European Oak in Santa Monica, California
Posted on
3/1/2022
European White Oak (Quercus robur) is indigenous to most of Europe including places like France, Germany, Finland, Ukraine, and Romania. Quercus is the Latin family name for all oaks; Robur means robust and refers to the strength of this species of timber.
European White Oak (Quercus robur) is indigenous to most of Europe including places like France, Germany, Finland, Ukraine, and Romania. Quercus is the Latin family name for all oaks; Robur means robust and refers to the strength of this species of timber.
A temperate hardwood, it has deep roots and favors heavy, wet soils and full sun at lower to moderate elevations. It grows to 65 - 130' in height with trunks that are generally 15 - 30" in diameter. European oaks typically grow quite rapidly for the first 80 - 120 years. After that, their growth gradually slows down. Along the way, the tree grows from a slim sapling with smooth bark to a deeply fissured, rough-barked tree of exceptional girth. Decline starts setting in after around three centuries or so. This slow maturation creates a fine, tight grain revered for wine barrels and flooring. European White Oak is an especially heavy and sturdy wood. The fact that it is so hard to make an attractive and long-lasting wood floor. It also does not expand or contract a lot in reaction to weather conditions. Because it has fairly thin sapwood (.4 - 1.5"), it provides particularly long and wide boards.
This species of oak measures approximately 1360 on the Janka hardness rating which describes a wood's relative hardness when compared to other types of timber. European White Oak typically has a tighter grain, smaller growth rings, and a more consistent shade than American White Oak (Quercus alba). It varies in color from light brown to a rich, dark brown. Probably most often, it's a warm honey color.
It responds particularly well to different finishing methods, including fuming. Fuming is the process of exposing timber to ammonia gas in a sealed chamber. This process requires timber, like European White Oak, that is high in tannins. Fumed European White Oak produces a rich, deep color comparable to walnut.
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