Is Siberian Oak a bad idea?

12 years ago

I am considering purchasing the Provenza Old World Fossil Stone flooring for a cabin I am building in the mountains. I read that Siberian Oak is inferior to European Oak. Does that mean it's not as strong? I love the color of Fossil Stone. Has anyone had any bad or good experiences that they can share?
Thanks

Featured Answer

sid8

12 years ago

"Siberian Oak is inferior to European Oak" - This statement needs to be more specific. There two main differences:
1. European oak has a much higher tannin content than Siberian oak, so when you fume it with amonia or treat it with lye it will turn much darker than Siberian oak. With the same amonia or lye treatment Siberian oak will come out more grayish and European oak more Chocolatety tan. For the fossil stone colour, Siberian oak may be the only option because of this. If you use Siberian oak barrel to make wine you should put some European oak shavings in the barrel for its tannin, but this is off topic now.
2. European oak tends to have more knots and wilder looking grain which are great for rustic and antique look. So which one is better really depends on what visual effect you are looking for.
I think the difference in hardness is neglegible.

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Comments (12)

hayleydaniels
12 years ago
Google 'wood hardness scale, siberian oak' and you should find charts showing the relative hardness of various types of wood.
123cabin
Original Author
12 years ago
I looked it up but the Janka hardness scale gives a value for "white oak" and does not differentiate between European or Siberian.
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PRO
Oak & Broad
12 years ago
American White Oak can be finished any way you like and there wont be questions lingering in the back of your mind.
123cabin
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you. Very helpful information.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
12 years ago
Siberian Oak is one of the species that has a spotted history. The russian logging industry is a shambles with illegal harvesting going on left, right and centre. This is the main draw back of Siberian Oak = questionable logging with plenty of illegal sources.

The flooring you are looking at is an engineered hardwood that means the "hardness" or Janka scale rating of Siberian oak will have NOTHING to do with your flooring. Your floor is 5/8" (snick more than half inch). I'm unable to dig up the number of layers in the floor and I cannot find out how the plank is constructed (do they use pine or birch as the middle layers?) which is not normally a good sign.
sid8
12 years ago
Illegal logging is just as bad in Romania and Ukrain where a lot of the European oak is from. A lot of the flooring products labeled "European oak" or "French oak" are in fact made with oak from Eastern Europe. FSC logo doesn't mean a thing.
sid8
12 years ago
I have been to a sawmill in France, and I must say that they manage their forest very well there. I was very impressed.
123cabin
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you!
jhan13
11 years ago
@123cabin Did you end up using this product? If so, do you have any concerns/issues with it? I am considering putting it in my house.
PRO
A to Z wood Flooring LLC
10 years ago
Siberian Oak, European Oak...slicing hairs to describe the actual wood itself. Truth of the matter is that "European Oak" will likely include generic white oak from several area's in Europe, including Siberia, Poland, and many of the "Stan" countries. This is one of the reasons why you see so much variance from plank to plank, carton to carton and shipment to shipment. Many companies will fume the wood in order to allow for the variance that I just stated, which then allows for a wider range of light and dark colors in the overall color, such as grey, warm brown etc., that you see on the sample board. Now, as for French Oak, that's an entirely different wood species. Authentic French Oak must meet very stringent criteria in order to truly be certified French Oak. The simplest of these is that it must be from France. French Oak is denser and cleaner than domestic or European oak. And the tannin levels are completely different from other oaks, which in turn is why it's rarely fumed. True French Oak is harvested only from forests where the trees are verifiable to be 80 to 120 years old. The bottom 4 meters of the tree is set aside and used to produce wine barrels, with the balance being used for furniture and flooring. No way to get around that, as it's part of the forestry management requirement in France. You can thank King Louie the 14th for that. Don't be confused by products with fancy french names and advertising materials showing castles and the Eiffel tower. only to find out you're buying euro oak.
bridget helm
5 years ago
i know this is an old thread. I came upon it while googling “threshold provenza Siberian oak” because we just finished a bathroom renovation and need a threshold. in 2014 put down provenza heirloom Liverpool Siberian oak throughout the entire house exceot the wet area and it’s absolutely beautiful. I haven’t had any problems with it. We get compliments on it a lot. Back in 2014 this color and “look” was hard to find at this price point. I’m seeing a lot of it now even in the big box stores so it may be easier to find now. but in 2014 after searching high and low this was the only floor with this look that was in the budget for us since we did the entire house in it. anyway, it’s very pretty and it’s been quite durable. We have 5 kids...