White Oak Hardwood Flooring
If you work in the flooring industry you know that people frequently ask about Hickory flooring, Red Oak, or even Maple! But seldom does anyone ask for White Oak hardwood flooring. Yet it represents as much as 30% of our sales.Â
Today we are going to learn more about this species of lumber with all of its specifications and marketable features. Is this the secret hardwood hack for interior designers only?Â
Why isn’t White-Oak More Popular?
That is an excellent question. As I have thought about that over the last few days my only answer is a lack of marketing by manufacturers and retailers.Â
I can understand a little of why the factories don’t push it more, as price and availability for the unfinished lumber yields are much more volatile than the other wood species. White Oak has some attributes about it that make it stand out from the brazilian cherrys of the world. There are so many different types of hardwood flooring available that utilize White Oak, resulting in styles that make home decor specialists jump with glee.
It Has A Water-Logged History
Because WO(white oak) flooring is so resistant to water and rot it is commonly used in boat building and cooperage. Have you heard of the USS Constitution? She is a frigate that was launched in 1797, known as Ol Ironsides because those Brits shot a cannon at her and it bounced off of the old girl because she was so strong!
So How Do We Sell So Much?
Two reasons, really. One, the manufacturers love to use it on stained products because the tone variation is minimal. Heartwood and sapwood in White Oak flooring have much less contrast than Red Oak. This allows them to get a higher yield of first quality flooring from a tree. Even when sold as unfinished White will have a lower percentage of downgrading due to colors. When they start staining it almost every board will grade at least as a high #1 Common. Most will grade as Select and Better, allowing it to be offered at a premium price.
The other reason is it’s appearance. At ReallyCheapFloors.com we try to keep our floors displayed with actual boards from the boxes of inventory. A good sampling of boards goes a long way in giving our customers a taste of how a product will look in their house, and the appeal of White Oak is quite apparent when you see it firsthand.Â
How Does It Look?
The first thing you notice about it’s visual is the flooring color. You'll notice a creamy shade within light tones in a Natural hardwood finish, it sometimes shows a glint of olive. Keep in mind like most other species, these hardwood floors will darken over time, resulting in a more taupe cast. For this reason we advise our customers not to place rugs on their wood floors for the first 90 days after install. Unless you love lines and light spots taht are easy to see in your flooring.
Another flooring attribute that means alot to a potential buyer is the hardness and durability of White Oak. With a Janka Hardness Scale score of 1350, it is one of the most dense and hard headed species of wood used for flooring in the US. That means fewer dents, scrapes and gouges in your floor, resulting in a longer lifetime and additional value.Â
Some people consider unfinished-white Oak to be a domestic exotic species, like Walnut or Cherry. Due to it's stability and typically unfinished longer boards in the milling process. You may find that your installation is a bit easier than you expected. Whether you are using solid hardwood or one of our engineered hardwoods, White Oak is always liked by installers, unlike a sheet vinyl job.Â
As you can see, at ReallyCheapFloors.com we are big fans of the White tough-as-nails Oak! What is not to love? Please shop our wide range of hardwood options, and compare them to what you need in your home. And be sure to order a free sample or four!