Ash Hardwood Cost Guide

The Costs

• Minimum cost: $7 per square foot
• Maximum cost: $18 per square foot

Material Types 

Engineered ash hardwood is quite common and comes in many stains and patterns. The flooring is made by compressing layers of hardwood together to form a single plank. While engineered hardwood looks impervious to solid flooring, the difference is the fact that it has less issues with expansion and contraction in the home due to moisture and humidity. Engineered ash will have a more consistent grain pattern.

Solid flooring is made from a whole piece of ash hardwood. This is known as a plank flooring and is typically sold in a 3/4-inch thickness. Solid hardwood will have cycles of expansion and contraction throughout the house over time. Solid hardwood will have the natural irregular grain pattern. This pattern makes it a great choice for a more natural or rustic look in the home. Solid flooring will also have the largest variety of grain patterns due to the natural variations in the wood.

Tongue and groove is the most common installation for ash hardwood flooring. Due to the density of ash, installation is made much easier by integrating a tongue and groove pattern into the substrate. Tongue and groove places a snug fit between each board to prevent gaps from forming due to humidity drawing up from the substrate grade of the room.

The connection joints between the ash board is located underneath the boards. Wide plank floors will typically include a stress plank joint channel to prevent "cupping," which is the bending and twisting of hardwood over time due to humidity. A stress relief may also be used in tandem with a tongue and groove system for homes prone to higher humidity.

The bevel edge plank differs from a micro-bevel plank in a few ways. The raw hardwood has more detail between planks. Many of the very old hardwood floors found in historical homes had a combination of bevel and straight edge planks. The result of a bevel edge style can create a very realistic historical or rustic look in the flooring.

A micro-bevel edge is a style of panel edging that creates a natural curve to each end piece. The finished look is a floor that has clearly defined planks on each path in the room. Square end planks are a method of butting floors together that result in a flush and natural transition.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Ash Hardwood

Ash hardwood is a highly-durable hardwood that is popular for rustic and contrasting patterns in homes. The wood is incredibly dense and can absorb a staining finish relatively easily. The harder durability of ash is found in garden tools and other tools that take daily abuse. As a result, the density creates an extremely strong plane that can be refinished many times over the years. Ash also has a variety of grades that affect grain patterns for contrast.

Ash hardwood is superior in many ways, but it can cost considerably more than basic hardwood. There is a wide variety of grades available to ash, which may be confusing at first. It may also take a keen eye to adjust the various grains to create a more natural or refined pattern. Ash may also be prone to showing fatigue and nail holes more readily due to the nature of the grain of ash.

Last updated on May 5, 2016