how hard is walnut flooring

Is walnut or oak better for hardwood floors?

A stunning hardwood floor is an excellent investment in your home, and it is essential you choose the right one. Walnut and oak are two of the most popular choices for a real hardwood floor, but there are many factors in the walnut flooring vs oak flooring debate.

What are the disadvantages of walnut floors?

Although some of these are common hardwood concerns, here are some of the main disadvantages for choosing walnut floors in your house: Firstly, hardwood walnut flooring can be costly in comparison to some of your other flooring options, such as laminate or carpets.

What is the density of walnut flooring?

American Walnut – This hardwood floor has a density of around 0.60g/cm3 and is sometimes called “royal walnut” is some commercial shops. It has a hardness of about 1050psi which is fairly low in comparison to the Asian and Brazilian variations.

What are the different types of walnut floors?

As for the wood type, some of your options include dark black walnut flooring, Asian, Brazilian, and American walnut. I will cover the top two a little later in this article so stay tuned for that.

Is walnut hard enough for flooring?

A: Walnut is an excellent choice for flooring in many spaces. With a 1010 Janka scale rating, American black walnut provides durability despite being one of the softer hardwoods. Walnut is renowned for its rich beauty, making it an ideal pick for spaces like dining rooms and formal living rooms as well.

Is walnut harder than white oak?

White Oak is one of the harder woods, with a Janka rating of 1360. Red Oak is slightly softer with a rating of 1290. And American or Black Walnut is among the softest hardwoods with a Janka rating of 1010.

What are the disadvantages of walnut wood?

Disadvantages:very heavy wood.can bleach if exposed to the sun.

What wood is the hardest for flooring?

IpeGenerally speaking, the hardest wood for flooring is Ipe (or Lapacho). However, this is very hard to find, due to its rarity. This also makes it a very expensive flooring product. Therefore, more widely available, and hardwearing are Hickory and Maple flooring.

Are walnut floors too soft?

Walnut stands at 1010 on the Janka hardness scale, making it one of the softest North American flooring species.

What is better walnut or oak?

After all, they're both materials that are popularly used for hardwood flooring. That being said, oak is a slightly stronger hardwood product than walnut. Oak is one of the stronger and more durable natural wood options available for kitchen cabinets. It holds up well resisting significant dents or dings.

Is walnut wood soft or hard?

hardwoodWalnut. Walnut is a straight-grained hardwood that ranges from chocolate brown (when it's from the center of the tree) to yellow (from the outer portion of the tree). A top pick for headboards, ornate antique-style dining tables, and mantels, walnut is typically clear-coated or oiled to bring out its natural color.

Does walnut flooring change color?

Yes, Walnut lightens over time. The consistent dark brown color of walnut will be fade away slowly over the years. It turns into honey-like, pale color tones above its original dark brown hues with exposure to light. The same thing happens to the wooden furniture made out of walnut.

What is the best finish for walnut wood?

Lacquer is the best finish for walnut because it will protect the wood from moisture and scratches. Lacquer is a clear, hard finish that can be applied over a variety of surfaces, including walnut wood. It dries quickly and gives a high-gloss sheen. Lacquer can also be tinted to match any color you like.

What are the 3 levels of wood flooring?

Each grade has its own particular characteristics and appearance. Especially pertaining to Oak hardwood flooring, the 3 most commonly used grades are: Select, #1 Common, and #2 Common, which is also known as “Rustic” grade, or “Builder's” grade.

What is the most scratch resistant wood flooring?

Selecting a floor such as Hickory, Hard Maple or White Oak can protect your floor from damage, as these hardwoods are less susceptible to scratches than softer woods like Pine, Cherry or Black Walnut. Hardwoods with more dramatic grain patterns can help to hide scratches more easily.

What type of flooring lasts the longest?

Tile Flooring Porcelain and ceramic are some of the longest lasting flooring materials available, and they require little maintenance. Tile flooring is also moisture resistant, making it the perfect choice for areas where spills are common like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.

What is harder wood oak or walnut?

