Difference Between French And American Oak Flooring

What is the difference between american and french oak for maturation.

Difference between french and american oak flooring.

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. Over time this will need to be touched up and refinished. 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.

For european oak floor the regular length is like below. 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. Designers and architects who specify wood flooring veneers cabinetry or millwork on projects are intimately familiar with oak. 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.

European oak is darker with a naturally rich golden honey hue while american oak is lighter and more yellow in colour with the occasional pinkish hue. American oak debate another difference is the finish of the flooring. To start off both american oak and french oak are species of white oak. Barrels are made from oak trees grown all over the world but the most popular barrels are made from oak trees grown.

Today i am going to explain in more detail the difference between american oak and french oak. What s the finish like. 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. Yet they are not always familiar with the significant differences that make european oak such a rich product in design and functionality.

Steven m hong kong. Red oak is never used for winemaking because it is too porous. American oak quercus alba is also a temperate hardwood predominantly found in eastern north america. It has 3 traditional cuts.

Normally european oak looks darker better. While there are many different types of white oak three are most used for. Generally speaking american oak is treated with a polyurethane finish. 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.

In a previous wine words post i gave a general overview of oak as it pertains to wine. Both species are classed as white oaks and have been known to live for several hundred years. First we examine standard american white oak. In the french oak vs.