American white oak Hardwood Flooring is a pale yellow-brown biscuit colour with a pinkish tint. Straight grained with a characteristic silver grain figure on quarter-sawn material. This comes from the timber’s broad rays which give white oak more figure than red oak. Northern (Appalachian) oak is slow growing producing light weight, mild wood generally considered superior to southern oak which is faster growing with a harder, coarser texture. US forests have a long-standing tradition of sustainable forest management, bolstered by a strong legal framework for environmental conservation.