Quercus alba
Technical Features
American White Oak is a native American hardwood with medium bending and crushing strength, low stiffness, but excellent steam bending properties. Architects and designers increasingly rely on its excellent strength for structural applications because of its overall strength and durability.
Visual Features
Light in colour, American Oak can vary from light straw coloured tones through to mottled mid brown. Its grain is typically straight, with a medium to coarse texture and distinctive growth rings. Natural variations in grain, colour and texture are characteristics of the species.
Workability
American Oak is a hardwood common to the eastern United States and is considered a hard and heavy wood with low stiffness and medium crushing and bending strength. It has extremely good steam bending properties and is easy to machine, nail, glue and screw. It stains easily and can take a wide variety of colours.
Applications
Among its uses are construction, furniture, flooring, architectural joinery, exterior joinery, mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, paneling, railway sleepers, timber bridges, barrel staves, and coffins.
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American Oak FAQ’s
Contours Engineered American Oak is made from American White Oak adhered to a substrate of finger jointed Meranti.
Porta Contours in Engineered American Oak are designed for internal use only. We do not recommend installation in zones where water splash or high moisture levels are present, for example shower recesses or applications where a vessel (bath, basin or tapware) is within 75mm of a wall.
Installation in wet areas must comply with specified requirements according to AS 3740:2021, and NCC Vol 1 F1.7 or Vol 2 3.8.1. It is important that all edges are sealed with an appropriate sealer and cut outs to install services or other hardware must be sealed to prevent ingress of moisture. Prior to installation in areas of high moisture levels, Porta Contours in Engineered American Oak must be coated with an appropriate water repellent, preservative finish. Refer to Porta Contours Design, Installation and Maintenance Guide for further information.
The recommendation is for internal application only.
Yes. Engineered American Oak Contours will require the same treatment as the rest of the Contours range – acclimatisation for a minimum 48 hours prior to installation.
The same information applies as for other timber species, with the exception of wet area use. Refer to wet area information specifically for Contours Engineered American Oak.
