Color: Pink, red or red/brown with purple streaks or veins; changes from pinkish rose when freshly milled to burgundy red when aged.

Grain: Fine; straight or interlocked, can be highly figured.

Species & Grade Variations: Quartered exhibits flame figure; flatsawn has rosewood graining.

Hardness (Janka): 2690 (109% harder than Northern red oak).

Dimensional Stability: Average (8.4; 2% more stable than Northern red oak).

Sawing/Machining: Saws and planes well.

Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed.

Suggested Sequence:

• First Cut: 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain
• Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain
• Third Cut: 100
• Hard Plate: 100
• First Screen: 80
• Second Screen: 100 or 120

Nailing: Tends to split tongues. Pre-drilling and hand-nailing may be preferred.

Finishing: Test all products before using them on the actual floor. Oil-modified finished will require a lengthy dry time. (See finishing comments on page 6.)

Comments: Dust has been known to cause contact dermatitis.