Summary
• Large volumes of US hardwood lumber are exported for flooring production.
• Creative oak finishes such as limed, smoked and burnt have been developed.
• There is increasing demand for higher grades of oak.
• Architects have said they would be willing to specify red oak.
Trendsetters and style gurus are always looking for the next big thing. And, if recent interest at Domotex, Europe’s leading trade show for commercial floor coverings, is anything to go by, 2008 might just be the year for American red oak. North America’s most prolific hardwood species, and currently the subject of a specially focused promotional campaign by The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), red oak is beginning to grow in popularity as a floor covering, despite the fact that many manufacturers are still nervous that the market will accept a new looking oak.
However, said David Venables, AHEC’s European director, there is growing evidence that consumers and architects do like the look of red oak and the fact that, once a finish is applied, it can be hard to differentiate from white oak. He believes it may only be a matter of time before red oak is much more widely used.
For the Domotex show AHEC joined forces with the US’s National Wood Flooring Association under the banner “American flooring solutions”. Eight US companies took part in a generic display to promote US hardwood species such as red oak, with images of prestigious architectural flooring applications.
“We were especially pleased to get so much interest in red oak,” said Mr Venables. “It may not be widely used at the moment, but many manufacturers know this species and, with current pressure on white oak supplies, they will find it hard to ignore.
“In today’s fiercely competitive and global market place flooring manufacturers need an edge and here is an oak that is very affordable, widely available and ideal for all styles of oak production,” Mr Venables told TTJ.
Although exports of finished US hardwood flooring remain relatively small, American hardwood lumber destined for flooring production is exported in large volumes worldwide.
Many US hardwood exporters provide rough sawn cut to width blanks for engineered flooring production or selected wide boards for plank flooring. For production of species such as walnut, cherry, hard maple, red birch and hickory, America plays a key supplying role because of the commercial availability and sustainable production of these species in the US hardwood forests.
The last few years have seen an extremely strong demand and fashion for oak flooring, especially in the UK and Europe. New trends have emerged for rustic character oak flooring and manufacturers have also developed many new creative oak finishes, such as limed, smoked, burnt and dark stained.
During this time it is fair to say there has been increasing consumption of European oak as new supplies have opened up in central and eastern Europe, providing competitive sources of lower grade lumber and short strips. However, Mr Venables believes there are now signs that manufacturers are turning their attention back to the American oaks for a number of reasons.
Chief among these is its availability in a widespread of grades, lengths and widths at a time when the European oak resource is increasingly under pressure from Asian as well as European manufacturers.
Meanwhile, the very strong euro and relatively weak US dollar are helping to ensure American oak lumber is competitively priced in European export markets.
Also, some hardwood flooring manufacturers are seeing increased demand for the clearer, cleaner oak look that was very fashionable a few years ago. While the rustic and stained look is unlikely to drop out of fashion, sales of higher grade oak flooring is expected to pick up during 2008.
“Many architects still prefer the lighter, cleaner look and American white oak lumber can provide this consistent high quality at competitive cost,” added Mr Venables.
And what of red oak? “Obviously the big challenge is market acceptance and in today’s tough market conditions no-one wants to take unnecessary risks, but we believe it will work.”
This confidence comes partly from the fact that AHEC has interviewed thousands of architects in Europe in the last few years and the vast majority have said they liked the look of red oak and would be willing to specify it. But will consumers embrace it in the same way? “I believe they will, if the products are presented and marketed in the right way,” said Mr Venables. “Perhaps 2008 will be the year red oak finally takes off.”
