Difference Between French And American Oak Flooring

First we examine standard american white oak.

Difference between french and american oak flooring.

Designers and architects who specify wood flooring veneers cabinetry or millwork on projects are intimately familiar with oak. Barrels are made from oak trees grown all over the world but the most popular barrels are made from oak trees grown. American oak quercus alba is also a temperate hardwood predominantly found in eastern north america. Over time this will need to be touched up and refinished.

Species and origin french oak quercus robur is a temperate hardwood native to most of europe and is in fact the same species as english oak. For european oak floor the regular length is like below. Steven m hong kong. On the whole european oak has a more even colour tone from board to board than american oak which can show greater differences between light and dark shades.

In the french oak vs. While there are many different types of white oak three are most used for. European oak flooring on the other hand in terms of colour generally tends to be darker compared to american oak flooring. Dear steven i like to refer to oak barrels as part of the metaphorical spice rack that vintners use to make a wine of their style.

Russian oak has less tannic acid inside european oak has more this will only influence if your floor needs fumigation after fumigation the appearance will be different. Today i am going to explain in more detail the difference between american oak and french oak. Variation in tone as timber is a natural product the tone varies from board to board this is the beauty of a natural solid oak floor. What is the difference between american and french oak for maturation.

Generally french oak is thought to impart a subtler influence and smoother texture which is nice most of the time while american oak is bigger on vanilla flavour and astringent tannins. Red oak is never used for winemaking because it is too porous. American oak debate another difference is the finish of the flooring. Normally european oak looks darker better.

Generally speaking american oak is treated with a polyurethane finish. Unlike american oak which will often have a large colour variation between its boards european oak will have a much more even colour tone. In a previous wine words post i gave a general overview of oak as it pertains to wine. What s the finish like.

Yet they are not always familiar with the significant differences that make european oak such a rich product in design and functionality. Both species are classed as white oaks and have been known to live for several hundred years. European oak has a more even colour tone from board to board than american oak which can show greater contrasts between lighter and darker shades especially in the grain pattern. It has 3 traditional cuts.