Origin
The red oak wood, or Quercus rubra, grows in zones from the Centre and the East of North America, besides the Southeast of Canada. The red oak is a tree which grows straight and tall, with a striking strength: its trunk can reach up to 40 meters high and even up to two meters of diameter.
Colour
The red oak wood has a pale reddish brown colour usually, but the sapwood varies from light grey flush to red, while the heartwood can acquire a clear brown colour. The bark usually has a surface of bright stripes.
Texture
The red oak wood is hard, strong, heavy and coarse-grained, something which allows it to be used for furniture construction or home coating.
Durability
Despite its robust texture, the red oak wood has moderate stability and low natural resistance to the pass of time.
Features
It must be avoided cutting the red oak wood against its veins, as many chips can be loose, especially with handwork. It is easier and safe to work it with machines craft. It does not present problems with its work, except for the hardness of the trunk, and the drying is usually very slow, with some risk that the result does not finish perfectly uniform. Alkaline and acid glues do not benefit its composition either, so it is better to avoid them. Regarding the nails and screws, they can be performed smoothly, and the finish is usually comfortable and elegant.
Applications
The red oak wood is often used for building furniture as well as in the field of construction and interior finishing at home. Its wood rays and its colour are recognizable in doors, fences, decks, hardwood floors, moldings and friezes. As for alternative uses, it is also used to build musical instruments, plates, turnings, boxes, coffins or platforms.