Oak flooring Chicago

What’s the difference between red oak flooring and white oak flooring?

There is a noticeable difference between a red and a white oak floors. Here is some information that you mind use while choosing your perfect floors :
1. Color – red oak has a bit of a pinkish tint is a little bit lighter than white oak. White oak tends to be a bit browner, darker and more yellow. When you stain them, the difference between the 2 species decreases, especially the darker you go. With lighter stains, the red oak tends to have a bit of red undertone in the color.
2. Graining – red oak tends to have stronger graining than white oak hardwood. White oak has a bit of a smoother look. Some people prefer the strong graining of red oak – both because they like the look and because the strong graining helps hide the scratches and dents; other prefer the slightly smoother grain of white oak and feel it’s a less busy look
3. Hardness – white oak flooring is a bit harder than red oak. On the Janka hardness scale, White oak is 1360 and red oak is 1290. But, as I mentioned above, even though red oak is a bit less hard, it tends to show the dents a bit less.
 4. Compatibility with stair treads and accessories – Red oak is more common in stair treads, saddles, banisters and other transitions. If you have oak stair treads already in your home, chances are, they are red oak, so you may be better served matching that. If you need to get new stair treads or other transitions, they are usually more readily available (and hence lower priced) in red oak.

5.  White oak is more resistant to water than red oak.  Because white oak is a closed grain wood, it more impervious to water.  This is why it’s used more often in boat building.  And, it’s also why it’s better to use white oak on front door jambs as well as other areas that may be more exposed to water and nature’s elements..  It’s amazing to see how much faster the red oak absorbs the water. 
We carry both types  of floors mentioned above,please stop by in our showroom today .We are located at 3100 N Elston Ave., Chicago