Oak wood! Oak timber is a strong and hard wood with many uses, such as for furniture, floors, building frames, and veneers. The wood of a red oak Quercus cerris (the Turkey oak) has better mechanical properties than those of the white oaks. petraea and Q. robur; the heartwood and sapwood have similar mechanical properties.Of the North American red oaks, the northern red oak, Quercus rubra, is highly prized for lumber. The wood is resistant to insect and fungal attack.