Prunus serotina
(Left-Oil based / Right-Water based finish)
Appearance: Color: Heartwood is dark to reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Some manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
Grain: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. True quatersawn has distinctive flake pattern. Texture is satiny, with some gum pockets.
Availability: Limited
Properties:
Hardness: 950 janka Table, 26% softer than Northern red oak
Durability: Strong, moderately hard. Usually considered too soft for an entire floor-mostly used for accents and borders.
Workability:
Sawing: Good
Nailing: Good
Sanding: Satisfactorily
Finishing: No known problems