Red oak ok for table top?

GA_Dawgs

I am going to build a table for my egg and I have some red oak from a family friend who has a lumber mill. Would red oak work for the table top and hold up well to the outdoors? I am planning on another type of lumber for the frame since I only have 1x8" red oak. Thanks for the help!

brianwdmn

It depends greatly on how you finish it and where it will live when it complete. Your two enemies are sun and water. With the proper sealer/finish, oak will hold up quite well and look beautiful in the process. Being a hard wood it is more prone to drying out if left unprotected compared to coniferous varieties and their natural resins.

HebearMcGhee

Red Oak is normally a poor choice for outdoor furniture due to its open grain and poor rot resistance. You can probably get away with using grain filler before sealing with spar urethane, but unfortunately it isn't going to last in the long run. Sorry.
I don't know if it's an option, but White Oak works beautifully outdoors—assuming you have heartwood and not sapwood. The cells of the heartwood are sealed with natural growths called tyloses, which form to protect the tree from drought or rot, however they're lacking from the outer sapwood. Regardless, a high-quality finish specifically for outdoor applications is required.
Hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing photos of your table when you're finished! 

Hungry Joe

Red Oak is normally a poor choice for outdoor furniture due to its open grain and poor rot resistance. You can probably get away with using grain filler before sealing with spar urethane, but unfortunately it isn't going to last in the long run. Sorry.
I don't know if it's an option, but White Oak works beautifully outdoors—assuming you have heartwood and not sapwood. The cells of the heartwood are sealed with natural growths called tyloses, which form to protect the tree from drought or rot, however they're lacking from the outer sapwood. Regardless, a high-quality finish specifically for outdoor applications is required.
Hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing photos of your table when you're finished! 

+1

ribnrun

Not a wood expert by any means. Naked Whiz used red oak on his table. It looks beautiful. Would be interested in his take on how it lasts. My table is redwood. 5 years old and still looks good, but I keep it covered.