If you're interested in creating things from high-quality, naturally grown timber, white ash might be the hardwood for your needs. This amazing timber is gorgeous, durable, and inexpensive, making it a top choice among those who enjoy woodworking or simply want to perform an effective home renovation.
Here, we're going to discuss the wood of the North American white ash tree, where it is from, and what it can do. Read on to learn more and get started with your next project!
Where Is North American White Ash From?
Generally speaking, white ash comes from the Eastern part of North America. Outside of the US, it's mainly grown in Nova Scotia, Canada. However, the bulk of North American white ash trees are in the eastern US, going all the way from Canada and down into Florida. The trees grow as far west as Minnesota, so they're pretty common in this region.
It grows in moist climates with moist and well-drained soil. This makes forests out in eastern America the perfect location for them to thrive and flourish. Because it's in high demand, it's also cultivated in places that it otherwise wouldn't naturally grow. Not only can white ash wood be found in woods and forests throughout this region, but humans have begun to grow it in metropolitan areas including in parks and on the sides of roads.
What Are Its Qualities?
White ash hardwood is quality timber both in appearance and utility.
It's an incredibly attractive wood for a wide variety of projects because of its colouring. The sapwood from the tree's exterior is generally beige or light brown, and it's extremely wide. This makes it great for cutting out large pieces of timber for bigger projects. The heartwood is slightly darker, with its colour toeing the line between the light brown of the sapwood and the darker brown colour that the heartwood can boast. Sometimes, the colour distinction between the sapwood and heartwood is very noticeable, while other times it's non-existent- it all depends on the tree it came from.
As for the texture of white ash wood, it's very similar to oak. It's quite coarse and dense, making it durable in the sense that it's difficult to break. The grain is also straight and regular across the timber, so you can be fairly certain that any item you're creating from it will have an even design.
As a hardwood, white ash timber is incredibly hard. It's difficult to work with because of this, but you'll be fine so long as you have the right tools for cutting it.
What Projects Can It Be Used For?
Now that you know why North American White Ash is a great timber, it's time to look into some of the household projects that you can use it for. Read on for some ideas on how to appropriately use this amazing wood in household projects!
Flooring
White ash is ideal for hardwood floors. It's an attractive colour, especially after being buffed and shined to perfection. It's easy to install because wide boards are easily cut from sapling wood. Not only that, but the hardness and durability of white ash is even greater than that of oak. This means that it's the ideal floor surface for areas that get heavy foot traffic.
Household Items
White ash is also used in creating a variety of household objects. It's the ideal timber for creating bookshelves or cabinetry that will hold a lot of items because the weight won't bend it. You can also use it to make tables and chairs, which will hold a lot of weight.
Make sure that you lay down a tablecloth if you're eating near white ash, though- it isn't very stain resistant! African Iroko wood can also be used for making tables, chairs, and more, so there are more stain-resistant alternatives to white ash if you want them! You can even use both of these woods in one project to make it unique by incorporating multiple colours and textures.
Crates and Boxes
White ash is one of the best types of wood for making crates and boxes. The fact that the woodcuts tend to be wide means that you can nail large crates together easily and store many different things in them. Because white ash is so hard, it's also great for making boxes specifically for moving to a new house. You can store heavy items in them and carry them up and down stairs more easily than you would plastic bins.
Wooden Handles and Bats
Since white ash is easy to manipulate with hand and machine tools, it's easy to carve baseball bats or handles for various tools out of. It also is easy to use in making railings for stairs. Because of the regular horizontal grain, it's easy to cut into long objects. Plus, it's highly resistant to shock, so these items being hit won't destroy them!
Because so many items like these can be made from one cut of white ash, you aren't going to be paying too much for the wood, either. To find out the cost of North American white ash timber for your project, you can get an instant quote by typing your requirements into our price calculator.
Purchase High-Quality Wood
While there are many types of wood out there that are perfect for building various things, white ash wood is one of the more sturdy and versatile options.
Now that you know all about white ash timber, it's time to get some and begin that project you've been considering doing for so long! Click here to order high-quality wood from the North American white ash tree. Not only can you buy timber online at an affordable price- only £42 - but it will also be delivered directly to your home so that you can focus on the details of your project.
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