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Oregon Maple
Oregon Maple is popular in veneer production for furniture and cabinetry. Its highly figured wood is sought after for musical instruments such as guitar bodies, stringed instruments and piano frames, as well as salad bowls. The Indigenous Lakwungen people of Vancouver Island knew it as the ‘Paddle Tree’ and created paddles and spindle wheels from its wood.
American Red Oak | Quercus spp.
American Red Oak is a highly attractive hardwood that is becoming increasingly popular for furniture, flooring and joinery around the world.
American Red Oak is the trade name for eight commercially available species of Oak that are sold as both timber and veneer and used in a range of interior applications.
Other Names: Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Northern Red Oak, Swamp Red Oak, Quercus falcata, Quercus rubra.
Overview
American Red Oak is the trade name for eight commercially available species within the large group of Oaks. The trees grow extensively across the eastern part of the USA and are more abundant than the American White Oak. This means that there is a good supply of Red Oak as both sawn timber and veneer, and in a range of grades and specifications. In the US Red Oak is often classified according to its growing region, and sold as Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) or Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)*.
A highly attractive timber, the sapwood of the Red Oak ranges from white to light brown, with a pink to red-brown heartwood. While similar in appearance to White Oak, Red Oak has slightly smaller rays and so has a less pronounced figure. The end grain structure of the Red Oak is also more porous. It is a typically straight-grained wood with a coarse texture, although both colour and texture can vary dependent on the growing region. The name, Red Oak, comes from colour of the leaves in Autumn.
American Red Oak is a hard and heavy wood with moderate bending strength and stiffness. It has a high crushing strength and steam bends well. AHEC Europe recently commissioned Arup to produce a guide to the use of American Hardwoods in structural applications, including Red Oak (http://www.americanhardwood.org/). However this guide refers to European Design Standards and Codes and is not, at this stage, applicable to Australia.
American Red Oak works relatively easily, machines well, and takes nails and screws, although pre-boring is recommended. The timber performs best when it has been dried slowly, as this reduces the possibility of the wood splitting and warping. As a result of Red Oak's high shrinkage, it can be susceptible to movement under uneven moisture conditions. The timber can be stained and polished to an extremely attractive finish, which is one of the reasons it is becoming increasingly popular around the world.
In Australia, American Red Oak is predominantly used in furniture, flooring, joinery, staircases, mouldings, cabinets and boat interiors. While it has structural applications it is yet to be tested for this purpose in Australia.
Red Oak timber is readily available throughout Australia from specialist timber suppliers in a range of grades and specifications.
*The properties listed on WoodSolutions refer to the species known as Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra). Further information about the properties of Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) can be found at http://www.americanhardwood.org.
Properties
Shrinkage
| Very Low | Low | Medium | High | Very High | |
Tangential: |
|||||
| 8.6 | |||||
| Radial: | > 5 | ||||
| Unit Movement: |
6.6 % |
Strength Group
| Very High | High | Reasonably High | Medium High | Medium | Reasonably Low | Low | Very Low | |
| Unseasoned: | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | |
| Seasoned: | SD1 | SD2 | SD3 | SD4 | SD5 | SD6 | SD7 | SD8 |
Stress Grade
| Structural No. 1 |
Structural No. 2 |
Structural No. 3 |
Structural No. 4 |
Structural No. 5 |
|
| Unseasoned: | |||||
| Seasoned: |
Density per Standard
| Unseasoned: | 0 kg/m3 |
|---|---|
| Seasoned: | 690 kg/m3 |
Joint Group
| Very High | High | Reasonably High | Medium | Low | Very Low | |
| Unseasoned: | J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | J5 | J6 |
| Seasoned: | JD1 | JD2 | JD3 | JD4 | JD5 | JD6 |
Colour
| White, yellow, pale straw to light brown | Pink to pink brown | Light to dark red | Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky | |
Mechanical Properties
| Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned: |
98.599 |
|---|---|
| Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned: |
12.549 |
| Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned: |
46.410 |
| Hardness - Seasoned: |
5.738 |
Durability
| Low | Moderate | Reasonably High | High | |
| (0 - 5 yrs) | (5 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 25 yrs) | (more than 25 yrs) | |
| In-Ground: |
||||
| (0 - 7 yrs) | (7 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 40 yrs) | (More than 40 yrs) | |
