American Hardwood Supplement 2018

AMERICAN HARDWOOD Southeast Asia Supplement 2018
Phil Fenwick
has been Baillie Lumber’s Director of Asia Sales for many years.
Q: As a producer of red oak lumber what do you see as the main
differences to white oak?
A: The difference between red oak and white oak is that it comes
down to texture and colour. The tubules of white oak are closed,
whereas the red oak tubules are open – giving a little bit more
of a rougher appearance of the grain. In general the other main
difference is there are typically ranges of colour in red oak, such as
tan or wheat all the way to a deep red. White oak tends to be mostly
tan or almost brown in colour. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish
white oak from red oak, especially if the red oak is more northern
due to the very light colour and appearance.
Q: How does red oak perform in flooring and furniture?
A: Red oak performs extremely well in flooring and furniture. In
the U.S. this has been one of the main species used for flooring
for many generations. It is very common that in older homes in
the U.S. owners find numerous different styles and widths of red
oak flooring. Often when a home owner pulls up an old carpet in a
house they are pleased to find red oak floors that they can refinish.
Other aspects of red oak are that it tends to be very steady and
sands and finishes well. Also, since red oak is an open grain species,
when finish is applied it seems to be a little bit more forgiving and
blemishes appear to blend because of the open grain appearance.
Q: In those export markets where you sell red oak, what is the
main reason your customers prefer red to white oak?
A: In most cases, we sell red oak into the markets we do because
it is a species requested. The end products factories are producing
specify red oak as the material of choice. Many times it is because
the products produced are intended for a customer segment
that prefers the look and feel of red oak. For example, the red
oak furniture manufactured in Asia matches up nicely with the
red oak cabinets and floors one would find in many homes in the
U.S., therefore creating more demand. Another reason that some
markets, such as China, tend to buy red oak is because they like the
flexibility the open grain appearance provides in manufacturing
because it is similar to some of the northern white ash and white
oak species that they tend to work with as well.
Q: In terms of the resource what are the pressure on northern
red oak?
A: Red oak grows more abundantly than any other species in North
America. It is the predominant species in the entire Appalachian
region. Additionally, it is not under attack by any invasive bugs
(at the moment). Unlike white ash, white oak, and walnut – which
are all battling challenges.
Q: Can you say something about the grades of red oak and how
they might differ from the grades of other species – if at all?
A: With regard to the grading of red oak compared to other
species, there really is limited to no difference – the grades are all the
same. However, what can be a consideration for customers is the
special sorts that can be requested. We work with many customers
that will request a certain colour sort, width sort or even a length
sort that works particularly well in their manufacturing process.
Q: What is the lowest grade you export?
A: We find that the grades we export are no different from
those we offer in North America. The standard industry grades of
FAS/1F (prime), 1C and 2C are all regularly requested. Occasionally
we will export 3C or a Frame Stock grade, but that is not very
common.
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