OAK
THE TREE
RED OAK IS A NORTHERN TEMPERATE WOOD, IMPORTANT IN PARTS OF NORTH AMERICA AND IRAN, BUT WITHOUT THE WIDESPREAD COMMERCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WHITE OAKS. IN EUROPE, RED OAK IS SOMETIMES CULTIVATED: TURKEY OAK, FOR INSTANCE, THOUGH ITS WOOD HAS A LIMITED USEFULNESS, IS WIDELY GROWN, THOUGH USUALLY AS A PARKLAND AND NOT AS A FOREST TREE. MANY RED OAKS REACH A LARGE SIZE, 35m OR MORE IN HEIGHT, WITH A BOLE COMMONLY 1m AND UP TO 1.8m IN DIAMETER IN OLD TREES.
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THE WOOD
RED OAK HAS A DISTINCTLY PINKISH TINT COMPARED TO WHITE OAK. IT IS OFTEN OF VIGOROUS GROWTH WITH A COARSE TEXTURE AND, WHEN WELL GROWN, A STRAIGHT GRAIN. LIKE WHITE OAK, IT HAS A SILVER-GRAIN FIGURE ON QUARTERED SURFACES, BUT IT IS NOT GENERALLY SO WELL MARKED, AS THE RAYS TEND TO BE SHORTER. RED OAK IS A DENSE WOOD, MARGINALLY HEAVIER THAN AMERICAN WHITE OAK AND 10 TO 15 PERCENT HEAVIER THAN EUROPEAN OAK.
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TECHNICAL PROPERTIES
TOUGH HEAVIER, RED OAK IS TYPICALLY MORE PERMEABLE AND LESS DURABLE THAN WHITE OAK. ITS GREATER WEIGHT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SAW AND MACHINE AND IT IS OFTEN MORE TROUBLESOME TO DRY.
USES
RED OAK LACKS THE OUTSTANDING DURABILITY OF WHITE OAK AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR EXTERIOR STRUCTURAL, JOINERY AND BUILDING PURPOSES UNLESS IT IS EFFECTIVELY TREATED. IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR INTERIOR WORK, FOR PANELING, FLOORING AND IN FURNITURE, THOUGH GENERALLY REGARDED AS INFERIOR TO WHITE OAK. PERSIAN OAK IS UNUSUAL IN BEING IMPERMEABLE AND IS USED FOR BARREL STAVES.
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SOFT WOODS:
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