White Oak Wood is a Strong Hardwood
Quercus Alba
White Oak wood is a very strong hardwood that is used for hardwood flooring, furniture, and exterior siding. Though often confused with Red Oak based on its appearance, White Oak lumber is actually harder, denser and much better than Red Oak when used for exterior applications. The pores are filled with a crystalline substance called Tyloses that acts like the caulk around your bath tub and makes the wood highly water resistant.
White Oak Lumber Specifications
Better than Red Oak when strength and exterior application is important.
| Character | Green | Dry | Units |
| Bending Strength | 8300 | 15200 | psi |
| Crushing Strength | 670 | 1070 | psi |
| Max Crushing Strength | 3560 | 7440 | psi |
| Static Bending | 3700 | 4800 | psi |
| Impact Strength | 42 | 37 | inches |
| Stiffness | 1250 | 1780 | 1000 psi |
| Work to Maximum Load | 12 | 15 | in-lbs/in3 |
| Hardness (Janka) | – | 1360 | lbs |
| Shearing Strength | – | 2000 | psi |
| Specific Gravity | 0.60 | 0.68 | – |
| Weight | 63 | 47 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | – | 6 | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | – | 11 | % |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | – | 16 | % |
Rift and Quartered White Oak
Quartersawn White Oak is sawn by first sawing the log into quarters, then slicing each quarter into boards. This places the boards at an angle within the log but produces a very stable board that doesn’t expand and contract much with seasonal changes, because the growth rings run perpendicular to the face of the board. Quartersawn White Oak also is prized for its appearance showing flecking known as medullary ray fleck. This quartered appearance is highly sought after when making White Oak furniture.
Rift cut Oak on the other hand is sawn so that the growth rings run diagonally to the face of the board. This produces very straight grain on the face, and Rift White Oak is very popular in hardwood flooring, siding, and tongue and groove ceilings.
