The greenery that beautifies our environment consists of different trees and plants. The ashwood (scientific name Fraxinus excelsior), which is among these trees, provides a general advantage with its leaves, trunk and branches.
What is the ashwood? Where and how does it grow?
he ashwood is one of the most common and leafy trees in the Northern Hemisphere. Ash tree is mainly grown in Turkey, America and Europe. These trees are deciduous in winter and new leaves grow in spring.
Wood Knowledge: Uses For Ash
The ashwood, which is among the ornamental trees, creates a very good shade space. For this reason, it is often used in landscaping. The maximum height of this tree can vary between 10-30 meters. A round-headed tree with a smooth and full body. Ashwood is a type of tree that is resistant to cold weather. Thanks to this feature, it can be grown in many different countries and cities.
Ashwood is one of the types of wood that is of great notice to interior decoration designers and architects in construction because of its many characteristics. This type of wood has excellent strength and can be used in spaces that need to withstand pressure and weight.
Ashwood is classified in the hardwood category. This tree is also very resistant to insects and pests.
Ashwood
If we examine the Ashwood more deeply, one of the most important features of this tree is its placement among the fast growth forest products such as maple, red pine and stone pine.
Ashwood likes moist and rich clay soils. It grows well in areas with low altitude. It likes flimsy soils with pH between 6-7.5. It is a tree with a temperate climate. The average 3-year increase in the diameter of the ashwood trunk is about 20 mm. The wood of ashwood is white to light yellow in color.
One of the different uses of ashwood is to use it as animal food. Especially in Europe, ash leaves are used as animal food.
Features of ash wood
According to some beliefs, the ashwood is considered sacred. According to Scandinavian beliefs, ashwood was the material from which Odin’s wand was made in ancient times, and for this reason, this tree has an important place from a spiritual point of view.
According to sources from Celtic mythology, ashwood is used to heal people.
According to Greek mythology, Zeus created the third generation of people from the ashwood.
Ashwood should be grown in areas with abundant water and rainfall. Ashwood can be planted at any desired time. But it is ideal to plant it in the spring before the rains.
The appearance of ash wood
The core color is cream to light brown, the stem is generally indistinguishable from the core. It can be in direct waves and sometimes in a wavy pattern. Its hardness enables it to be used in areas where more durability is needed.
The outer wood of this tree is very close to white. The interior wood is light brown. It darkens over time. It is a hard, heavy and strong wood. It is easily processed, but difficult to divide. It is durable in dry environment. It sticks with glue, nails and screws. It is difficult to paint with water-based paints. It is used in the production of plywood, furniture, tools and sports equipment.
It is used in furniture and general decoration works, sports equipment, handle, hand tools, lathes and many handicrafts. It is one of the most popular woods for chair frames in Europe. It can be suitable for outdoor use after thermal operation.
Ashwood is very similar to oak, in my opinion, it is denser than oak.
Ashwood tissue is medium to coarse. The grain in the tissue of the wood is almost always direct and regular, although sometimes curly shapes can be found in ash boards.
Application of ash wood
Ashwood can be used in kitchen cabinets, but is most commonly known for its use in baseball rackets.
Ash wood is used as a cover and as a solid material in the production of interior furniture such as tables, chairs, buffets and showcases. Ashwood has an important place especially in the production of veneer board.
Ashwood is used in the production of parquet, especially in the Northern European region. One of the various uses of ashwood is sports equipment such as hockey sticks, baseball sticks and tennis rackets. The main reason for this is that it has an excellent elasticity structure. It is used in the construction of boats in shipping and in the interior design of ships.
Additionally, the natural lifespan of ashwood is too short for outdoor use. Therefore, these trees need thermal operation (thermowood) for such places.
FAQ
Is ashwood a good wood?
Ashwood is a strong, dense wood with a beautiful color, it is also light weight, aesthetically pleasing. It is used for woodworking projects. It is interesting to know that it is similar to white oak in terms of density and porosity.
Ashwood and furniture
Is ashwood suitable for furniture? Ash wood is an excellent choice for home furniture due to its straight grain and beige to light brown color. It has a high durability and its colorability is good. Many people doubt whether beech wood is suitable for furniture or ashwood? Beech wood is a fine-grained wood that has a light orange to salmon color. Beech wood absorbs moisture and needs care. But Ashwood is not like that.
Many customers ask us if ash wood is worth it. Ashwood is a valuable wood and its price is very cheap. It can be said that wood is the favorite of carpenters because it costs less.
Oak wood vs ash wood
Oak wood is a popular wood for furniture making. It is durable and heavy and is known for its open wood grain markings. It is available in two colours. These are red oak, which has a reddish color, and white oak, which is brown or gray in color.
It is often cut to be resistant to warping. Its wavy grain gives the furniture a distinctive look. More often than not, a clear coat is applied to highlight the grain. On the other hand, staining wood can darken the grain and give a two-tone look.
Ash wood is relatively resistant to water. There is no wood that is completely waterproof, the open pores on ash wood absorb moisture. So you have to be careful. If you want to use this wood outdoors, we do not usually recommend it.
Last word
One of the advantages of ashwood is that the strength of this wood is high.
It can be used in parquet, doors, floors or the interior view of the building.
This type of wood, which is thermo-processed, does not lose its moisture easily, that’s why it cannot be used in external spaces such as the exterior of the building or pergola. For outdoor spaces, it is more suitable to use pine and cedar species, which have a lower density and are lighter.
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