Cuts & figure
Plain-sawn White Oak is the everyday cut - broad cathedral grain. Quartersawn (QSWO) shows the prized medullary ray fleck on the face. Rift-sawn produces tight, straight grain ideal for furniture stiles. We supply all three cuts.
Americas hardwood·Origin: United States
American White Oak
Quercus alba
Closed-Pore, Water-Tight, Quartersawn Ray Fleck
American White Oak is closed-pore and naturally water-resistant thanks to tyloses in its vessels - the species used worldwide for wine and whisky barrels. A workhorse of joinery, flooring and high-end interiors, supplied with NHLA grading and full AHEC traceability.
Closed-pore, water-tight
Quartersawn ray fleck
AHEC PEFC / FSC®
NHLA graded
Density
770 kg/m³ (48 lbs/ft³)
Janka Hardness
1,360 lbf (6,050 N)
Durability
Class 2: Durable (heartwood)
Stability
Good (T/R ≈ 1.9)
Workability
Good; high tannin reacts with iron, use stainless fixings
Certification
AHEC-traceable; FSC® on request
Appearance
How American White Oak looks & ages.
- color
- Light to medium golden-brown heartwood; pale sapwood
- grain
- Straight with prominent rays on quartersawn faces
- texture
- Coarse, open, ring-porous
- aging
- Mellows to a richer honey-brown with UV
Lumber Specifications
American White Oak mechanical properties.
Indicative values from The Wood Database, AHEC species data and USDA Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-190). Actual values vary by origin and growing conditions.
| Character | Dry | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 1,360 | lbf |
| Bending Strength (MOR) | 15,200 | psi |
| Stiffness (MOE) | 1,780 | 1,000 psi |
| Specific Gravity | 0.68 | - |
| Weight | 47 | lbs/ft³ |
| Radial Shrinkage | 5.6 | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 10.5 | % |
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Availability & Grading
How we supply American White Oak.
Form
KD lumber, QSWO, rift-cut
Thickness
4/4 – 16/4
Grade
FAS / 1 Common
Moisture content
6 – 8% KD
Other dimensions, grades and certifications available on request.
Common Applications
Where it's specified.
- Flooring
- Barrels & cooperage
- Joinery & doors
- Architectural panelling
- Boat building
Why specify it
Why choose American White Oak.
Closed Cell Structure
Tyloses in the pores make American White Oak watertight, being the species used for whisky barrels and boat construction.
Class 2 Heartwood
Durable enough for exterior joinery, decking and timber-frame structures with appropriate finish.
Architectural Standard
The world's reference oak for flooring, joinery and luxury interiors.
How it compares
American White Oak in context.
Comparison
White Oak vs Red Oak
White Oak is watertight and durable outdoors; Red Oak is for interior use.
White Oak's pores are blocked by tyloses, making it impermeable to water and suitable for cooperage, boats and exterior joinery. Red Oak's pores are open, meaning water passes through end-grain, restricting it to interior use. White Oak is also slightly harder and more stable.
FAQ
American White Oak: answered.
The questions buyers, architects and joiners ask us most often about American White Oak.
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