When you’re embarking on a project that requires wood, you’ll need to ensure you have access to suitable supplies. If you can’t access timber of sufficient quality or struggle to get it on time, you will suffer delays and difficulties.

Of course, you have to choose the right wood in the first place. There are lots of different kinds of timber for you to take your pick from. Here at Booker Timber we offer a whole range. As well as marine plywood, MDF and so on, we offer hardwoods like greenheart, iroko maple, poplar and oak. The kind you opt for will depend on your budget and the effects you’re looking to achieve.

Oak is a popular choice

Oak is commonly used in a variety of settings. This wood has a range of properties that make it ideal for various projects. Writing about the material on eHow, Neal Litherland noted that it is an attractive wood and it is often used in flooring and furniture.

Indeed, lots of properties feature oak somewhere within them and the timber can look ideal in both contemporary and traditional looking spaces.

Meanwhile, the wood is also used in walking sticks and in a number of other products.

Grain

Mr Litherland pointed out that different types of oak vary, but there are certain properties they all have in common.

For example, when it comes to grain, he remarked: “Wood may often be purchased for the appearance and feel of its grain. Oak hardwood has an identifiable grain that is described as open and fairly long. The wood has occasional crotches, with swirls and burs as well. The way the boards are sawed from the wood can also make a difference as to the grain that is displayed. Plain sawed boards have a plumed grain, for instance, whereas rift sawn boards have a much tighter grain pattern.”

Colour

When it comes to colour, this depends on the particular oak in question, the writer noted. While white oak can be light brown with a pinkish tint, the heartwood is a creamy white colour. Red oak on the other hand can be tinted rose, he suggested.

Physical properties

Depending what you’re using the wood for, you might be looking for certain physical properties. Oak is hard and it has “medium bending strength”, Mr Litherland stated. He added that it has a high crushing strength, meaning it is good for holding up structures like beams.

Sourcing the best

To make the most of oak, or any other timber for that matter, it’s important you head to a specialist sheet cutting firm like us.

We offer a vast array of timber-related products and have all the experience, knowledge and equipment required to achieve the best results.

Find out more

If you’d like to find out more about our cut to size plywood and so on, just take a look around the rest of our website or get in touch with our friendly and helpful team. We should be perfectly placed to help you.