Tag: red oak flooring

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Red Oak Flooring – Durable, Classic, and Rapidly Renewable

Hull Forest Products Oak flooring Yale University
Red Oak makes a durable, beautiful , and classic kitchen wood floor. Shown here in the quarter and rift sawn cut, select grade. Floor #317. Photo credit: Otto/Pete Aaron for RAMSA Architects.

Red Oak flooring is beautiful and durable, and Red Oak trees are the dominant hardwood species in the United States. Red Oak is also the the most rapidly renewable of all the American hardwoods: it takes U.S. forests just .57 seconds to grow one cubic meter of red oak! (That’s less time than it just took you to read these first two sentences.) Red Oaks do not grow in plantations – they grow naturally in forests throughout the eastern United States. If you are looking for a highly sustainable wood, there is no better choice than Red Oak.

Flatsawn (also known as plainsawn) Red Oak select grade wide plank flooring with Minwax Early American stain applied, floor #357, Norwich, CT.

Red Oaks are named for the color their leaves turn in fall. The wood itself has a distinctive grain and is exceptionally strong and durable. The sapwood is light brown and the heartwood is often, but not always, pinkish to reddish brown. American Red Oak takes stain and finish very well, making it a popular choice for flooring and furniture making.

Side by side, you can see the difference in appearance between these two unfinished flatsawn boards of Red Oak (left) and White Oak (right). The rays (the little dark brown streaks running with the grain) are shorter and less noticeable on Red Oak, whereas the rays in White Oak tend to be longer and more prominent.

There are significant regional differences to Red Oak. At Hull Forest Products we use northern Red Oak grown in New England within 100 miles of our sawmill. Because of the colder temperatures, Northern Red Oak grows slowly, giving it closer, tighter growth rings, finer grain, and a lighter and more consistent color.

A Northern Red Oak log sawn on our double cut bandmill reveals tight clear grain and consistent color.

Red Oak flooring is just as durable and beautiful as White Oak, but because it is so much more abundant, Red Oak is less expensive, making it a great option for those seeking solid wood flooring at a wallet-friendly price.

Learn more about grades and cuts of red oak flooring

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What We Love About Oak Floors

Our White Oak flooring in the natural grade, Frye Boot flagship store, Spring Street, lower Manhattan.

1. Oak Takes Stain Really Well

The pores in Oak are more open to receiving stains than those of other woods, so your Oak floors can easily be stained to match any color scheme– you can go natural, pickled white, dark espresso, or anything in between.

2. Oak is Plentiful, Durable, and Beautiful

Renowned for their strength and longevity, Oaks grow in all the temperate climates of the world and provide shade, beauty, mast for wildlife, and lumber. There are over 60 species of Oak in the United States. Northern Red and White Oak, grown in the northeastern United States, are especially prized for their superior strength and tight grain—the result of shorter growing seasons and colder weather. Oak floors are eye-pleasing and practical; in fact, they account for 2/3 of all new wood flooring installations in the United States and Europe.

3. Oak is Tough

Oak is very wear-resistant so it makes an extremely durable wood floor that holds up well to the highest levels of foot traffic.

4. Oak Has a Distinguished History

Traditionally used for the frame and planking of ships and for timber framing, Oak has a natural ability to resist rot and insect damage. Most of the great sailing ships of the world had hulls and planks and frames made of Oak. The hull of the U.S.S. Constitution, the ship that gave the U.S. its first naval victory, was made of Oak and famously repelled British cannonballs during the War of 1812.  The British coined her nickname, “Old Ironsides,” when their cannonballs appeared to bounce off her hull. (Incidentally, the captain of the Constitution during this famous naval battle was none other than Isaac Hull.)

5.  Oak Helps Make  Great Wine and Whiskey (Need We Say More?)

Oak barrels are used in wine and whiskey making because they are waterproof and because the tannins in the Oak impart subtle flavors of vanilla, butter, and spice.  These same tannins are what help Oak to repel insects and resist rot and water damage–all great qualities to have in a wood floor.

Have questions about our Red Oak floors, White Oak floors, or any other wide plank floor?  Call 1-800-353-3331 between the hours of 7:30 am and 4:00 pm EST to speak to a real live person. Or email anytime.