European Oak

Description

From its silver grain to its pleasant aroma, European Oak is perfect for interiors, furniture and flooring. European Oak is strong and durable with a straight, silvery grain that can be irregular or interlocked. Its heartwood tends to be yellowish brown with a slightly olive cast, generally with sapwood in a slightly lighter tone. When plain-sawn oak has a distinctive cathedral figure, whilst quarter-sawn sections reveal oak’s attractive medullary ray and subtle fleck, adding texture and character.

Working Properties

Due to the great variation in growing conditions, European Oak can either be mild or tough - meaning workability can vary. European Oak machines fairly easily, can be worked using hand tools without difficulty and can be readily modified with liming, tinted finishes and fuming treatments to achieve a number of unique results. When fixing, stainless steel is recommended to avoid discolouration, which can occur on contact with iron. When properly dried, the wood can be stained, polished, waxed, glued, fixed, and finished satisfactorily.

Physical Properties

Hard and heavy, European Oak must be carefully managed when drying or it has a tendency to split - especially when cut to thicker sections. If dried too quickly, the wood can also honeycomb so forced drying is best avoided and the potential for defects can be mitigated with proper conditioning. European Oak is dense and hard, so finds use in a number of interior applications were durability is desired. With longer drying times and a less severe moisture content that American stock tends to exhibit, European Oak is also the preferred choice for exterior work.

Durability

European Oak is extremely hard, stable, and durable. The wood has been rated as having very good resistance to decay, and works well in external applications or wet environments such as boat building.