White Oak
Quercus alba · Hardwood
- Type
- Hardwood
- Origin
- Eastern North America
- Hardness
- 1350 lbf (Hard)
- Durability
- Very Durable (excellent resistance to rot and decay due to closed cellular structure with tyloses)
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Grain Pattern
Straight, coarse texture with prominent open pores and visible ray fleck from quarter-sawn orientation
Color & Appearance
Light to medium brown heartwood with an olive or yellowish cast, and paler sapwood; darkens slightly with age and exposure to light
Hardness (Janka)
1350 lbf (Hard)
Durability & Decay Resistance
Very Durable (excellent resistance to rot and decay due to closed cellular structure with tyloses)
Value & Sustainability
- Estimated Market Value
- 6.00 to 12.00 USD per board foot for domestic lumber
- Wood Age Estimate
- Estimated recently cut to several years old based on clean edges and moderate oxidation
- Sustainability Status
- Least Concern (widely abundant, not CITES listed, readily available with FSC certification options)
Common Uses
Furniture, flooring, cabinetry, boat building, exterior construction, coopering (barrel making)
Geographic Origin
Eastern North America
Workability
Generally easy to work with hand and machine tools, though it can blunt cutters due to hardness; glues, stains, and finishes well, but reacts with iron to form dark blue-black stains
Finish Recommendations
Accepts a wide variety of finishes including oils, polyurethane, lacquer, and shellac; water-based finishes may raise grain
Notable Features
Contains tyloses (membrane-like growths) in the heartwood pores which make it water-resistant; high tannin content
