Common Trade Name: Ash, American Ash, Biltmore Ash, Biltmore White Ash, Fresno, White Ash
Scientific Name: Fraxinus Americana
Color Range: Light-colored cream or white-gold sapwood with a pronounced grain. Heartwood is grayish to light brown. Grains are interlocked and coarse.
Availability: Readily obtainable
Janka Scale Hardness: 1,320 lbf (5,900 N)
Average Weight per BF: 3.6 lbs/bdft
What Is Ash Lumber?
Ash is a widely available hardwood, popular for many woodworking projects. It has decent strength and plausible shock resistance. It is relatively dense and has a specific gravity of 0.67 when kiln-dried. With a high Janka rating of 1,320 pounds-force, ash wood is considered incredibly strong and durable.
As a hardwood, ash lumber is also resistant to dents and scratches. It has an elastic capacity suitable for steam bending. Thus, it is popular for many sports equipment, musical equipment, kitchenware, and tool handles. Authentic baseball bats with a creamy brown color are highly likely to be made of ash.
Where Is Ash Sourced From?
Fraxinus Americana is native to North America, throughout the east coast, and some parts of Canada. Aside from its hardwood lumber, white ash also plays a vital role in the ecosystem. It is home to frogs and beetles that feed on its bark and leaves as their primary food source due to its lack of tannins.
There are other species of ash in the USA, such as the native black ash, green ash, and blue ash. These species are threatened by the widespread emerald ash borer beetle infestations that caused diebacks of ash in the American forest. White ash was not as affected as the other species because of its seemingly natural tolerance to the pathogen.
What to Look for When Buying Ash
Ash lumber can be difficult to distinguish as their features resemble oak. It can also pass as sassafras, although sassafras is identifiable by its strong and distinct scent. Visual indicators are often overlooked, and only reputable sellers can discern the differences. When buying ash lumber, consider the right grade or dimension for your project. You should also choose a wood that is not damp or in contact with soil, as these stocks can rot easily.
Pros and Cons of Ash Lumber
Ash lumber can be difficult to distinguish as their features resemble oak. It can also pass as sassafras, although sassafras is identifiable by its strong and distinct scent. Visual indicators are often overlooked, and only reputable sellers can discern the differences. When buying ash lumber, consider the right grade or dimension for your project. You should also choose a wood that is not damp or in contact with soil, as these stocks can rot easily.
Pros and Cons of Ash Lumber
Ash is an economically significant lumber, given its strength and durability. The wood is pliable, which suits carvings and many custom millwork. Its subtle color is ideal as wood paneling for walls and wood accent walls.
Pros
- Good strength and toughness
- Stiff, hard, and dense
- Good bending property
- Beautiful appearance
- Excellent workability
- Glues, stains, and finishes well
Cons
- Not very rot-resistant
- Susceptible to infestation
- Moderate blunting effect
FAQs
Is ash lumber expensive?
Ash is among the least expensive and readily available domestic lumber sold by many dealers.
Is ash harder than oak?
Always compared with each other, ash is considered slightly stronger than oak, given its Janka scale rating of 1,320 lbf. Northern oak has a scale rating of 1,290 lbf.
What are the best uses of ash lumber?
Ash can be made into various elements, like floating stair treads, box beams, commercial shelving, and other custom woodwork.
How do you identify ash from oak?
Ash often has subtler hues than oak in creamy to light brown compared to oak’s medium brown. It makes ash lumber an excellent option for rooms and projects with neutral and lighter hues.
Where to Buy Ash
With the infestation situation hounding the American forests, buying ash lumber can be debatable. The best way of finding authentic ash wood and board is through reputable specialty lumber stores like Alderfer Lumber Company Inc.
Alderfer ensures the availability of stock and the reliability of the lumber. Our supplies are sustainably-sourced and free from borer infestations. Call us ahead for available lumber grades from our wide variety of domestic and exotic hardwood lumber like ash. We can provide the perfect cut that suits your woodworking lumber needs.
