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Discover Australian Oak Classic Grade Hardwood

Written by

Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH)

14 July 2025

 • 

2 min read

Classic Grade IronAsh external cladding hardwood
Classic Grade IronAsh external cladding hardwood
Australian Oak is Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) brand of Tasmanian Oak timber. With a desire to use the whole tree coupled with growing demand for timber products that celebrate the inherent visual characteristics of wood, Classic Grade Australian Oak is an attractive and affordable option.

What is Classic Grade?


Hardwood timber has long been valued for its strength, versatility and natural beauty, but ideas of what makes timber desirable are expanding. Increasingly, designers and consumers are moving away from perfectly uniform finishes in favour of timber that showcases its inherently unique characteristics.

ASH’s Classic Grade Australian Oak and IronAsh respond to this market shift by celebrating timber’s authentic appeal. Natural features such as knots, veins, grain variation and surface checks are now appreciated for the individuality and warmth they bring to interiors and exteriors alike.

Download Classic Grade Brochure

Download Classic Grade Guidelines


Why Classic Grade?


In response to dwindling resource availability, coupled with a push for longer-lived applications from small diameter and character-filled logs, ASH have been building a market for fibre that would have otherwise been sent offshore, chipped for paper or downgraded into pallets. Much of this resource is used within ASH’s MASSLAM structural solutions. However, some present the perfect opportunity for Classic Grade.

Unlike select or standard grade which prioritise uniformity, embracing variation through Classic Grade is a smart way to make the most of every log processed, reducing waste, supporting local manufacturing and extending the lifecycle of valuable fibre. It also presents a more affordable option for builders, manufactures and consumers alike.


What is Australian Oak and IronAsh?


Australian Oak is Australian Sustainable Hardwoods brand of Tasmanian Oak timber.

IronAsh is Australian Oak with the addition of a H3 water-based, durable treatment making it the superior choice for external applications.


What Classic Grade products are available?


Products available in our Classic Grade include:

Australian Oak interior applications:

  • Lining
  • Staircase components
  • Furniture and joinery
  • Window and door frames
  • Benchtops and panels
  • Solid flooring

IronAsh exterior applications:

  • Cladding
  • Battens
  • Screening


Read more about ASH's reliable and ongoing availability of Tasmanian Oak.

IronAsh 105 x 19 secret fix shiplap profile, with two coats of Intergrain Ultra Clear – Satin Finish. Full thickness gum pockets, gum vein, pin hole, hobnail, grain orientation, splits and spring tear present are all examples of grade expectations.
IronAsh batten profile. Full thickness gum pockets, knots, gum vein, pin hole, hobnail, grain orientation, splits and spring tear present are all examples of grade expectations.