What are the properties of Oak Wood?

A traditional carving wood and often called the king of English trees, oak is a hardwood. It is extremely strong, dense, durable and resistant to fungal attacks, which makes it less prone to decay and rotting. Oak is considered one of the finest and sturdiest materials to work with in woodworking. Its flexibility makes it as desirable for artistic pieces as well as complex architectural projects.

Around six hundred different species exist, both evergreen and deciduous. Oak's high tannin content means different species come in varying colours, ranging from oaks' common golden colour to red oak and white oak (Quercus alba). European Oak properties centre around its strength, durability and defined grain. Its dense constitution and long-living nature make it resistant to fungal attacks, making it an ideal material for collections meant to last.

European Oak trees and English Oak (Quercus robur or Quercus petraea) tend to reach heights between 18 and 30m, depending on growth conditions. Although young oak trees grow fast in height, it takes decades to acquire the body that makes its particular properties attractive for construction purposes.

An extremely popular hardwood for both construction and carving, it can be difficult to work with due to the sensitivity of the grain regarding carving directions.

Oak timber needs to be dried and does so very slowly. Oak can be stained, polished, waxed, and glued well. It takes nails and screws well, except near edges, when the wood should be pre-bored, and takes liming and fuming treatments well.

What is Oak Best Used For?

Oak is popular with all types of woodworkers because of its strength and aesthetic beauty. For thousands of years, it has been used for furniture making, cabinetry, home decoration and structural or architectural joinery. Although it has also been known to be used in the production of medicine or ink, oak carries particular historical importance due to its importance to the military and shipbuilding industries. Wars were fought over oak-rich regions to secure supplies!

Exceedingly strong, this durable hardwood is considered one of the best building and construction materials around. In the modern day, the length and hardness of oak timber make it ideal for hardwood floors and exterior cladding. Because it is highly resistant to shrinkage, it is also prized in window frames, door-fitting and liquor-ageing in barrels.

Many species of oak offer many varying hues and depth of colour, of which red and white are the most commonly used for carving projects.

Note: so-called brown oak, while popular, is not the wood's original state but rather the result of Fistulina hepatica, a fungus, attacking the tree as it grows, turning the wood first yellow, then rich or reddish-brown. Because this fungal attack seldom survives the felling of the tree, brown oak remains a popular choice for its decorative appeal.

The physical attractiveness of oak means it is highly prized in furniture. The picture below is of a recent project of ours for Chris Walter, a professional underwater photographer. The bed frame is made of spalted beech, yew, pippy oak and brown oak.

Oak Wood Disadvantages

The incredible hardness and strength of oak come, quite literally, at a price. Oak can take 150 years to grow and mature before being suitable for construction, which makes its price significantly higher than other types of timber and it can reach up to £800 per cubic metre.English and European Oak are hard and strong, but by that very fact can be difficult to work with and require years of experience prior to handling.

The drying process is very slow and kiln-dried oak tends to split as it does so.

A Word From W L West & Sons

Although oak is a renewable resource, turnover is extremely slow, making oak even more valuable and worthy of our respect and protection. Oak forests also provide a rich habitat that supports many other forms of life, so ensuring their survival is paramount. Any timber supplier should be PEFC and FSC-certified. These organisations encourage sustainable forest management to reduce the environmental impact of the timber industry, creating and implementing sustainable forest management systems tailored to specific environments.

Read more on our thoughts on proper oak usage.

WL West Timber is a family-owned sawmill & timber merchant in West Sussex with over 155 years’ industry experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.

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