the red oak acorn has tiny hairs on the inside of their shells making the acorns taste bitter, the white oak acorns have no hair leaving no bitter taste. And now onto the leaves of the oak trees, to sum up the leaf differences the white oak typically has rounded lobes and the red oak has pointed lobes, also, some red oak leaves have spiny or bristle teeth on the leaf almost giving it the clingy sharp feel, like sticking to you as you walk by.

White oak is almost waterproof making it a great hardwood for all your outdoor wood projects from decks and furniture to even making boats. Red oak is also a hardwood but is often not used for the same purposes as white oak is, it is more often use for veneers, boxes, simple lumber, crates, handles, red oak should be used for indoor wood projects rather than outdoor. Red oak is more prone to shrinking and will stain black when water penetrates the surface due to the fact it is porous, you want to be very careful not to allow standing water on red oak as it is not as water resistant as white oak is. As far as indoor flooring goes, white is the harder wood but not by much, and red grows faster giving you 4-6 rings per sq. inch while white will have 10-20 rings per sq. inch due to a slower growing rate. On the Janka scale Ipe comes in at 3,684 and White Pine only in the 400s, White Oak measures in at 1,360 and Red Oak is not far behind at 1,290, still no wear near woods like Cumaru at 3,540 or Tigerwood at 2,160, but still way stronger than a chestnut tree at only 540.

Oak flooring is very popular in the United States; it is available and affordable, easy to stain giving you whatever color you prefer. Oak is one of the best woods used for lots of wood working projects it is strong, beautiful and always in stock. Both white and red oak are hardwood though white is like we said a bit harder and smoother than red, but red has a stronger grain and sands better than white, so I guess it is just on what you prefer, in the end there isnt a major difference in cost. But with 7 different varieties of white oak and as many as 20 different species of red oak there is bound to be one that you prefer most.

by: John Christianson

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