Black Oak Wood
Black Oak Wood is a large tree, sometimes growing more than 100 feet in height. The thick, nearly black bark is marked with deep furrows and irregularly broken ridges. The characteristic inner bark is bright yellow to orange, hence the alternate common name. This tree grows on dry uplands, slopes and ridges. It occurs generally throughout Ohio, but is most abundant in the eastern part of the state and on the ancient, sandy beech ridges near Lake Erie.
Common Name(s): Black Oak, Eastern Black Oak
Distribution: Eastern North America
Tree Size: 65-80 ft (20-25 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 45 lbs/ft3 (715 kg/m3)
Color/Appearance: Has a light to medium reddish-brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Conversely, White Oak in St Pete Lumber company tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak.
– Grain/Texture: Has medium-to-large pores and a fairly coarse grain.
– Endgrain: Ring-porous; 2-4 rows of large, exclusively solitary early-wood pores, numerous small late-wood pores in radial arrangement; tyloses absent; growth rings distinct; rays large and visible without lens; apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (short lines between rays).
Rot Resistance: Falls somewhere between slightly durable to non-durable. Red oaks such as Black Oak do not have the level of decay and rot resistance that White Oaks possess.
– Workability: Easy to glue, and takes stain and finishes very well.
Odor: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing.
– Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
– Pricing/Availability: Slightly less expensive than White Oak, Red Oak is in good/sustainable supply and is moderately priced. Thicker 8/4 planks, or quartersawn boards are slightly more expensive per board foot.
– Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
– Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer.
– Comments: Not to be confused with Bog Oak (which is actually black in color), Black Oak at Anderson Lumber of St Pete falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra). Red Oak, along with its brother White Oak, are commonly used domestic lumber species. Hard, strong, and moderately priced, Red Oak presents an exceptional value to woodworkers—which explains why it is so widely used in cabinet and furniture making.
Related Species:
Bog Oak
Brown Oak
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)
Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)
English Oak (Quercus robur)
Holm Oak (Quercus ilex)
Japanese Oak (Quercus mongolica)
Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Post Oak (Quercus stellata)
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)
Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)
Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
Water Oak (Quercus nigra)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)