Red Oak Or White Oak Floors
Note that this does not have an impact on scratching that is determined by the type of polyurethane or finish.
Red oak or white oak floors. Red oak should only be used for interior pieces such as cabinets indoor furniture flooring etc. This means that white oak is a bit more more durable and bit less prone to denting than red oak but there s really not that much in it. White oak has a smoother and cleaner look. Hardness white oak flooring is a bit harder than red oak.
However because red oak has a more pronounced grain. Hardness white oak has a slightly higher janka hardness rating at 1360 compared to 1290 for red oak. But as i mentioned above even though red oak is a bit less hard it tends to show the dents a bit less. On the janka hardness scale white oak is 1360 and red oak is 1290.
White oak is bit harder then red oak on the janka hardness scale white oak is 1360 vs red oak is 1290. Our hardwood flooring was white oak but we had a lot of other wood elements like beams and built ins that would have to be built using red oak boards. The grains of red oak are more prominent than white oak. White oak flooring is slightly harder and oddly enough darker than red oak with a janka rating of about 1360.
But as i mentioned above even though red oak is a bit less hard. On the janka scale red oak has a hardness of 1290 while white oak has a hardness of 1360. The current consumer trend is to use 3 1 4 wide boards. This makes it a bit more resilient when it comes to denting.
White oak flooring had its zenith of popularity in the late 19th and early 20th century during the arts crafts period where white oak was used for everything from flooring to trim paneling to furniture. On the janka hardness scale white oak is 1360 and red oak is 1290. We had to use red oak due to the limited availability of white oak. White oak is much more resistant to rot and is suitable for water holding applications boatbuilding outdoor furniture etc.
Because of this white oak is denser. Red oak flooring and white oak flooring have been used in a variety of board widths and thicknesses over the years from 17th century 12 to 20 wide planks to the more commonly used 2 1 4 strip oak flooring we see today. White oak tends to be more dense while red oak is a bit lighter and has a more porous and open grain. The grains of white are finer and not as pronounced as red oak.
This type of wood is great for boats or other areas where the conditions might not be stable over time think wind and rain.