Red Oak White Oak Flooring
It gave me the courage to try bleaching some red oak trim to match my white oak cabinets.
Red oak white oak flooring. Deeper with an oil based finish then a water based finish. While both types of oak can offer a beautiful and durable addition to your home it is worth taking the time to consider whether red oak. White oak flooring has been noted as being harder than red oak with a janka hardness rating of approximately 1360. Red oak bottom line.
This is why this species is used more often in boat building and as well as front door jambs saddles as these areas are more exposed to water and nature s. Because of this white oak is denser. On the janka hardness scale white oak is 1360 and red oak is 1290. White oak flooring has less pronounced finer graining and warmer golden brown tones.
White oak tends to be more dense while red oak is a bit lighter and has a more porous and open grain. Both red oak and white oak are also available in engineered hardwood planks which are often cheaper than solid. White oak is much more resistant to rot and is suitable for water holding applications boatbuilding outdoor furniture etc. On the janka scale red oak has a hardness of 1290 while white oak has a hardness of 1360.
But as i mentioned above even though red oak is a bit less hard it tends to show the dents a bit less. Red oak as its name implies has more red undertones than white. White oak flooring is more water resistant than red oak white oak is a closed grain wood and many of the pores are plugged with tyloses which makes it more resistant to water and decay. White oak flooring is also more stable.
And of course budget friendly laminate oak flooring is also an option. Red oak is stable and if kiln dried and conditioned properly and allowed to acclimate will tolerate a wide range of climates. I ended up making a stronger solution of 1 cup water 1 tbs. The grains of white are finer and not as pronounced as red oak.
Red oak should only be used for interior pieces such as cabinets indoor furniture flooring etc. The grains of red oak are more prominent than white oak. Because it is harder it accepts stain color more evenly than red oak flooring does. Red oak has a wider grain pattern compared to white oak.
Hardness white oak flooring is a bit harder than red oak. For example you can find both solid red oak and white oak flooring ranging from 3 to 5 per square foot. As red oak trees tend to be more abundant the price of red oak flooring can actually be more affordable so it may be well worth your while to consider choosing red oak. White oak has a smoother and cleaner look.
However because red oak has a more pronounced grain. White oak s grain pattern isn t as prominent especially with darker stain.