Oak vs pine
Oak is much harder than either pine, but southern pine is nearly as heavy as red oak and, in the Handbook’s tests, a little stiffer. Eastern white pine is the light, soft one.
- Northern red oak is about 48% harder than longleaf pine.
- Northern red oak is about 7% heavier than longleaf pine.
- Northern red oak has about 23% more movement across a flatsawn board than longleaf pine.
- Northern red oak is about 239% harder than eastern white pine.
- Northern red oak is about 80% heavier than eastern white pine.
- Northern red oak has about 43% more movement across a flatsawn board than eastern white pine.
Each column is the species its page leads with: northern red oak for red oak, longleaf pine for southern yellow pine.
Side by side
| Property | Red oak | Southern yellow pine | Eastern white pine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janka hardness, 12% MC | 1,290 lbf | 870 lbf | 380 lbf |
| Weight, 12% MC | 44.1 lb/ft³ (706 kg/m³) | 41.3 lb/ft³ (661 kg/m³) | 24.5 lb/ft³ (392 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity, 12% MC | 0.63 | 0.59 | 0.35 |
| Tangential shrinkage | 8.6% | 7.5% | 6.1% |
| Radial shrinkage | 4.0% | 5.1% | 2.1% |
| 12 in flatsawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.219 in | 0.179 in | 0.153 in |
| 12 in quartersawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.099 in | 0.099 in | 0.051 in |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 14,300 psi | 14,500 psi | 8,600 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.82 million psi | 1.98 million psi | 1.24 million psi |
| Crushing strength, 12% MC | 6,760 psi | 8,470 psi | 4,800 psi |
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the authority for species properties it measured
Wood Handbook Tables 5-3b, 4-3 and 13-5; weight and movement worked with its Eqs. 4-14 and 13-3. A dash means the Handbook prints no value.
What sets them apart
- Stiffness
- Table 5-3b gives longleaf pine a modulus of elasticity of 1.98 million psi at 12% moisture, against 1.82 million for northern red oak, so a southern pine beam bends a little less under the same load. (Wood Handbook, p. 5-9 to 5-13)
- Hardness and weight
- Red oak is heavy. Longleaf and slash pine are heavy, strong, stiff and hard; eastern white pine is lightweight and moderately soft. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-9 to 2-15)
- Stability
- Red oak has fairly high shrinkage on drying. The southern pines have moderately high shrinkage but are stable when properly dried; eastern white pine has low shrinkage and ranks high in stability. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-9 to 2-15)
- Uses
- Red oak goes into flooring, furniture and millwork. Southern pine goes into framing, plywood and treated lumber; eastern white pine into patterns, sashes, doors, furniture and paneling. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-9 to 2-15)
For any other pair, open each species page from the wood hub; every page uses the same layout and the same sources.