Quercus rubra, spp.

Red Oak is probably the most widely used and abundant hardwood in the eastern United States. Oak has a characteristic ring porous grain pattern; the wood is heavy, hard and stiff. The heartwood of Red Oak ranges in color from "wheat" to a "light honey," the sapwood is light off-white. Red Oak is prized in the manufacturing of furniture, cabinets, and interior decorative items -- especially flooring, stairs, and mouldings.

General Information

Uses	Availability	Price
Furniture, interior decoration -- flooring, stairs, millwork, paneling, doors, household goods, woodenware.	Widely available in thicknesses 4/4 through 8/4. Generally available 10/4 and thicker.	Moderate to valuable.

Relative Working Properties

Machining	Resistance to splitting in nailing	Resistance to splitting in screwing	Gluing
Excellent	Good	Excellent	Good

Physical Properties

Specific gravity (12% m.c.)	Average shipping weight kilograms (kg) per cubic metre (m3) air dry	Average volumetric shrinkage (oven dry % of green)	Modulus of rupture (kilopascals)	Modulus of elasticity (megapascals)	Side hardness (newtons)
0.63	640	16.1	99000	12500	5700