Common Names:   Northern red oak Red oak Gray oak American red oak Canadian red oak Purchase Oak Red

Mechanical Values

Environmental Profile
Northern red oak is reported to be generally widespread, abundant, and secure globally, although it may be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery (Source - The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based primarily on the number of occurrences of the species globally ).

Distribution
This species is reported to occur in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec, all in Canada. In the United States, it is reported to grow in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The species usually forms pure stands and prefers moist, loamy, sandy, rocky, and clay soils. Northern red oak is reported to be a popular shade and street tree because of its dense foliage and good form. It is one of the most fast-growing oaks, is reported to regenerate easily, can tolerate the climate in cities, and can endure cold weather. Red oak is also reported to be planted as an ornamental tree in Great Britain.

Product Sources
Some material from this species is reported to be available from sustainably managed or other environmentally responsible sources. 

Northern red oak (Q. rubra ) and southern red oak (Q. falcata ) are reported to be the primary sources of commercial American red oak, but their timber is often mixed and marketed together with that produced by other members in the red oak group without distinction. Supplies of red oak are reported to be plentiful, and the species is considered to be one of the most commonly available domestic hardwoods in the US. Oak in general, and particularly red oak, is reported to be the most popular timber for furniture, followed by cherry, pine, mahogany, ash, pecan, hard maple, and walnut.

Red oak is also reported to be a popular export to other countries, and is one of the most popular American oaks used in Europe. 

The following species in the database is reported to have superior properties in dimensional stability to Red oak:
White ash (Fraxinus americana )

Tree Data
Northern red oak trees are reported to be typically smaller than White oaks (Q. alba ). They reach a height of about 60 to 90 feet (18 to 27 m), with a trunk diameter of 12 to 36 inches (30 to 90 cm).

Sapwood Color
The sapwood is whitish to grayish or pale reddish brown.

Heartwood Color
The heartwood is pinkish to light reddish brown or light brown. The wood may also show a pronounced cast of flesh color. 

Grain
The grain is usually straight and open. Plainsawn lumber usually exhibits a plumed or flared grain appearance, while riftsawn members show a tighter grain pattern and low figuring. Quartersawn red oak boards often have a flake pattern which is sometimes referred to as tiger rays or butterflies. Grain and color variation is usually pronounced and is dependent upon the origin of the wood and the growing season in that locality. Upland red oaks, which tend to grow more slowly, generally have a more uniform grain pattern than lowland red oaks.

Texture
The texture depends upon the rate of growth of the tree. Red oaks grown in the north are less coarse textured than the faster-grown red oak from the southern states. Red oak rays are generally shorter, narrower and darker in color than White oak rays.

Odor
There is no distinctive taste or odor.

Ease of Drying
Drying is reported to be generally difficult, but it is faster than in White oak. Excessive shrinkage requires that stack should be weighted down to prevent upper layers from distorting. End grain should be coated to prevent excessive checking.

Drying Defects
Some common drying defects found in both upland and lowland red oak are ring failure, honeycomb, and iron stains. Upland red oak is also prone to collapse during drying.

Kiln Schedules
Upland T4 - D2 (4/4); T3 - D1 (8/4) US

Movement in Service
The timber is reported to have moderate dimensional stability after seasoning.

T/R Ratio
2.01
This indicator is more meaningful if it is used together with other drying information and actual shrinkage data in the tangential and radial directions. (Refer to the Numerical Values window).

Natural Durability
Red oak is reported to have little resistance to attack by decay causing organisms and other wood destroying insects.

Resistance to Impregnation
The wood is reported to be resistant to preservative treatment.

Blunting Effect
Blunting effect on cutters is reported to be moderate.

Planing
Red oak is hard, but it is reported to respond readily to sharp tools in planing to yield clean, smooth surfaces. (Percent of perfectly planed pieces = 91).

Turning
Turning qualities are rated as good, and turned surfaces are generally clean. (Number of fair to excellent pieces out of one hundred = 84).

Boring
Although it is ring porous, Red oak is reported to have good boring properties. (Percent of bored pieces with fair to excellent results = 99).

Moulding
Moulding properties are reported to be very poor. (Number of good to excellent pieces out of one hundred = 28).

Mortising
The material is reported to respond readily to mortising, with very good results. (Percent of pieces with fair to excellent results = 95).

Gluing
The wood has satisfactory gluing qualities.

Nailing
The wood is heavy, and must be pre-bored. (Percent of pieces free from complete splits = 66).

Screwing
Screwing characteristics are reported to be good, and the wood holds screws firmly. (Percent of screwed pieces free from complete splits = 78).

Sanding
The wood is reported to sand readily to produce clean surfaces. (Percent of pieces with good to excellent sanding results = 81).

Staining
The wood has good staining qualities. Large pores tend to produce strong contrast in staining. Consistent use of a batch of either quarter sawn or flat sawn stock for a given project is recommended since prominent rays can render seams in edge-glued stock very obvious. A darker colored stain preceded by a light colored filler is reported to produce the 'lime' look, and high tannin content allows the wood to be treated with ammonia to yield a nearly black or 'Jacobean' finish. 

Steam Bending
The timber is reported to be often used for steam bending. (Percent of unbroken steam bent pieces = 86).

Response to Hand Tools
The wood works well with hand tools, as long as they are kept very sharp.

Strength Properties
Anatomical differences which correspond to important botanical differences in the trees allow oaks to be separated into two main classes, red and white. Red oaks are found mainly in eastern Canada and the United States. They are made up of several very similar species which include American red oak or Northern red oak (Q. rubra ); Southern red oak (Q. falcata ); Spanish oak, Swamp red oak, or Cherrybark oak (also Q. falcata ); Shumard oak or Pin oak (Q. palustris ); Nuttal oak (Q. nuttallii ); Scarlet oak (Q. coccinea ); Canyon live oak (Q. chrysolepis ); and sometimes Black oak (Q. velutina ). Red oak is regarded as one of the most beautiful woods to work with because of its grain pattern and character. Smaller rays give the timber a plainer figure than white oak, and its open pores make it less water-tight. Red oak is reported to be comparable to white oak in strength, and both are used in steam bending applications. Air-dry bending and crushing strengths are high. Hardness is rated as medium, and weight is high. Red oak is, however, less decay resistant than white oak or European oak. Also, red oak acorns are reported to be more bitter in taste than white oak acorns.