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Rift sawn White Oak refers to flooring boards that are cut from White Oak timber in a way that produces very straight grain patterns and inherently stable planks. White Oak is a species of hardwood that is found throughout the eastern United States and that is commonly used for hardwood floors in residences and commercial settings. A rift sawn board is cut at a precise 90° angle from the outside edge of the timber, as shown in the graphic below. Because every board is cut on an angle that intersects the center of the tree, the grain patterns are very consistent with few rays or flecks in the boards. This contrasts with the most common cutting method, plainsawn, which cuts each timber like a loaf of bread and produces a wide variety of grain patterns
Wide plank White Oak hardwood flooring simply refers to White Oak floors that use boards which are available up to 14″ or 15″wide, rather than the much narrower commercial floorboards which tend to be 3″ or less in width. A wide plank rift sawn White Oak floor is made of wide planks of White Oak cut with the rift sawn technique and is usually available up to 6″ or 7″ wide
Whether you want a look that’s sleek, chic, or unique, we can provide a floor that fits your individual style.
White Oak floors are inherently stable and durable, thanks to the hardness of the White Oak species. Using rift sawn White Oak timber only adds to the stability of unfinished white oak flooring, in addition to creating a floor with a highly distinctive look that features very straight and even grain patterns. Customers tend to choose rift sawn White Oak when they want a floor that has exceptional elegance and beauty, and one that will serve as a stunning feature of their interior design.
At Carlisle, our engineered White Oak wood flooring and prefinished White Oak flooring can be ordered with rift sawn timber but reclaimed Oak flooring cannot. Reclaimed timber is salvaged from older buildings like houses, factories, barns and warehouses where the timber was not originally cut with the rift sawn technique.
White Oak is a porous species and takes almost any color of stain easily, and rift sawn White Oak is no exception.
Rift sawn White Oak boards take longer to cut and use less of the tree, so they tend to be more expensive. Quartersawn boards are somewhat less costly, as the cutting technique is less involved and more of the wood is used. Plainsawn boards are the least expensive.
Rift sawn White Oak floors are among the most durable type of hardwood floor, thanks to the stability provided by the rift sawn cutting technique.
Rift sawn White Oak boards will have a very even look in the grain you won’t see any of the swirls, rays, flecks or cathedral grain patterns that are produced by the more common plainsawn cutting technique.
Rift sawn White Oak is cut with a very precise technique in which every board is cut on the radius of the timber. While this produces a significant amount of waste in the cutting process, it also produces boards where the grain pattern is extremely tight and consistent and where the stability of each plank is greatest.
Customization starts with choosing the width of your boards, and whether you want consistent widths or a mix of widths which may create additional visual interest. Choosing a stain color is one of the easiest ways to customize your floor. Unlike many flooring companies with a limited selection of colors, Carlisle offers a virtually unlimited assortment of color possibilities when it comes to stains. Finally, choosing a pattern for installation of your rift sawn White Oak boards can add elegance and dramatic beauty to your floor. From Herringbone and Chevron patterns to Versailles or custom parquet patterns, your Carlisle design consultant can help you choose the right look for your space.
Carlisle has been among the world leaders in wide plank flooring for more than half a century. The reason for our success: the extraordinary quality of our floors and the remarkable responsiveness of our customer service. Each Carlisle wide plank floor is truly a masterpiece in wood. Our artisans painstakingly handcraft each floor, ensuring that every detail is perfect and that every floor meets our exacting standards and our customers specifications. Our craftsmen are deeply invested in choosing the right plank for every piece of your floor and allowing the grain patterns and color variations to emerge as design features. Our customer service is just as legendary as our floors. From your first conversation with our design team to delivery and installation, we walk with you every step of the journey to make sure that your customer experience is truly delightful and pleasurable, and that your Carlisle floor exceeds your expectations.
