Rift & Quartered Hardwood

White Oak & Red Oak

We mill rift and quartered White Oak and Red Oak — hardwood built for stability as much as beauty. Explore our process, our species, and what's currently in stock.

EXPLORE OUR LUMBER YARD
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The Science of the Cut

Rift and quarter-sawing are ultra-precise milling techniques that yield timber with growth rings running perpendicular to the board's surface. By orienting the grain at a consistent 60 to 90-degree angle, the wood experiences maximum dimensional stability, drastically reducing structural warping, twisting, or cupping over generations of use. Furthermore, this demanding cutting method exposes the tree's internal medullary rays. The result is the highly coveted, shimmering 'ray fleck' pattern—an organic visual signature prized by master craftsmen and architects worldwide for its unparalleled beauty.

Learn More About Our Process

Lumber

We mill rift and quartered White Oak and Red Oak — hardwood built for stability as much as beauty. Explore our process, our species, and what’s currently in stock.

Log ends stacked in the Portsmouth Lumber Company yard

The Rift & Quartered Process

Most lumber is plain-sawn — cut straight through the log for maximum yield. We cut differently.

Quartered boards are sawn so the growth rings run 60–90° to the face of the board, producing the most pronounced figure a board can show — the dramatic ray fleck that quartersawn White Oak is known for.

Rift boards are sawn so the growth rings run 30–60° to the face, producing a straighter, more uniform grain with less figure.

Both cuts share the same advantage over plain-sawn lumber: dimensional stability. Because the growth rings run vertically through the board rather than flat, rift and quartered lumber expands and contracts evenly, resisting the cupping and warping that plain-sawn boards are prone to. That’s why architects, flooring manufacturers, and furniture makers who need lumber to hold its shape over decades — not just years — specify rift and quartered hardwood.

Close-up of quartered grain running through a board face

Species

White Oak
Our signature species. Tight-grained and durable, with the dramatic ray fleck rift and quartered White Oak is known for. Used in flooring, architectural millwork, and cabinetry.

Red Oak
A dependable workhorse hardwood with a warmer tone than White Oak. A go-to for flooring, furniture, and millwork.

Close-up of hardwood grain and figure

Current Inventory / Stock List

Below is what’s currently in stock, by species, grade, and dimension. Inventory turns over regularly — call or email if you don’t see what you need.

Stickered stacks of milled hardwood lumber

Rift Lumber Specifications

ThicknessS2S 15/16" ± tolerance
Widths4" | 5" | 6" | 7" | 8" | RW
Lengths8’–16′. We run heavy 9’–10′ up to 16′.
Moisture Content6%–8% KD
Grain PatternOne face: Rift (30°–60°). Straight grain 75%. Vertical fleck 1 to 7 o’clock & 11 to 5 o’clock (fleck width ≤ 1/8"). No dominant plain-sawn cathedral on face. Sap wood ≤ 1".
YieldSelected for high one-face rift recovery. Designed to exceed typical FAS yield in usable rift face. Light natural variation allowed.

Inventory turns over regularly. Call or email our sales team for a current stock list: Josh Lucas, Lumber Sales — info@portsmouthlc.com · 865.310.2723