American red oak

American red oak is the timber of a group of North American oaks, principally Quercus rubra. The Wood Database lists it at 1,220 lbf (5,430 N) on the Janka scale and 700 kg/m³ average dried weight¹, so it sits a little below American white oak in hardness. The National Wood Flooring Association names red oak and white oak as the dominant species in U.S. hardwood forests and so the majority of solid hardwood flooring production⁶.

What is American red oak?

AHEC gives the Latin name as Quercus species, principally Quercus rubra, with northern red oak and southern red oak as other names, and says it may be sold as northern, southern or Appalachian⁴. The USDA Wood Handbook lists northern red (Q. rubra), scarlet, Shumard, pin, Nuttall, black, southern red, cherrybark, water, laurel and willow oak as the principal species, and notes that sawn lumber of the group cannot be separated by species from wood characteristics alone³. The Wood Database describes Q. rubra as native to the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, with trees 80 to 115 ft (25 to 35 m) tall¹. AHEC adds that red oaks grow almost exclusively in North America, from north to south and from mountains to low land, which gives significant variation between slower-grown northern and faster-grown southern trees⁴.

What colour and grain does red oak have?

The Wood Database describes light to medium brown heartwood, often with a reddish cast, paler sapwood that blends into the heartwood, and a straight grain with a coarse, uneven texture and large, open pores¹. The Wood Handbook gives nearly white sapwood about 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in.) wide and brown heartwood with a tinge of red³. AHEC reports light-brown sapwood and heartwood that is often, but not always, pinkish to reddish brown, with a distinct difference between the two, and rays that are smaller than in white oak⁴. Quarter-sawn boards show prominent ray fleck¹.

How hard and dense is red oak?

Published figures are close but not identical:

The Wood Database gives specific gravity as 0.56 (basic) and 0.7 (at 12 % moisture)¹, which differs from the 0.63 given by the other two sources; check which basis a supplier is quoting. The Wood Handbook defines hardness as resistance to indentation measured with a modified Janka test³, and it adds that rapidly grown second-growth red oak is generally harder and tougher than finer-textured old-growth wood³. Our guide to Janka hardness explains how to read these numbers.

How does red oak compare with white oak?

On both The Wood Database and Wood Handbook figures, red oak is slightly softer and lighter than white oak:

The bigger practical difference is cellular. The Wood Handbook says red oak can be separated from white oak by the size and arrangement of pores in the latewood and because it generally lacks tyloses; its open pores make the group unsuitable for tight cooperage unless barrels are lined³. AHEC says the same pores make red oak absorb all treatments⁴. The Wood Database notes that its porous growth rings can discolour in contact with water, that rot and insect resistance are poor, and that it is less durable than white oak¹. See also European oak.

How stable is red oak on a floor?

The Wood Handbook gives northern red oak shrinkage of 4.0 % radially, 8.6 % tangentially and 13.7 % volumetrically, and describes the red oaks as having fairly high shrinkage on drying³. The Wood Database adds a tangential-to-radial ratio of 2.2 and says the fairly high shrinkage gives mediocre dimensional stability, particularly in flat-sawn boards¹. AHEC says red oak dries best slowly, has high shrinkage, and, like all oaks, can be susceptible to movement in humid conditions, while also calling it stable when dry⁴. For practical steps, see moisture and acclimatisation.

How does red oak take stain and finish?

AHEC says red oak glues well, can be stained and polished to a very good finish, and, being porous, absorbs all treatments⁴. The Wood Database also says it glues, stains and finishes well¹. Because open pores take up stains readily, test any colour on an offcut of the same boards first. Compare coatings in our guide to wood floor finishes.

Where is red oak used in flooring?

The Wood Handbook says red oak lumber is remanufactured into flooring, furniture, millwork, boxes, pallets and other products³. AHEC lists furniture, flooring, windows, doors, architectural joinery, mouldings and kitchen cabinets as its main uses⁴. NWFA/NOFMA grades oak flooring as Clear, Select, No. 1 Common and No. 2 Common and states that appearance alone determines grade, since all grades are equally strong and serviceable⁵. Read more about solid wood flooring, and compare it with the harder hard maple.

Is American red oak sustainable?

AHEC's inventory figures show U.S. red oak growing stock of 2.62 billion m³ (17.9 % of total U.S. hardwood growing stock), growth of 60.6 million m³ a year against a harvest of 31.9 million m³, and growth in balance with or exceeding harvest in all states except Texas⁴. AHEC is a trade body promoting American hardwood, so these figures are industry-reported from U.S. Forest Service inventory data. The Wood Database lists red oak as least concern on the IUCN Red List and unlisted under CITES¹.

This page compiles published data from the sources listed above. Read our editorial policy. Last updated 3 Nov 2026.