| Above ground: |
||||
| (0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5) | (21 - 40 yrs) | (41 - 64 yrs) | (More than 60 yrs) | |
| Marine Borer Resistance: |
| Lyctid Borer Susceptibility: |
Susceptible |
|---|
Fire Properties
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
| EFH Ignitibility: |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| EFH Spread-of-Flame Index: |
|||||||||||
| EFH Smoke-Developed Index: |
| 1 - non-combustible | 2 - reasonably non-combustible | 3 - slightly combustible | 4 - combustible | |
| Fire Properties Group Number: |
| Bushfire Resistance: |
Not tested |
|---|
Description
| Botanical Name: | Quercus spp. |
|---|---|
| Preferred Common Name: | American Red Oak |
| Other Names: | Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Northern Red Oak, Swamp Red Oak, Quercus falcata, Quercus rubra. |
| Photographer Name: | Copyright AHEC |
| Species Type: | Hardwood |
Appearance
American Red Oak stains and polishes to a highly attractive finish, making it a popular choice for architects and furniture makers around the world. It has a white to light brown sapwood with heartwood of pink to red-brown. It has less figure than White Oak, due to the smaller rays, and is also more porous at the end grain. It has a coarse texture and its grain is usually straight.
Common Applications
In Australia, American Red Oak is most often used in interior applications, such as flooring, furniture, joinery, cabinetry and panelling. It is also used in the interior of boats. Red Oak is available as a thermally modified timber suitable for exterior decking and cladding.
Common Form
Sawn, Veneer
Workability
Relatively easy to work, American Red Oak machines well and takes screws and nails, although pre-boring is recommended. It is rated as an excellent timber for drilling, planing and moulding, and it stains and polishes to a high finish.
Origin of Timber
North America
Readily Available
NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, QLD, WA, NT
Availability - Further Information
American Red Oak is readily available in Australia from specialist timber suppliers.
Source of Timber
Native Forest
Applications
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Decking
Timber decking creates spaces that are functional, practical and aesthetically pleasing. With the right design and care a timber deck will make a valuable addition to any home or business, creating an outdoor living space that will be enjoyed for years to come.
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Exterior Rails and Balustrades
This guide provides general information on member sizes, connections and suitable materials for construction of handrails and balustrades in external applications. Commonly built from treated softwood and durable hardwoods, they can be finished with a wide variety of paints or stains, creating balustrades that with the right care and attention, will comfortably withstand the elements for decades to come.
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External Cladding
The natural appeal, versatility and strength of timber makes it the superior choice for external cladding. Through specification, planning, design and finishing processes, timber cladding not only creates a building of superior strength, acoustic and thermal performance but also creates a place of beauty, style and natural appeal.
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Flooring
Whether for structural or finished flooring applications, timber offers durability, versatility and adaptability. The warmth, strength and natural beauty of timber flooring has proved enduringly popular in a wide variety of interior settings.
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Interior Rails and Balustrades
With its natural beauty and inherent strength, timber is a popular material choice in internal balustrade construction. Commonly built from treated softwoods and durable hardwoods, interior balustrades and handrails are typically finished with a clear lacquer to generate the most natural result.
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Interior Stairs
Timber should be the material of choice for designers seeking internal staircases of strength, beauty and durability. The construction procedure described here applies to most general type stairs of either conventional or contemporary construction.
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Internal Paneling
Timber paneling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly utilising an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products
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Timber Joinery Products
Timber joinery products offer a classic, unique and stylish touch to any interior design.
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Timber Mouldings
Mouldings are extremely versatile and durable, enhancing the aesthetics of any interior and functioning as the icing on the cake for designs with a focus on beauty and splendour.
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