Ash or Oak wood flooring

To help develop this article, click 'Edit this article'.

[edit] Introduction

There are different types of hardwood, and they come with different advantages. And among these hardwoods are the Ash and Oak options for flooring. Which of these hardwoods should you use?

[edit] Ash

Ash wood flooring comes from the European Ash trees. Ash woods can be both hard and soft depending on the family they come from. There are locals to Europe and West Asian countries and are 45 to 65 different species of Ash tree, so be careful to make sure you know what species of Ash you are deal with.

There are particular Ash wood species called deciduous which are even harder than the Oakwood, but with a downside of being less resistant to moisture. Also, regarding color, there are two distinct colors in ash woods. There is a type (sapwood) that is white in color and another (heartwood) with various colors from beige to dark brown.

In term of grain quality, ash wood ranks fine, but not when compared to oak. When having a lighter color is a consideration, the ash wood is in advantage. If you consider price, ash is higher in price than oak.

[edit] Oak

Oakwood is a popular hardwood and the preferred choice for many people in flooring their homes. Its use is not limited to solid wood flooring; it also includes engineered wood flooring. Oak has about 600 species, and it is local to North America and Europe. Most people see the oak tree as representing strength and longevity; these are primary reasons people choose oak for flooring.

In term of grain, oak well respected. Oak also fares well in all four wood grades including prime, select, natural and rustic. Oak wood is also resistant to moisture and humidity and can be used where other hardwoods fail. Oak wood is a better option when considering denting and scratching, which makes it a better option in an environment with high footfall.

One last option to consider when choosing what wood to use for flooring is maintenance, and here, both Ash and Oak are similar. But as for price, oak has a slight advantage over Ash.

It may be useful to consult experts whose job it is to understand the best material considering the installation environment.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Domestic floors: Part 1: Construction, insulation and damp proofing.
• Floor definition.
• Flooring defects.
• Glass block flooring.
• How to fit carpet.
• Janka hardness rating scale.
• Laminate flooring.
• Raised floor.
• Resin flooring.
• Sanding.
• Screed.
• Separating floor.
• Sprung floor.
• The Differences Between Engineered Flooring and Solid Hardwood Flooring.
• Types of carpet.
• Types of floor.
• Types of flooring.