Appearance
COLOR: Heartwood is light to dark reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color. Color darkens significantly with age.
GRAIN: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. Distinctive flake pattern on true quartersawn surfaces.
Texture is satiny, with some gum pockets.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND
GRADES: Significant color variation between boards.
Properties
HARDNESS (JANKA): 950 (26% softer than Northern red oak).
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average (7.1; 17% more stable than Northern red oak).
Origin
North America.