Reports of red oak shortage exaggerated

Ff ECENT shortagcs and high Epriccs crcatcd by thc supply and demand curve have lbcused r.nore alten(ion on red oak.

One ol the in-vogue woods ol' thc moment, it was hard to gct because hardwood producers had not anticipated an abrupt turn in demand. Thcre were rumors of a shortage, but in reality the woods are l'ull ol'red oak ready to be cut.

Red oak, a Queruts species as is white oak, is a member ol' the best known and most widely used hardwood family in the United States. Its popularity dates back to the earliest days of civilization. In fact, the technical name Querc'us, meaning fine tree, comes from the language of the early Celts of England. Today red oak is popular for many uses including furniture, kitchen cabinets, flooring, millwork, woodwork, fixtures, cabinetry, novelties and pallets.

Of the 80 species of oak natural to the U.S., 12 are red oak including Southern red oak, cherrybark red oak, shumard oak, black oak, water oak, willow oak, laurel oak, pin oak, scarlet oak, red oak, blackjack oak and nuttal oak. These have certain botanical and technical characteristics which separate them from white oak and the live oak group.

The red oak tree is distinctive from the other oaks in that acorns take two years to mature and the leaf lobes are bristle-tipped. The bark is dark brown to black with deep vertical fissures.

When cut. the wood has a sour often unpleasant odor. In appearance the heartwood tends to be reddish with few tyloses in the vessels. Annual rings are usually broader than average resulting in a strong tcxturcd wood. Thc sunrrne'r wood has fcw porcs, but thcy can bc counted with a nragnil'ying glass.

Red oak ratcs good tcl cxccllcnt in all working qualitics. lt is considercd exccllent in planing, nail and screw holding ability and tendency to split when screwcd; good in shaping, resistance to splitting whcn nailed and gluing. The relative yield ol'smooth turnings is 84 with the bending percentagc of breakage at a low 14.

Red oak ranks at 1290 in hardness; 8025 in strength,3580 lbs.in weight per MBF at l29o moisture content lbr rough lumber and 2000 lbs. per thousand square f'eet fbr 25/32' x 2t/t" flooring.

The wood accepts all finishes well. The durability of oak is unsurpassed.

Story at a Glance

Oak llooring undcr normal conditions is said to or,rtlast thc Iil'c of any building in which it is installed. Thc strong character, warnrth and bcauty of oak rank as high as its tcchnical capabilit ies.

Oak reccives ravc notices from a cross section ol' consumers: furniture manufacturcrs, builders, homeowners and dccorators. Decorators, in particular, arc enthusiastic about its compatibility with strbng colors such as bright yellow, orange and red as well as the green blues and strong clear blues. It also is considered in decorative harnrony with silver, gold, copper, brass and other shiny metals.

Oak being cut today comes from young, vigorously growing trees since most of the old growth and overmature original oak stands were harvested long ago. Younger trees tend to provide lumber with wider growth rings and lirmer texture. The quality of oak available is usually excellent although buyers must become familiar with the mills and the type of lumber they produce to be sure of obtaining the best grade available.

Red oak production normally outstrips white oak production because there are more red oak trees available. They also grow faster. Although large amounts of oak are cut each year, the annual growth of oak saw timber is considered to exceed the cut. Improved cultural practices also are gradually raising the tree and log quality.

While there may be shortages at times when demand exceeds supply, there is no real shortage of red oak. Improved forecasts of demand can insure a continuous, adequate supply.

Dealers Survey Warehousing

Currently underway and through September, Champion International Corporation will be conducting annual fall dealer meetings at sales locations throughout the country.

Focal point of the meetings is a film titled "Warehouse Retailing: A Chompion Report, " moderated by NBC:TV newscaster, John Hambrick. The 35-minute film features the phenomenal growth of building materials warehouse marketing in which Hambrick elicits opinions on the warehousing concept from a cross-section of retailers, principals representing both large and small chains and independents.

Retailers participating in the film include: Frank Denny, Home Centers of America, Inc., San Antonio, Tx.; Paul Conley, O'Malley's Building Materials, Inc., Phoenix, Az.; Gene Cofer, Cofer Bros., Inc., Tucker, Ga.; Terry Ono, Home Lumber Co., Las Vegas, Nv.; and Bob Campbell, Hollis Lumber Co., Newnan, Ga.

Less Time for RR Claims

Adjustment of time limits for lodging freight overcharge claims is being sought by the National Industrial Tiansportation League.

Prior to deregulation a shipper had three years in which to file such claims. Now the time limit is set by the carrier with some allowing as little as nine months.

You Think You Have Problems?

The following figures may comfort those of you who think you have transportation problems.

Scotty's maintains a fleet of 150 enclosed van and flatbed trailers and about 40 semi tractors at Winter Haven. Fl., headquarters, in addition to 330 other trucks to serve stores and make deliveries.

During 1983 these trucks traveled over 3 million miles. The number is expected to hit 3.4 million miles in 1984. Tiucks made 12,200 trips between the warehouse and stores.

Each month 565 van trailers and 375 flatbeds leave the warehouse with merchandise and lumber and l0 railroad cars and 5fi) trucks are unloaded there.