Walnut wood is harder than oak but it is softer than many others. It is very difficult to produce the look of natural walnut artificially.

Is white oak more expensive than walnut?

Walnut flooring vs oak flooring: the price Oak is one of the most popular choices for a wooden floor and is more readily available. An oak floor is generally cheaper than a walnut floor because walnut is far rarer. Oak is a more traditional material that is grown in the US, so this can also make it cheaper.

What wood is harder than oak?

On the Janka hardness scale -- a scale that ranks wood for hardness, hickory is the hardest of all domestic hardwoods, ranking at 1,820. Hard maple ranks 1,450, while red oak ranks 1,290. Poplar ranks 540 on the low end of the scale.

What is the hardness of white oak?

1360JANKA HARDNESS SCALEWOOD SPECIES (Hardest to Softest)JANKA RATINGWhite Oak1360White Ash1320American Beech1300Northern Red Oak129049 more rows

How thick is solid walnut flooring?

This type of flooring can be sanded or refinished many times to bring it back to life. Solid Walnut Flooring will typically come in plank form, the most common varieties being 2 ¼” to 5” wide with a thickness of ¾”. These will most commonly be found in both hand scraped and smooth finishes.

How much does walnut flooring cost?

Solid flooring will be the most expensive, coming in at around $4- $12 per square foot. The price will depend on style, finish, size, amount, etc.

How much does laminate flooring cost per square foot?

Down to a popular middle ground we have laminate flooring coming in at around $1 to $8 per square foot.

How wide is laminate flooring?

Laminate Walnut Flooring will typically come in at 5” wide plank. Laminate will be able to have a wider variety of color choices. Walnut laminate will have an inviting and warm look that can be easily matched in any room. Choosing from dark or light colors it will still give a luxurious appearance with an average cost.

What is the best wood for a walnut floor?

The most popular choices for walnut hardwood are American, Brazilian, Gunwood and Acacia walnut.

What is engineered walnut flooring?

Engineered Walnut Flooring. Engineered wood flooring is also made of real wood, but they are also made using multiple types of wood, or wood veneers. Engineered Walnut flooring will also come in plank form but the widths range from 3” to 5” with a thickness or ¼”.

What is American walnut flooring?

American walnut flooring is also known as common walnut flooring. This wood had a warmer, purple hue with lighter brown layers. To make a darker color this wood will be steamed during the manufacturing process.

How thick is solid walnut flooring?

Solid Walnut flooring is almost always 3/4” thick with a great variety of plank widths from 2 1/4” up to 5” wide. Different brands offer different finishes, but usually you will find both hand scraped and smooth options from most brands.

What does walnut flooring feel like?

With its deep, warm chocolate tones, walnut floors give a lovely sumptuous feel, that is often interpreted as being more high-end.

What is the width of laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring usually come in standard 5” width.

How much does walnut cost per square foot?

Prices are usually a little less than solid walnut from as little as $2 per square foot up to $10 with an average of around $4 or $5 per square foot. Laminate Walnut flooring: a good deal of options here too with brands such as Pergo, Traffic MASTER, Armstrong, Bruce, Home Legends, Mannington and Shaw Floors all offering laminate walnut options ...

What is the color of walnut wood flooring?

The first thing you need to know about walnut wood flooring is that there are three different types: Common Walnut flooring, also known as the American Walnut, has a warm almost purplish-brown color at its heart mixed with lighter tones on the outer layers.

What is the color of Asian walnut?

Finally, you may also hear the term Asian Walnut used, but this is more commonly known as Acacia and has a very distinctive grain and honey toned coloring.

What is black walnut flooring?

Black Walnut flooring, also known as Gunwood has a dark colored heartwood with deep grains that is particularly beautiful.

What is the hardest wood?

While it may seem logical to pick the very hardest wood, keep these points in mind: 1 Softwood can be hardened to some degree by the application of polyurethane finishes. 2 Hardwood is always much more expensive than the softer woods. 3 Hardwood is more difficult to saw, drill, and nail than other woods, requiring more time and labor—which translates into a greater expense. 4 Softwood can work well in some applications—decks, shops, and outbuildings, for example.

