White Oak
(Northern White Oak, Southern White Oak)
Scientific Name: Quercus alba
General Description
The sapwood is light-colored and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White Oak is mostly straight-grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than Red Oak. White Oak therefore has more figure.
Working Properties
White Oak machines well, nails and screws well although pre-boring is advised. Since it reacts with iron, galvanized nails are recommended. Its adhesive properties are variable, but it stains to a good finish. Can be stained with a wide range of finish tones. The wood dries slowly.
Physical Properties
A hard and heavy wood with medium bending and crushing strength, low in stiffness, but very good in steam bending. Southern White Oak is faster grown with wide growth rings, and tends to be harder and heavier.
Specific Gravity: 0.68 (12% M.C.)
Average Weight: 769 kg/m3 (12% M.C.)
Average Volumetric Shrinkage: 12.6% (Green to 6% M.C.)
Modulus of Elasticity: 12,273 Mpa
Hardness: 6049 N
Availability
Readily available but not as abundant as Red Oak, (15.1 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available).
Main Uses
Furniture, flooring, architectural millwork, mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, paneling, barrel staves (tight cooperage) and caskets.
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Alder
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White Oak
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