Effect of steaming treatment on resistance to footprints in Turkey oak wood for flooring

Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) wood has some technological limitations that reduce its market value despite its great potential. This study evaluated the effect of indirect steaming on the resistance to footprints of Turkey oak wood in order to assess its use as parquet. Steaming treatments were carried out on green wood at 120A degrees C and for 24 hours, while a drying process was carried out on all boards at 63A degrees C, 120 mm Hg of vacuum for 34 days. Good elastic restoration was observed for untreated wood, while for treated wood the resistance to footprints was higher in the radial than in the tangential direction. By contrast, a significant negative effect on the elastic recovery of the original dimensions was found which was higher in radial than in tangential direction, when a load was conducted on steamed wood.