Have you ever wondered why Oak wood is used for so many Amish furniture pieces?
At Oak Creek Furniture, our Amish builders use American hardwoods to build furniture that lasts for decades because it offers the perfect blend of durability, longevity, and versatility. In this blog we will dive into why Oak is one of the most common American hardwoods used by Amish craftsman and explore the different factors that make Oak wood a high-performance wood.
Oak is Durable
Oak wood has three characteristics that make it stand out among other woods: Hardness, longevity, and how it responds to moisture.
Let’s break down how Amish builders achieve these three things well when they are building new oak furniture pieces.
Hardness
The hardness of wood is measured by the Janka rating. The Janka rating is measured by pressing a small steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. The amount of force it takes to press the ball into the wood determines the hardness of the wood.
Hickory is the hardest wood, and cherry is the softest wood. Oak falls in between these two woods.
Oak has a Janka rating of 1,390 and is considered very tough and dense for multiple reasons.
- Oak trees grow slowly, leading to a dense compact cellular structure.
- Wood cells have thick walls which makes it harder and stronger.
- Oak trees contain tyloses which plug pores and makes the wood denser and harder.
It has been widely used by families as a building material for centuries because of its durability and ability to resist dents and wear.
Longevity
While Oak wood can naturally last for decades because of strength and durability, there are a few important outside factors that keep pieces look new and fresh. These factors are:
Quality of Construction
Oak furniture made with poor techniques and lower-quality materials will not last as long as oak furniture that is made with well techniques and high-quality materials.
Joinery is a woodworking technique used by Amish builders to prolong longevity and improve quality of oak wood, and later we will talk about why they use joinery when working with oak wood.
Maintenance
Cleaning and polishing your furniture with gentle cleansers keeps the finish from wearing quickly. Occasionally, buffing a wax polish onto Oak furniture can preserve the wood allowing it to age naturally.
Repairability
Oak wood responds well to sanding or refinishing, extending its life even further and giving it a new refined appearance.
Oak wood is designed to last for decades, and if you commit to taking care of it well it becomes a generational piece.
How Oak Responds to Moisture
Oak wood can be finished or unfinished. All oak wood expands when the humidity is high and shrinks when it is low, but the finishing affects the speed of the change.
Finished Oak:
Finished Oak has protective sealant that acts like a barrier between the moisture and the wood. This gives the wood more time to acclimate to the humidity and reduces the risk of dramatic movement or change.
Unfinished Oak:
Unfinished Oak does not have a protective sealant unlike finished oak, and because of this the wood will absorb moisture quickly and increase the risk of faster and dramatic movement.
Now, let’s move onto other factors that make Oak a beloved wood among Amish builders.
Oak has a Unique Grain and Color
The grain and color of Oak wood is greatly affected by what stain or paint you are using. In the past, Oak was mostly stained but in more recent years it has become common to paint Oak. Whether you choose paint or stain will depend on what style you are trying to achieve.
Stain: Traditional, Lighter coverage, Visible Grains
Stain highlights oak wood’s natural beauty and texture, and although certain stains embody traditional styles, there are stains that are relevant to trending styles. There are multiple reasons why staining oak wood is a great option.
- Stain responds well because of the large pores making absorption easy and maintaining stain well.
- Stain looks different on all types of wood due to the underlying hue, and you must understand the natural color of the wood to know the outcome.
If you have a piece of Oak and you are not loving the stain, it is extremely easy to change. You can sand down your wood and restain it to the color desired. This makes staining very versatile.
Paint: Modern, Full Coverage, Subtle Grain
People paint Oak as a way of giving their piece a sleek modern appearance, but painting also adds protection against any damage.
Painting oak gives it a subtle textured grain or a completely smooth look and refreshes an old oak piece.
Painting oak wood can provide protection and can hide imperfections of older oak wood. It acts like a sealant, making it harder to dent or damage the wood and covers up the mistakes you are not wanting to see.
Painting is a great option if you want to totally transform the look of your oak wood.
Oak Is Accessible in American Forests
Oak wood is very abundant in America, due to its regeneration. It is found all over the United States because it grows in various climates and soils. The two main kinds of oak found in America are Red and White Oak.
Where is Oak Harvested?
White and Red oak are found all over America, but the area where these are commonly harvested depends on the type of oak.
White oak: harvested all over the United States but mostly in east and central North America.
Red oak: harvested in the Eastern U.S. and a few southern states.
In America we are truly fortunate to have such an abundance of oak, and it contributes greatly to the American economy.
Overall Availability
The availability of oak depends on the kind. White oak has less availability than red oak has and this is affected by a few varied factors.
White Oak:
There is a lower inventory of white oak due to a few reasons.
- Increasing demand
- Lack of regeneration
The lack of regeneration is due to land management and climate change.
These factors have made the price of white oak increase.
Red Oak:
In America there is an abundance of red oak due to a few several reasons:
- Not as high demand
- Red oak trees grow very fast.
This makes red oak very available in the U.S. while also making it more budget friendly.
Oak is Versatile for Many Styles and Building Techniques
Because of the grain, color, accessibility, and durability, Oak can be used for many assorted styles and can be built using many different building techniques.
This wood is used for traditional styles while also being used for modern styles. These styles can be changed with different cosmetic changes.
There are many types of building techniques used with oak wood, but the one we will cover is dovetail joinery. Oak wood is used for dovetail joinery because of its durability, and resistance to damage.
How One Wood Can Be Used For Any Style
Amish oak furniture has been used in the past to display traditional styles, but in the last few years oak has also become a wood that is used to make many modern furniture pieces.
Oak is a great wood to make modern pieces for a few distinct reasons:
- Strong and durable making it difficult to dent or damage.
- Versatile and can be restored with just a different stain, or paint color.
- Aesthetically appealing and has been a staple in all different places and times.
- Practical, it can be cleaned easily and is not difficult to take care of.
- Located in every room of your house and has a great function in each one.
All of the reasons contribute to the movement of turning old traditional oak pieces into modern oak pieces to fit the time and trending style.
How Joinery Is Perfect for Oak Furniture
Amish builders have used dovetail joinery for decades to connect pieces of wood to form larger, more complicated structures without using nails, screws, or bolts. It is a necessary part of woodworking providing strength and stability for the final product.
Dovetail joinery involves interlocking wedge-shaped projections and corresponding recesses.
This creates a mechanical bond so strong that it does not need glue. It is known for the strength and visual appeal of dovetail joints and are a staple in traditional and modern furniture.
This method is used for two main reasons. The first one mentioned above, us to avoid using any visible hardware which gives it a sleek clean appearance. The second reason is to provide smoothness when using the product.
Dovetail joinery is used majority to build drawers, and eliminating the hardware makes it smoother and easier to use when installed in a cabinet or dresser.
Oak wood is a popular choice for dovetail joinery because of its strength, durability, and resistance to damage.
This is Why We Sell Oak Furniture
Oak Creek Furniture is our family-owned business based in Texarkana, Texas, and our Amish builders craft oak masterpieces in Ohio and Indiana. As a family owned business our goal is to provide you with the best furniture to fit your families needs and last you generations.
That’s why we offer pieces that are practical and will fit your needs for every season of life with a growing family.
This wood has been used for decades to make generational pieces, and it is continually used to build furniture that will hold a lifetime of use, even has styles and trends change. When made by Amish hands it becomes more than wood, it becomes part of your family’s story.
Discover the enduring beauty of oak. Explore our handcrafted collections and find the piece that will grow with your family for generations to come!