Are White Oak Floors Stronger Than Red Oak
The grains of red oak are more prominent than white oak.
Are white oak floors stronger than red oak. White oak has a smoother and cleaner look. But as i mentioned above even though red oak is a bit less hard it tends to show the dents a bit less. White oak flooring has been noted as being harder than red oak with a janka hardness rating of approximately 1360. Because of this it is much more porous.
In addition the larger pores means red oak is more susceptible to liquid stains. The name white oak might make you think that this flooring is lighter in color but in fact the opposite is true. White oak flooring has less pronounced finer graining and warmer golden brown tones. Another difference between the two types of oak is strength.
The grains of white are finer and not as pronounced as red oak. On the janka hardness scale white oak is 1360 and red oak is 1290. However like with all hardwood flooring for best results in terms of stability both red oak and white oak planks should be allowed to fully acclimatize to the local environment before being installed. White oak flooring is also more stable.
Hardness white oak flooring is a bit harder than red oak. White oak tends to be slightly stronger harder and stiffer than red oak but not always white oak when freshly sawn is about 65 percent mc. White oak has been used for centuries in the building of boats wagon wheels and wine barrels because of its structural integrity and imperviousness to water. White oak flooring is harder than red oak rating 1360 on the janka hardness scale while red oak is just 1290.
Red oak has a stronger grain pattern. On the janka scale red oak has a hardness of 1290 while white. Red oak has pinkish and red tones throughout. While both are stronger and more durable than many other types of lumber white is generally a bit stronger than red.
White oak is actually a mix of browns and tans making it darker than red oak. As mentioned above along with being harder than red oak white oak is also more stable and denser than red oak. Because of this white oak is denser. Because it is harder it accepts stain color more evenly than red oak flooring does.