Pros: A light colored wood giving a distinct appearances, with a soft creamy glow. Wears very well under normal foot traffic. Cons: Difficult to match unity in color of boards especially in lower grades, tending to increase amount of wood needed for job. Difficult to hide nail holes. Color: Heartwood is light tan to dark brown; sapwood is creamy white. Similar to white oak but more yellow. Grain: Bold, straight, moderately open grain with occasional wavy figuring, and can have strong contract in grain in plain-sawn boards. Availability: Moderately available Hardness: Slightly harder than Northern red oak. Durability: Elastic, hard, excellent shock resistance. Workability: Sawing: Good Nailing: Good holding; good resistance to splitting Sanding: Satisfactorily Finishing: Stains well, no known finishing problems.