Wood Wars, Week XII: White Oak vs. Maple

Welcome back to Wood Wars, folks! With the sun on it’s way out for the season, we’ve been feeling a bit pallid lately, so we chose some appropriately pale competitors for this week’s match. That’s right – it’s White Oak and Maple! Let’s get this pasty party started!

White Oak Flooring

White Oak

Hardness: 1,360 pounds
Modulus of Rupture: 15,200 psi
Modulus of Expansion: 1,780 1000 psi
Density: 900 KG/m3
Tangential Shrinkage: 7.2%
Radial Shrinkage: 4.2%

Maple Flooring

Maple

Hardness: 1,450 pounds
Modulus of Rupture: 10,700 psi
Modulus of Expansion: 1,450 1000 psi
Density: 755 KG/m3
Tangential Shrinkage: 9.9%
Radial Shrinkage: 4.8%

Strength and Durability
At first glance, this round looks pretty close. Maple has the advantage over White Oak in Janka hardness, but oak flooring has a much higher modulus of rupture and a slightly higher modulus of expansion. If Maple’s hardness was, say, twice as high as White Oak’s, maybe it would win the round. That’s not the case, though, and this round goes to White Oak.

Movement in Service
White Oak takes this round as well. The tangential and radial shrinkage of oak flooring are both lower than Maple, and the differential between the two is also much lower. Sorry, Maple, but you’re 0 for 2.

Looks
Since we’re intentionally pairing up pale woods this week, this category is going to be close. White Oak features light, full tones that are versatile enough to match most any room décor. Maple is similar in appearance, but tends to have a much brighter, crisper look to it. White Oak’s grain pattern is tight and consistent, while Maple’s is open and more fluid. Because both hardwoods are versatile and attractive, we’re calling this round a tie.

Conclusion
Looks like White Oak flooring comes out on top this match. Congrats! Tune in next week when we’ll look at a couple of dark, daring exotic hardwood flooring choices.

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