Preserving, Refinishing, and Installing Hardwood Flooring since 1980.

Shown below with water-based finish (top),
and oil-based finish (bottom)

APPEARANCE

Color: Heartwood is uniformly pinkish to dark red, often a rich dark red Mahogany hue, turning a deep brownish red with age and exposure; sapwood is pale. Frequent black streaks with occasional ingrown grain.
Grain: Frequently interlocked or wavy. Texture is even and moderately coarse.
Species & Grade Variations: Moderate to high color variation.

PROPERTIES

Hardness (Janka): 1910; 48% harder than Northern Red Oak.
Dimensional Stability: Below average (change coefficient .00396; 7% less stable than Red Oak).
Durability: Dense and very strong; high resistance to wear.

WORKABILITY

Sawing / Machining: Difficult to work because of high density and irregular grain; carbide tooling recommended.
Sanding: Sands well, but dust can stain fabric and wall treatments.
Nailing: Good holding ability.
Finishing: Red color can bleed into some finishes -- a problem when mixing species.
Comments: Resistant to termites and fungus.

COST

(Relative to plainsawn select Red Oak.)
Multiplier: 1.55

AVAILABILITY

Moderately available.