If you have been reading along, I expect you will be able to go down to the local hardwood flooring store and show off your knowledge and share with anyone who will listen about the differences between Red Oak and White Oak. Before you do, though, you may want to look at these just to make sure. These samples were taken right off of the mill floor during specific specie production runs and include one piece of Red Oak and one piece of White Oak. All of these photos are of the same two pieces of wood. The only difference between each photo is the lighting they were under when the pics were taken. See how well you do!
Ambient light on a sunny day Under Fluorescent Light
Under LED Lighting Ambient on an overcast day
Ambient with a light shadow Ambient with medium shadow
Ambient with heavy shadow
Answer: Red Oak is on the left, White Oak is on the right in every photo. Congratulations if you were able to distinguish the difference in each and every one. The true purpose of showing this was not only to show that Red Oak and White Oak are sometimes even difficult for the most trained and experienced inspectors, but also to help you understand that lighting available in the room the flooring is going into makes a difference when making your selection. Add stain and topcoat, and it changes again. No matter what specie of hardwood flooring you decide to go with, color, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and a light switch. When you go to the flooring store, ask for samples so you can take them home and evaluate it under different lighting conditions before you make your final decision. More times than not, the showroom floor is very well lit, highlighting all of the natural nuances of the products they have to offer. It may not, however, look the same when you get it home. Do not expect to hold the installer accountable for how the color turned out if you approved of it before it was completed. Take a look at it in the daytime, at night, rainy days and sunny days before you make the final decision because we all know that not every day is a sunshiny day, and certified installers cannot change the weather - yet.
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