White oak

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White oak

Photo and data from Forest World

Common Names

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Arizona oak

Arizona white oak

Cucharillo

Encino

Encino negro

Mamecillo

Oak

Roble

Roble amarillo

Roble colorado

Roble encino

Roblecito

White oak

Stave oak

Common Uses

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Figured veneer

Fine furniture

Flooring

Furniture components

Interior trim

Millwork

Moldings

Office furniture

Parquet flooring

Stair  rails

Stairworks

Veneer

Cabinetmaking

Ceiling

Decorative veneer

Species Distribution

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REGIONS:

North America

COUNTRIES:

Canada

United States

Physical and Environmental Profile

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Environmental Profile

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

Distribution

The geographical distribution of the White oaks, which include
White oak (Q. alba ), Chestnut oak (Q. prinus ), Chingkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii ),
Swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii ), Swamp white oak (Q. bicolor), Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa ),
Post oak (Q. stellata ), California white oak (Q. lobata ), and Oregon white oak (Q. garryana ),
in North America is reported to include Ontario, Quebec, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut,
Delaware, Florida, 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, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West
Virginia. It is usually found in pure stands and prefers moist,
well-drained upland and lowland areas.

Product Sources

Some material from this species is reported to be available from environmentally responsible sources.  

Although commercial white oak consists of several species in the white oak group,
Q. alba  is reported to be the primary and most important source of timber in the group.
 White oak veneers are reported to be plentiful, and supplies of lumber are also abundant.
Price of lumber is reported to be moderate, compared to other hardwoods.

Tree Data

The mature tree usually attains a height of 80 to 100 feet (34 to 30 m)
and a diameter of 36 to 48 inche (90 to 120 cm).

Sapwood Color

The sapwood is whitish to light brown in color, and is variable in width.

Heartwood Color

The heartwood is variable in color, and ranges from light tan or pale yellow brown to pale or dark brown.
The wood may also have a pinkish tinge.
Variations in color and grain are reported to be considerable, but not as pronounced as in red oak.

Grain

The grain is described as open, with rays that are longer than those in red oak.
There are occasional crotches, swirls and burls,
and plainswan boards have plumed or flare-grained appearance.
 The grain pattern is tighter, and figuring is usually lower in riftsawn lumber.
 Quartersawn material often have a flake pattern which are sometimes referred
to as tiger rays or butterflies.

Texture

The wood is medium to coarse textured.

Natural Durability

Heartwood resistance to decay is reported to be high in white oaks.
Logs are reported to be susceptible to severe attack by ambrosia beetles,
and standing trees and logs are also readily attacked by forest longhorn or Butrespid beetles.

Resistance to Impregnation

White oak heartwood is reported to have
exceptionally poor response to treatment with preservatives.
Sapwood has moderate resistance to impregnation.
 High natural resistance to decay allows
the heartwood to be used outdoors without chemical protection.

Resistance to Abrasion

White oak timbers are reported to have exceptional resistance to wear
which makes them highly suitable for applications such as flooring in heavy traffic areas.

Chemical Staining

Tannin in white oak is reported to react with iron and iron compounds
in the presence of moisture to produce blue-black stains in the wood.

Effect on Metals

Metals used with white oak timber should be painted or galvanized to prevent corrosion.
White oak is somewhat acidic and is reported to promote corrosion in iron and steel under damp conditions.
 Vapors from timber in the green condition may also corrode other metals, such as lead.

Veneering Qualities

Quartered veneers are often flake figured,
while the very popular straight-line figure is a prominent feature in rift-cut veneer.

Blunting Effect

The wood has moderate blunting effect on cutting tools.

Cutting Resistance

Cutting resistance is reported to be generally medium but is variable.
Cross-cutting and narrow-bandsawing are reported to be satisfactory.

Planing

Machining characteristics of white oak timbers are reported to vary with species and rate of growth.
 Softer timber from slow-growth trees are reported to be generally easier to work.
 Planing properties are rated as good, but a cutting angle of 20 degrees has been recommended.
(Average number of pieces out of one hundred producing perfect planing results = 87).

Turning

Turning qualities are reported to be very good.
(Percent of fair to excellent turned pieces = 85).

Moulding

The timber is reported to be difficult to mould.
(Number of moulded pieces yielding good top excellent results out of one hundred = 35).

Boring

The timber responds well to ordinary tools to produce clean, bored holes.
(Number of borings with good to excellent results out of one hundred = 95).

Mortising

Mortising qualities are reported to be very good.
(Percent of morised pieces yielding fair to excellent results = 99).

Gluing

The wood has satisfactory gluing qualities.

Nailing

Pre-boring is recommended in nailing operations, since the wood is hard.
  (Number of nailed pieces free from complete splits out of one hundred = 69).

Screwing

Screwing qualities are reported to be good.
(Percent of screwed pieces free from complete splits = 74).

Sanding

The material is reported to respond well to sanding operations.
(Number of pieces out of one hundred producing good to excellent sanded surfaces = 83).

Staining

Reaction between tannins and liquid from some products,
especially those with high water content such as bleach and water-based finishes,
may turn the wood green or brown.

Steam Bending

White oak timbers are reported to have exceptional steam bending qualities,
and defect free material is reported to bend to very small radius of curvature.
 Proper precautions should be taken to prevent
chemical staining of steamed wood in contact with iron or steel.
 (Number of unbroken pieces out of one hundred = 91).

Response to Hand Tools

Timber from slow-growth white oak trees are reported to be softer and
are easier to work with hand tools.

Strength Properties

White oak is reported to have medium bending and crushing strengths,
with low stiffness, and its wear resistance is rated as outstanding.
 Working properties are reported to differ with the rate of growth of the tree:
slow grown trees are reported to be easier to work with hand and machine tools.
Faster growing southern trees are reported to produce harder
timber than the slower growing Appalachian trees.

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Reference Sources

Numerical Data Source

USDA. 1987.
Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material.
Agriculture Handbook No. 72.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.

Descriptive Data Source

HMSO, 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition.
Revised by R.H. Farmer.
Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory,
Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980.
Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition.
McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

Jackson, A. and D. Day.  1991.
 Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood.
 Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.

California Department of Forestry.
 Comparative Physical & Mechanical Properties of Western & Eastern Hardwoods.
 Prepared by Forest Products Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley,
Berkeley, California.  n/d.

Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988.
Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin.

USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy.
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Kaiser, J.  1989. Wood of the Month:
 White Oak - Our Biggest Export is Popular Here Too.
 Wood & Wood Products, July, 1989.  Page 76.

Kaiser, J. 1994.
Wood of the Month: Oaks Loom in designs, Folklore and Symbolism.
Wood and Wood Products, November, 1994. Page 52.

Little, E.L.  1980.  
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region.
 Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.

NWFA.  1994..
Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring.
 Technical Publication No. A200.
 National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO.

Kline, M. 1981.
Quercus alba - White oak.
In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co.,
Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 302-303.

Cypress Woodworks/2001

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