Oak comes in both White Oak and Red Oak
Origin : Europe, America
Colors : White Oak ranges from nearly white to a darker gray brown heartwood, Red Oak ranges from nearly white cream color to a beautiful warm, pale brown heartwood, tinted with red. Generally oak is a brownish yellow that darkens with light if it is not properly protected.
Characteristics : While it is not the hardest of woods it is still a fairly dense and hard wood. It has great attributes for furniture making and for floors. The grain of this wood is fairly large, and open with straight lines that make it easy to cut. European oak is considered superior to American and a lot of oak used in the US is imported from Europe. The wood from the oak tree is durable, and extremely stable. It stains and finishes well.
There are well over 300 varieties of this wood, which accounts for the differences you often find in furniture.
Working with oak : It turns well, but is difficult to work by hand. It can sometimes splinter or chip when machined, a sander can be used without problems. Nails and screws might benefit from pre-drilling, use of glue is acceptable. It finishes well and can be stained, with filling pores or without.
Uses : Around the house oak can be used for outdoor furniture, indoor furniture, floors,and stairs, as well as any type of millwork and veneers.