Quercus alba
White Oak
American white oak (Quercus alba) is a closed-pore hardwood with straight grain, coarse texture, and one of the best steam-bending records of any commercial species.
Premium import, sourced outside EuropeFamily: Fagaceae
Tree
Native to eastern North America, not Europe. It reaches the EU through established furniture-grade import channels and is widely stocked alongside European oak. KORENA sources kiln-dried boules and slabs from US mills already supplying European workshops.
Wood appearance
Light to medium brown heartwood with an olive cast, sometimes drifting toward pale grey-brown. Sapwood is near-white and usually trimmed off furniture stock. Grain is straight with occasional irregular figure around knots. Texture is coarse but even, and the rays are unusually long. Quartersawn faces show pronounced ray fleck (silver figure), a defining look in Arts and Crafts and Mission furniture. The single most useful feature is closed pores: tyloses plug the heartwood vessels, which is why white oak holds liquid and resists water ingress where European and red oak do not.
- Heartwood: light to medium brown, often with an olive or greenish-grey cast
- Sapwood: pale cream to near-white, sharply demarcated
- Quartersawn faces: pronounced silver ray fleck
- Ambers and deepens with UV and oil finishes over the first months
- Fumes to deep chocolate-brown under ammonia; ebonises black with iron acetate
- Straight grain, coarse uneven texture.
Mechanical properties
| Density (kg/m³) | 690–790 kg/m³ |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (N) | 5,500–6,500 N |
| MOR: modulus of rupture (MPa) | 100–115 MPa |
| MOE: modulus of elasticity (GPa) | 11.5–13.0 GPa |
| Radial shrinkage | 5.5–6.5 % |
| Tangential shrinkage | 10.0–11.0 % |
| Volumetric shrinkage | 15.5–17.0 % |
| Natural durability (EN 350) | Class 2 — Durable |
Working with it
1 = difficult · 5 = excellent
Machines cleanly with sharp tooling: sawing, sanding, gluing, and screwing all rate well. Planing tearout can show up around interlocked grain near knots; back off the cut and skew the blade. Pre-drill for screws near ends and edges to avoid splitting. Steam bending is where white oak earns its reputation: it is one of the most reliable bending species in the world, used historically for boat ribs, Windsor chair backs, and barrel staves. Quartersawn stock bends most predictably.
- Sawing
- Planing
- Sanding
- Turning
Drying
Dries slowly and is prone to honeycomb, surface checking, and ring failure if pushed. Tangential shrinkage runs roughly twice radial, so flatsawn boards cup more than quartersawn. Slabs need patient kiln schedules and good sticker discipline. Once at service moisture (8–10% for interior EU use) it is dimensionally well-behaved, but full equilibration takes weeks for thick stock.
Finishing
Takes oils, hardwax oils, water-based lacquers, and solvent finishes well. Reacts strongly with iron: wet steel wool, pipe clamps, or ferrous swarf will leave blue-black stains, so use stainless or brass and wipe spills fast. The same iron reaction is used deliberately for fumed and ebonised looks (ammonia fuming, iron-acetate). Tannin can bleed through pale finishes; seal first if you want a clean white or grey. Pores are tight enough that grain filling is optional for most furniture work.
Durability and safety
- Class 2 — Durable
- Food contact safe
- Dust irritant: wear PPE
White oak dust is classified by IARC as a Group 1 carcinogen (hardwood dust, sino-nasal risk on long exposure) and can cause respiratory and skin sensitisation. Run extraction at the tool, wear an FFP3 mask for sanding, and keep the shop clean. The wood itself is food-contact safe once cured. It is the classic species for wine and whisky casks, cutting boards, and butcher blocks.
Best uses
- Kitchen islands and worktops where water resistance matters
- Bar tops and counter tops
- Steam-bent chair backs, rockers, and curved rails
- Cooperage-inspired pieces and cask-stave projects
- Quartersawn panels and doors with visible ray fleck
- Flooring and stair treads in heavy-traffic interiors
- Cutting boards, butcher blocks, and food-contact tableware
- Outdoor-adjacent furniture under cover (porches, orangeries)
Pairs and substitutes
Pairs well with
Often substituted for
Sourcing and sustainability
- Premium import, sourced outside Europe
- IUCN: LC — Least Concern
Quercus alba is IUCN Least Concern with no CITES listing. US hardwood supply is generally well-regulated, and EUDR still applies on import into the EU. Due diligence is in preparation and becomes mandatory for large operators from 30 December 2026; KORENA is building each slab passport to record species, provenance, and supplier documentation. Ask for FSC or PEFC chain-of-custody where the project requires it; not every US mill ships certified by default.
Buyer questions
Is White Oak a good choice for furniture?
White Oak is best matched to projects such as Kitchen islands and worktops where water resistance matters, Bar tops and counter tops, Steam-bent chair backs, rockers, and curved rails, Cooperage-inspired pieces and cask-stave projects, Quartersawn panels and doors with visible ray fleck, Flooring and stair treads in heavy-traffic interiors, Cutting boards, butcher blocks, and food-contact tableware, Outdoor-adjacent furniture under cover (porches, orangeries). The final choice should consider grain, finish, movement allowance, and the room where the piece will live.
How hard is White Oak?
The listed Janka value is 6,049 N and the density is 750 kg/m³. Use these as comparison signals, not as a guarantee of how a finished surface will wear.
What should I check before buying White Oak slabs online?
Check measured length, width stations, thickness, drying method, moisture notes, colour variation, defects, and origin. Compare the measured outline against the finished drawing before reserving the slab.
Current stock
White Oak pieces available now
Get notified about White Oak
We email you when fresh White Oak slabs land at KORENA. Each piece is one of one, so early notice matters.
Sources
- The Wood Database(accessed 2026-05-09)
- USDA FPL Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-190 (2010)(accessed 2026-05-09)
- Meier, E. — WOOD! Identifying and Using Hundreds of Woods Worldwide (2015)(accessed 2026-05-09)
