Is Oakwood good for furniture?

How is the quality of oak furniture? We’ve discussed it below.

When one chooses wood for their furniture they always go for the most durable one which not only suits the budget but also offers them a finesse touch. 

Why oak furniture is good?

The reason why oak furniture is so good is that it’s one of the least expensive hardwoods in the US. The duality of getting hardwood furniture at a cheap price makes it stand out from the crowd, with high tannin content, beautiful grains, appealing look, and the peace of mind that the furniture to last for years are the most obvious advantages you will be getting.

It’s better than alternatives:

Like the other options such as higher quality hardwoods cherry, walnut, are a bit more expensive. And the cheap alternatives are engineered wood and softwoods. Read engineered wood does not make good beds.

So oak falls in-between, connecting dots of getting good quality hardwood furniture at decent rates.

The specialty of Oak is that it makes good quality furniture, durability is something that you will be getting with oak wood. Oak is often used for doors, tables, beds, and even flooring! Due to its neat grainy touch, its demand is quite heavy!

Well, that must have given you a crystal clear answer but why is Oakwood good for furniture and most importantly why should you choose it?

If you’ve got similar questions this article got you covered! Read Advantages and disadvantages of Oakwood?

How good is Oak wood for furniture?

Oakwood has such good reviews because its high tannin content is quite impressive. Keeping the wood stay away from insects, and seasonal bugs. Which makes the wood good not does only for indoor but outdoor uses.

This richness in tannin makes the wood stand out from other species. It not only makes the wood more durable but also resistant to pests. So this is one of the major advantages of buying Oak because as you must be aware if wood gets infested it’s quite hard to go through the entire process of getting rid of the infested wood.

So, it’s better to choose the wood that has lower chances of being attacked. 

However, this was just one of the many good qualities of Oakwood. The following characteristics of Oakwood should check all the boxes on your to-buy-wood list! 

1. Strength

The tensile strength of Oakwood is phenomenal! It has a density of 0.75 g/cm³ which is the main reason why it can withstand much weight. It is ideal for building furniture we use to put weight on, such as tabletops, chairs, beds, etc.

Oakwood is perhaps the best choice if you’re choosing the kind of furniture which will always be under a certain weight.

This high strength of Oakwood also accounts for its bulkiness.

So, if as a kid you ever wondered why most of the furniture at your grandparents’ house was so hard and bulky. Well here is your answer! Those were might be oak furniture.

2. Resistance to moisture

Keeping water off the wood is a common practice. But how far can one protect the wood?

Especially if it’s the dining table. But if you choose Oakwood you won’t have to worry much about this issue.

In fact, Oakwood is almost impervious to water which is why for most outdoor furniture oak wood is used. And due to this characteristic, in the olden days, Oakwood was used to make boats. 

3. Appearance

The grainy texture of Oakwood gives it a distinctive beauty.

This unique pattern of Oak makes it quite famous for making coffee tables and bookshelves. It gives the interior of your house an outstanding look.

If you’d love to give your house an elegant touch then you should go for white Oakwood because no one does the job better than it! 

4. Easy maintenance 

The initial cost of Oakwood is pretty high but it is all worth it because, in the long run, you don’t have to invest much for its maintenance. All you’ll need to do is just to clear the dust off the furniture. Nothing other than this is required for you to do! 

However, if you want your furniture to always have its elegant touch then you can moisturize it with oil at least once a month. This ensures that the Oakwood does not crack and maintains its superior look. 

How long does Oak wood last?

Have you ever wondered how the furniture dating back to colonial times is still surviving?

Well, this is because it was made of Oakwood! Furniture made out of Oak rarely needs to be replaced because of its strength and durability. However, longevity differs from type to type. 

For instance, white oak wood will last longer than redwood.

The environment has a great impact on the life span of oak wood furniture. So, before you finalize Oak make sure that you’re choosing it for the right kind of furniture.

How can you do that? Well, it’s easy to ask yourself these simple questions:

• Will my furniture be in contact with soil?

If you’re choosing wood for your gardening furniture. Then the decay and rotting factor must have worried you. There are no species of wood that do not decay.

However, Oakwood decays at a much slower rate in comparison to other woods. You should go for white Oakwood if the furniture you’re interested in the building will always be in contact with the ground. 

• Will my furniture be high above ground?

If this is the case then your furniture can last almost forever! Assuming that you take good care of it and keep it in a dry environment at all times. 

• Will my furniture be exposed to the outside environment?

If your furniture will be kept inside the house then it’s your call to decide whether you want to choose Oak or not.

Because all kinds of solid wood furniture can last for 10-15 years inside the house.

But if the furniture has to be kept in sunlight then Oak should be your final choice. This is because Oak, comparatively, does not fade as much as other woods. In fact, most of the time the user doesn’t even notice the color change as the discoloration is usually subtle.

Is Oak wood expensive to get? 

If you even have basic knowledge about wood you must be aware that Oakwood is one of the most expensive wood types.

And it’s rightfully this expensive! Oak has a very high initial investment but its elegance and longevity are worth the money.

Oakwood might be heavy on your wallet but it will save you from the misery of changing your furniture every two years. Perhaps the furniture you’ll buy today might even become generational furniture!

And this is not an exaggeration in fact most of the old furniture in your house must be of Oakwood. So, the decision is yours; money or high-quality furniture? 

What are the drawbacks of buying Oak wood? 

However, there are a few disadvantages of Oakwood furniture too. But luckily its advantages outweigh its drawbacks.

1. Stains

Oakwood furniture is notorious for staining. Due to its grainy texture, Oakwood can get stained pretty easily which ruins its appearance. Unless you take extreme care of your furniture and moisturize it regularly. 

2. Difficult to move

As mentioned earlier Oak wood furniture is bulky due to which it is difficult to shift it every now and then. However, if your furniture will stay in one place then this won’t be an issue for you.

3. Costly

Oakwood is perhaps one of the most expensive wood types. However, this is not a drawback if you change your way of thinking because the initial investment of Oakwood is high but then its other advantages repay the heavy costs. 

4. The finishing can get tampered with

This is common for Oakwood furniture because due to the high tannin content the polish gets affected. 

Keep in mind that even Oakwood has varieties. In fact, there are around 600 types of Oakwood but the most commonly used are Red Oak and White Oak which are equally as good. However, they have different applications!