White oak flooring looks elegant, it is durable and is a woodworker’s delight, since it gets stained easily. However, with so many options available in the market, it is difficult to choose which is the best flooring for your home. Here are a few pointers on why you should choose wood flooring in white oak over the others.
Few facts about white oak
The White Oak is a hardwood that grows throughout eastern North America. Native to that area of the continent, it is found from southern Quebec, west to eastern Minnesota, and down to eastern Texas, over to northern Florida. A long-lived species, many of the specimens date to 450 years ago at the very least. Called white oak, it actually not common to find a white oak tree with white bark on it. Typically, the colour is light grey but the species is known for growing to extremely tall heights. The white oak is also the official state tree of Illinois, Connecticut and Mary land. The oldest living white oak fell on June 6, 2002 during a thunderstorm and was the honorary tree of Maryland. The white oak also served as an important tree for settlers and Native Americans. The white oak acorns were often boiled and consumed by those individuals.
Why all this talk about the white oak tree? Well, the white oak tree is the tree that white oak hardwood is made from, which is some of the finest hardwood in the world.
The white oak is not only used for flooring, but also furniture, architecture, mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, caskets and panelling.
Currently, 15.1 per cent of all hardwoods available commercially are white oak flooring. Generally, the wood is light-coloured for floors, with the heartwood being dark brown. Straight-grained, with a medium texture, white oak flooring is often described as a hardwood that has more figure, making it popular in homes.
Benefits of using white oak for your floor
One of the common uses of white oak over the centuries was as a frame and siding for ships. Since it is waterproof, it was heavily used by settlers and early sailors in North America. White oak machines extremely well, and it works best with galvanized nails since it reacts with iron.
Another benefit of white oak hardwood flooring is that they stain extremely well to a good finish and can be stained in a number of different tones. The wood also dries very slowly.
White oak flooring is low in stiffness, have medium bending and excellent resistance against wear and tear.
Why is white oak flooring popular?
Well, it mainly has to do with the fact that they have a beautiful colour that is lighter than other types of flooring, which is often described as calm and serene and perfect for some decors.
With the tighter grain, there is a smoother texture when compared with red oak. White oak also rates high at 1360 on the hardwood hardness scale, compared with red oak at 1290. As a result, it is much more durable for areas of high traffic like hallways, kitchens and entryways. It also works well in any areas where things can be dropped on the floor. They are highly resilient against dents and dings.
Final caveat
If you are thinking about getting flooring for the home, look at white oak flooring, as it is one of the top types of hardwood floors on the market. It is an excellent option for any type of remodelling going on in your home.
