Prized for its unique striped wood grain with gray and bluish-green hues or tan-brown creamy beiges, white oak veneers and planking are ideal for many contemporary design tastes. Premium grades of rift white oak veneer is often referred to as rift sawn white oak. Designers who choose red or white oak veneers can opt for rift or comb grain white oak cuts.
The characteristics of white oak tend to include a medium/course texture that boasts and alternating porous to tight grain.
Due to its unusual cell structure and an abundance of tylose within these cells, white oak is very strong, decay resistant, moisture resistant and extremely dense.
Depending on the species of wood being used, there are four potential cuts: flat cut, quarter cut, rotary cut or rift cut. Rift cut is more costly, but this American hardwood is the most popular choice for numerous indoor and outdoor building applications for a number of reasons.
Rift white oak veneer produces the strongest boards possible, are easy to work with, and offers the most consistent visual appearance with long, straight grain patterns.
This veneer has almost no defects, but standard grade rift cut patterns allow for occasional mineral streaks or pin knots.