Botanical name: Quercus spp. Grows in: North America & Asia.
Color: Heartwood is light brown; some boards may have a pinkish tint or a slight grayish cast. Sapwood is white to cream.
Grain: Open, with longer rays than red oak. Occasional crotches, swirls and burls. Plainsawn boards have a plumed or flared grain appearance; riftsawn has a tighter grain pattern, low figuring; quartersawn has a flake pattern, sometimes called tiger rays or butterflies.
Durability: Above average.
Hardness/Janka: Janka: 1210 (6% softer than Northern red oak)
Dimensional Stability: Average (1-.5; 22% less stable than red oak)
Workability: No problems with sawing, sanding and nailing. Stains very well & accepts stain evenly. During the finishing process, tannins at the surface can react with some liquids to turn the wood green or brown. This effect tends to be mroe pronounced with products that have a high water content, such as wood bleach & water-based finishes.
