English oak. French oak. Green oak. Kiln-dried oak. If you’re looking into oak frames for your next building project, the plethora of types, weights and uses you can put oak to may seem more than a little bewildering. That’s why today Monarch Oak are taking a look at the different types of oak available on the market- and why, especially regarding oak-framed buildings, quality really does make a difference.
Unpacking the different types of oak
If you’ve ever thought of it before, you probably assumed oak was just oak. If anything, you’ve probably heard the term ‘English Oak’, and assumed it was just some patriotic pride for where the tree was grown.
In fact, there are almost 300 different species of oak tree found worldwide. The US, for example, has about 55 different oak species to pick from! Despite this, European oak is still held to be some of the best in the world. Oak, as a general building material, is a hardwood with an open grain. It’s heavy, tough and super-strong. Most remarkably of all, it also holds up with resilience in the face of exposure to moisture.
It’s this fact, specifically, that has made oak the building material of choice since prehistory. It’s been used in long-lost huts, still seen in mansions and castles today, and was the building material of choice for battleships in the heady days of pirates!
Oak can be classified very broadly into two families- red oaks and white oaks. White oaks are incredibly durable, less porous than red oak, have a finer texture and a better colour. It’s also more moisture-resistant. This means it’s primarily used in furniture-making. Red oaks, however, have long been a durable, quality building choice too. You’ll see the faint traces of red near the knots. It has a coarser grain, however- one of the easiest ways to identify between the two types.
What makes a quality oak?
Oaks which grow slowly and evenly, making use of well-drained land, are the least likely to shrink or swell when transformed into lumber. This type of lumber is also easier to work. Oaks grown where it’s warm and humid, conversely, are super-tough, but coarse in structure. The longer the oak has grown, the higher the quality of wood, and it’s important to choose a source who consistently offers the same quality of wood. This is why ‘named’ oak styles, rather than the catch-all term ‘European oak’, are generally preferred- the wood has a pedigree and a locatable source, for your peace of mind.
There are many different types of oak on the market. Here’s just a few key oak types you should know- there’s many more out there, and we’re always happy to help if you’re curious to learn more.
English Oak:
English oak gives a fine, hard surface loved by furniture makers, although it has a reputation as difficult to work. It was originally seen by the British Empire as the perfect wood to frame her battleships, and it brings that same strength, tenacity and lustre to the table in modern projects, too. It’s a white oak with a high tannin content, making it rot-resistant and durable. Some English Oaks, due to the presence of a specific fungus, have a rich brown sheen that cannot be replicated by artificial stains. It’s a historic woodworking choice, excellent in almost every application.
French Oak:
French Oak has a higher degree of tannin than most oaks. You’re probably more familiar with tannins in your teabag! Yes, they are the same thing, though you won’t be steeping your french oak framing! In a hardwood like oak, the tannins are responsible for the colour reaction you see as the wooden item ages and matures, leaving a beautiful finish. The use of the term ‘French Oak’ is actually pretty controlled, and that means that the wood you receive has a consistency both in source and age as well as quality. French Oak is a white oak, originating from two native French oak species. It’s also commonly used for wine barrels, as well as hard-wearing wood floors!
Green Oak:
Green oak refers not to the colour, but the age of the wood. It’s used to refer to unseasoned lumber, usually very freshly cut. Green oak will typically have been felled no more than 18 months ago, and as such still has a high moisture content (30-80%). Unless properly handled, this is a wood which may shrink as it dries, meaning it will move and even split. This means that choosing quality green oak, from a company that knows how to handle it, is key.
Kiln dried oak
In order to be serviceable in any building project, green oak needs to be properly ‘seasoned’, or dried out. It is possible for oak to be air-dried oak, where the shaped lumber is left to dry out over time through atmospheric conditions, but this can be a lengthy process. It’s also not suited for thick or big pieces of wood. In Britain, it can also be subject to the whim of local air-moisture content. It’s possible to take greater control of this process (and speed it up) by drying the lumber in a kiln, instead. Here the process can be controlled, and the wood perfectly dried to suit a range of applications.
The quality counts- why you need the very best oak for your frames
As you can see, there’s a huge range of oak available, each suited to specific roles and specific niche uses. No matter the type of oak used in a project, what really matters is consistency and quality. The end project will only be as good as the materials that went into it, and even the most skilled work can’t disguise or salvage shoddy wood. That’s why Monarch Oak takes care to source and use only the very best quality in all our projects. The same durability and versatility that has made oak the building material of choice for centuries can be harnessed for your projects. If you’re considering oak framed buildings for your property, or have any kind of oak frame project in mind, get in touch with Monarch Oak today. We’ll help you make your dreams come true.