White oak
Species Names
The white oak group includes white oak (Quercus alba), chestnut oak (Q. prinus), post oak (Q. stellata), overcup oak (Q. lyrata), swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), chinkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii), swamp white oak (Q. bicolor), and live oak (Q. virginiana).
Range
White oaks grow mainly in the eastern half of the United States, although some species are found as far west as eastern Oregon, Washington, and California. Commercial white oaks grow east of a line from western Minnesota to western Texas.
Properties
The white oaks are heavy woods, averaging 47 pounds a cubic foot, and are very hard, with a specific gravity ranging from 0.57 in chestnut oak to 0.81 in live oak. Led by live oak, they rank high in strength properties.
The wood of the white oaks is subject to large shrinkage and seasoning must be done carefully to avoid checking and warping. Pores of the heartwood, with the exception of chestnut oak, are usually plugged with tyloses, a frothlike growth that makes the wood impervious to liquids. The heartwood itself is comparatively decay resistant, generally more so than that of the red oaks. White oaks are above average in all machining operations except shaping.
Uses
Most white oak is made into lumber for flooring, furniture, general millwork, and boxes and crates. Large amounts are used for flooring and furniture and it is the outstanding wood for tight barrels, kegs, and casks because of the nonporous heartwood. It has long been the leading wood for the construction of ships and boats.
Description
Heartwood is grayish brown. The outlines of the larger pores are indistinct except in chestnut oak, which has open pores with distinct outlines. On smooth-cut, end-grain surfaces, the summerwood pores are not distinct as individuals. Wood rays are generally higher than in red oak, the larger ones ranging from ½ to 5 inches in height along the grain. As in red oak, rays appear lighter in color than the background wood on end-grain surfaces and darker than the background wood on side-grain surfaces.