White Oak or Red Oak? Way to easily differentiate?

[Bushfire]

I got a great score of oak on Friday afternoon, but I'm unsure if it's white or red. Looks like red, but didn't split as easy as red oak I've split in the past. Is there a quick way to differentiate between the two? It did have a red center, but again it didn't split as easy as i remember (maybe I'm just getting older?). Unfortunately, it was dead standing (no leaves, and not much bark).

The picture is the best I've got at the moment. I'll try and remember to grab some pictures of the splits tomorrow (split and stacked a lot of it today).

Thanks.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Red is more reddish color in the grain like it's name, and has a bit smoother bark. White has a more "flakier" bark, you can pick pieces off of it.

I'm sure others will post some more ways to tell them apart, but those seem to work for me!

 

[Paulywalnut]

What PA Woodsman said and also the leaves If you happened to see branches with leaves. Red, pointed edges, white, rounded edges.

 

[Bushfire]

The tree must have been dead a while - very little bark and no leaves anywhere in sight. Having looked at some bark images online, I'm leaning toward white oak. What bark there is left is not as grooved as much as what I'm seeing on red oak pictures.

 

[mtarbert]

To find out if it is Red Oak......Take a 12 inch long X three inch wide piece and put one end in an inch (or so) of water. Blow in the dry end....if it is Red Oak there will be tiny bubbles of air come out .....

 

[johneh]

To find out if it is Red Oak......Take a 12 inch long X three inch wide piece and put one end in an inch (or so) of water. Blow in the dry end....if it is Red Oak there will be tiny bubbles of air come out .....

And that is why a "GOOD " cabinet maker or finisher uses a grain filler on red oak

 

[claydogg84]

Red Oak.

 

[tiswood]

Yes, red oak

 

[Ashful]

And that is why a "GOOD " cabinet maker or finisher uses a grain filler on red oak

Also why traditional exterior woodwork is usually white oak, at least in the northeast. If you live in an otherwise well-built 18th century home, and the windowsills are anything other than white oak, there's your cue that they were probably rebuilt at some later time.

 

[Woody Stover]

White Oak splits will sometimes have a reddish hue. Hard to tell with the bark show in the first pic. White bark will be scalier the further up the tree you get and it is usually "whiter" than Red Oak bark.

 

[woodsHAM]

Looks like red oak to me, might not be the "true red oak " that youre used to. Looks like pin or scarlet oak which is still "red oak" just a different variety that tend to split tougher due to the having more limbs

 

[Bushfire]

Looks like red oak to me, might not be the "true red oak " that youre used to. Looks like pin or scarlet oak which is still "red oak" just a different variety that tend to split tougher due to the having more limbs

Definitely not pin, but I could buy into Scarlet Oak. I'll take any oak if it's free and already cut to length