Is ash parquet the new oak?

Only time will be able to show the answer to this question. Fact is, Central European oak will be harder to get on sight and thus more expensive. With supply sources from Eastern Europe and overseas, questions of quality and especially sustainability arise. Ash, on the other hand, is currently a very readily available raw material that technically hardly differs from oak. Visually, ash is characterized by few knots and a smooth appearance. The grain is usually strong, which accentuates the natural character of a wooden floor.

Where does the dominance of the oak country-house floorboard come from, and are there no alternatives?

Oak has dominated the wood floor market for decades as a parquet. The reasons are the technical properties on the one hand as well as the availability and, of course, the look. Oak wood is particularly resistant and does not tend to deform like other woods. European oak was also light and easy to obtain in the past.

Meanwhile, the situation looks different. Oak as a raw material is getting increasingly scarce. Especially smooth, knot-less sorts are now traded at high prices on the raw-material market, which in turn also adversely affects consumer prices. It is  time, therefore, to seek alternatives to the oak country-house floorboard. With ash, we have found one.

Ash is like oak in every way in terms of resilience and endurance. Used mostly in furniture making, ash is also known as a material for baseball bats - so much on the subject of hardness.

The wood is characterized by a clear grain, which underscores the natural character of the material. Depending on the brushing, the growth rings may come out sharper or fainter.

Especially with bare feet, you learn to appreciate a real natural wood floor. The look is particularly impressive with the small number of knots, which gives floorboards an elegant, modern appearance. Depending on the sort, ash comes with the core or far more homogeneous, as white ash.

The mafi COR ASH is a relative new product in the mafi portfolio and is already in very high demand as a natural wood floor. As the starting material, Core-Ash is used. This means that many floorboards include a brown COR and yield a relatively vivid play of colors in the floorboards. To produce the necessary homogeneity nevertheless, the floorboards are offered in the colors deep white naturalized and graphite gray oiled. Both oil treatments significantly reduce the brown tones of the COR wood without making the floor look unnatural. The result is a genuine, new natural wood floor that has already convinced the designers of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Athens in the graphite gray oiled version.

UNI ASH is a further development of COR ASH and serves the premium segment but remains clearly priced under comparable oak. The material processed is so-called white ash. This sort is much more homogeneous and does not include any brown core, which makes the parquet look remarkably exclusive and simple. In addition, there are the colors deep white naturalized and gray oiled, which enhance this effect. There are hardly any knots on the floorboards, while the grain is clearly perceptible. UNI ASH combines naturalness with timeless elegance - a true natural wood floor.

A comparison of the deep white naturalized oiling in the detail image shows the difference between UNI ASH and COR ASH most clearly.

The mafi thermal treatment "Vulcano" dispenses with any chemicals, changing the color of the wood through a sophisticated baking process instead. The completely natural process works purely with water, wind, and heat. The wood is gently baked in its own thermal chamber, whereby the entire use surface continuously changes in color. Depending on duration and intensity, ASH Medium Vulcano and ASH Dark Vulcano are made.

Both products show reduced swelling and shrinkage. Resistance to pests is also increased. Combined with white wood floor oil, modern shades of color are created in addition to the natural tones, which entice you to combine them with other materials and furnishings.

A special feature is mafi Domino ASH Vulcano. Unlike conventional mafi products, this floor is not produced as a floorboard with a high-quality, symmetrical construction but offered as end-grain wooden blocks on parquet mesh. Inspired by old workshop floors, this kind of parquet is extremely resistant and shines through a nearly infinite play of colors. The installation is a bit more complex. End grain does not have the advantages of a balanced construction like the other mafi floorboards. Therefore, the wood "works" stronger, to which special attention must be given during installation. However, the result lets all the efforts be forgotten, as you have created a real original.