American red oak is the dominant species in the U.S. hardwood forests – with distinctive grain, and wood that is not always red in colour. The name comes from the leaf colour in the fall. Red oak may be sold on the basis of ‘northern’, ‘southern’ and ‘Appalachian’.
Quercus species, mainly Quercus rubra
northern red oak, southern red oak
Red oak trees grow only naturally and almost exclusively in North America, although planted elsewhere. They are widely distributed throughout most of the eastern United States in mixed hardwood forests. The trees are very tall. There are many sub-species, all within the red oak classification, which grow from north to south; some high in the mountains and others on low land giving rise to different characteristics. Thus there are significant variations in red oaks depending on location, in particular between the slower grown northern and faster grown southern trees. Red oaks are regarded as highly sustainable for both domestic and export consumption and, being the largest species group, are more abundant than the white oaks.
FIA data shows U.S. red oak growing stock is 2.62 billion m3, 18% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock. American red oak is growing 60.6 million m3 per year while the harvest is 31.9 million m3 per year. The net volume (after harvest) is increasing 28.7 million m3 each year. U.S. red oak growth exceeds or is in balance with harvest in all states except Texas.
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
undefined | undefined | undefined | undefined | undefined | undefined | undefined | undefined | undefined |
undefined | / | 308 | 11000 | 0.333 | / | 0.000397 | 0.419 | 0.0000024 |
undefined | 89.7 | 1350 | 1410 | 0.502 | 0.00074 | 0.0239 | 1.53 | 0.0000575 |
undefined | -140 | 800 | 2220 | 0.255 | 0.000158 | 0.00518 | 0.182 | 0.000217 |
undefined | 60.3 | 835 | 13.4 | 0.278 | 0.000425 | 0.00708 | 0.348 | 0.0000365 |
undefined | 228 | 3040 | 45.8 | 3.56 | 0.00105 | 0.0662 | 2.74 | 0.000127 |
undefined | -3000 | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
undefined | -2760 | 6330 | 14700 | 4.93 | 0.00237 | 0.103 | 5.22 | 0.000441 |
Red oak from the USA is readily available as sawn lumber and veneer, in a wide range of grades and sizes. Thicker lumber (10/4" & 12/4") can be sourced in relatively small volumes from specialist suppliers, but is widely produced through out the hardwood industry from 4/4" (25.4mm) through to 8/4" (52mm). In the north the sapwood tends to be less due to the shorter growing season, than in the south where the wood is grown faster with more open grain and texture. Red oak may be sold on the basis of 'northern' and 'southern', but this may be an over-simplification of the differences according to growing location.
American red oaks have very good overall strength properties relative to weight. The wood is hard and heavy with medium bending strength, stiffness and high crushing strength. It has excellent steam bending capability. Being hard, stable when dry and easy to finish and stain, it is ideal for furniture and flooring.
To find out more about the mechanical properties of red oak read the full structural guide.
Red oak lumber machines well, with good performance in nailing and screwing, although pre-boring is recommended. It glues well and can be stained and polished to a very good finish. Being porous, red oak absorbs all treatments. The wood dries best slowly to minimise degrade, but with high shrinkage and can be susceptible to movement in performance in humid conditions. The wood is rated as slightly resistant to heartwood decay, but moderately easy to treat with preservatives. This makes red oak suitable for being thermally modified.
This sustainably managed species group from natural forests of North America, with excellent environmental credentials, is a key species in many export markets. Its main uses are in furniture, flooring, doors, architectural joinery, mouldings and kitchen cabinets. It is also used in certain applications for construction.