Comments from September 25, 2026.

Flooring industry contacts have not used “hot” as an adjective to describe demand and sales the last few years, because increases from low levels of activity don’t warrant that term. In those cases, descriptions tend to be “up slightly,” or “not as slow.” Using the word “hot” in such a circumstance may reflect a sudden upturn in market conditions. If you’ve been through several weeks of ten-below-zero temperatures and suddenly it’s 15 degrees, it feels like a heatwave even though it’s still below the 32-degree Fahrenheit threshold for freezing water.

Along those lines, the residential Oak flooring market has been on an upswing since mid-July. Finished goods items are backordered by 100,000 ft2 or more at certain manufacturing operations that report backlogs by volume, and by two to three weeks at others that report backlogs by timeframe.

Demand for Sel&Btr and No. 1Com Red Oak flooring has been stronger in the second half of the year than the first, while activity for No. 2Com Red Oak has picked up more recently for some. Activity for No. 1Com and No. 2Com White Oak flooring has improved as well, warranting the “hot” description over the last month from certain industry contacts.

Some sellers say 2¼” and 3¼” Sel&Btr White Oak flooring are the only items that aren’t oversold. Price discounting is often required to ship Sel&Btr White Oak to distributors. Overall, however, producers are feeling better about Sel&Btr White Oak inventories, including one who said his inventories have been halved since June. Sales of these items are not hot, but neither are they ice cold.

In recent years, the strong consumer preference for White Oak flooring, combined with limited production due to heavy competition for every part of the log, resulted in sharply higher White Oak flooring prices. Since then, price differences between the two Oaks have narrowed, with Sel&Btr White Oak trending lower and Red Oak trending higher. The spread between Appalachian 2¼” Sel&Btr White Oak and Red Oak prices is currently $0.55. One year ago this week, the spread was $1.10. Consumers still like the light, clean look and linear grain pattern of White Oak flooring, but the species is no longer “hot,” and, unlike the past few years, flooring-grade White Oak lumber is now readily available.