Red Oak Select & Better Lumber

Taking a consultative approach to best understand the needs and desires of our customers, we are committed to Delivering the Difference with our specialty lumber products. Please Contact your Sales or Specification Representative for a consultation to identify the best product for your application.

Historically found in church pews, restaurants, flooring and cabinetry, the distinctive and durable Red Oak is an architecturally foundational lumber. Red Oak is an excellent choice where appearance and dependability are important. It accepts stain, finishes, glues, and paints, making it a highly customizable hardwood variety. Red Oak is easily workable with both hand and machine tools, and its durability makes it an excellent choice for demanding applications. Choose Select & Better Red Oak for its timeless beauty and reliability.

Why Select & Better Red Oak?

• Wide grain and classic cathedral pattern
• Ideal for cabinetry, millwork, and furniture
• Finishes and glues with ease
• Easily machined and workable
• Tough and reliable

Plain Sawn Lumber:

Cutting tangentially through the tree’s growth rings, Plain Sawn Red Oak utilizes the entire log by minimizing waste and increasing yield. This method generates the traditional cathedral grain pattern.

Lumber is a living product, responding to its environment as a tree does to its forest. Humidity, age, area and cut will slightly alter the appearance of the lumber product. The product images on this page are a sample of this species, not an exact depiction of the product you will receive.

Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information on how to configure Red Oak for your project.

Select & Better Grade:

Select & Better grade includes the highest quality lumber available, ideal for projects that demand clear faces. Select & Better Red Oak include only cuttings of Selects grade or higher quality, and is used extensively by designers for use in furniture, millwork, and cabinetry.

Select & Better has a minimum board width of 4” and length of 8’, admitting 25% odd lengths. The sapwood face is required to be clear and free of defects, with a reverse side with #1 Common minimum specifications. Slight wane is allowed on pieces 4” and 5” in width, with minor knots allowed at 6” to 10” in width.

Please consult with your Sales or Specifications Representative to guarantee you receive the product that best meets your requirements.

Colour/Appearance:

Red Oak grain is pronounced relatively coarse. As a result, it accepts stain easily. With a natural finish of a light, medium brown and reddish-pink undertones, Red Oak can also be painted easily to achieve a different appearance. Wide variation in tone and texture does exist within different growing regions. To determine the best source region for your application, it is important to consider region (Northern, Appalachian, or Southern), mill, sort and specifications.

Workability:

Red Oak produces good results with hand and machine tools. It glues, stains, and finishes well and responds well to steam.

Sustainability:

Red Oak trees are native to North America and are widely dispersed throughout the East. In the United States, it is the most common hardwood species, representing 19% of standing hardwood timber. Harvest rates versus growth rates based on US Forest Service census data show that 47% more Red Oak is growing annually than is being harvested. Red Oak is a sustainably sourced and common lumber.

We recognize the importance of ethically harvested lumber. As our most valuable resource, sustainably harvested forests increase the rate of carbon sequestration and significantly cut carbon emissions. Wood is a renewable and sustainable material for the built environment, requiring less energy than alternatives like concrete or steel. From harvesting to recycling, lumber is the most carbon-efficient choice for building materials. Wood is of the few elements that can increase sustainability in a building’s life cycle, reduce waste, and create positive biophilic health benefits. Increasingly, architects and designers are calling for a return to wood as the prominent basic building material.

As an early adopter of FSC®, we recognize the importance of sustainably harvested lumber. FSC® Certified lumber is available upon request. Contact your Sales or Specifications Representative for more information.

• Boat Interiors
• Drawer Boxes
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Kitchen Cabinet Doors
• Railings
• Window Frame
• Window Sills
• Vanity Cabinets
• Vanity Cabinet Doors
• Wall Paneling
• Passage Doors
• Closets
• Garage Storage
• Interior Millwork
• Treads
• Risers
• Residential Indoor Furniture
• Commercial Indoor Furniture
• Floors