What is the most durable wood for flooring?

The most durable flooring woods will be hardwoods such as oak, walnut, ebony , maple, ash, and pecan. Softwoods such as fir, pine, and hemlock rarely work well as flooring materials, except in a shop or utility area. For the hardest woods, you need to look for exotics, not domestics.

What is Janka hardness?

It is important to remember that the testing process used in the Janka scale is an impact test, not a test of scratching, scuffing, or any other wear and tear that flooring experiences. To learn the basic hardness of different common woods used in flooring, check the chart below.

What is a hardwood tree?

Hardwoods are from trees that are identified as dicot species. Dicots are plants in which the seed has two embryonic leaves (cotyledons). This is in contrast to softwood species, which are angiosperms —plants in which the seeds are unenclosed, as the pine cones of conifers.

What is the best way to measure wood hardness?

The Janka test measures the amount of force needed to drive a 0.444-inch steel ball into wood to a depth equal to half its diameter. The higher the rating, the harder the wood. While there are other elements that go into how a wood species performs as a flooring material, the Janka scale will give you a good idea of whether your wood floor will last for decades to come or will quickly surrender to the onslaught of dog claws and foot traffic.

Where do exotic wood floors come from?

For the hardest woods, you need to look for exotics, not domestics. Exotics are sourced from areas like Indonesia and South America. Domestics come from Canada and the United States. Exotics are not always more expensive, especially when you shop at bargain wood flooring outlets such as BuildDirect or Lumber Liquidators.

Is hardwood flooring hard?

It is not enough to simply pick any so-called hardwood species, because hardwoods vary quite a lot in their hardness from species to species, and some are actually softer than some softwood species. ...

What is the last walnut floor?

The last Walnut floor that we will discuss is our Rift & Quartered Walnut or Quartersawn. If you are not familiar with R&Q flooring, I will attempt to explain it. Caution, things may get a bit technical from here. First, let’s talk about the different ways wood can be sawn and start with the peel sawn method.

Why does wood look like walnut?

Maybe it is because of the dark, rich, vibrant colors, with lots of variation. No other wood or wood floor looks like Walnut. It is a unique species of wood. And I love it!

What is a rift and quartersawn floor?

In the final method, Rift & Quartersawn, each slab is cut perpendicular to the grain of the wood. Rift & Quartersawn accomplishes multiple tasks: One, it gives the floor a look that unique to itself. The rift and quartersawn method will produce a straight-grained floor, with an occasional Rift, or sideways line. Secondly, because of the vertical grain, it will be a harder floor, with a higher Janka score, than a face-sawn or rotary peel floor. Learn more about Janka scores here.

What is a country strip walnut?

The most basic of our Walnut offerings is the Country Strip Walnut Natural. Our solid hardwood Country Strip is a prefinished Walnut floor that is 2 ¼” wide, and ¾” thick. Each piece is milled from a solid piece of Walnut. The grading on this floor is Mill Run, while the quality is first quality. That means that no grading classifications are based on aesthetics. Only manufacturing defects are removed from this lot. Country Strip Walnut is our most popular Walnut product, and will not be with us long.

How is lumber cut?

Lumber is cut from a log in one of three ways. The first and cheapest way is a peel sawn method. In the peel sawn process, a blade goes around and around the log, peeling off a layer of veneer that can be used as a topical layer. This method offers the highest yield at the lowest cost.

What is the Latin name for walnut?

The Latin name for walnut is Gallica meaning Gallic nut or Gaul nut. The creativity for this naming process wasn’t astounding, but the utility and visuals of this wood more than compensate for it. Walnut is a very dense material.

What is walnut tree?

The walnut tree, or Juglans Major, is always in high demand for its nuts and timber. The color, grain, and hardness make it a valued furniture wood.

What is the difference between sapwood and heartwood?

The sapwood is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. It is usually supplied steamed, to darken the sapwood.

Is walnut a good hardwood?

Walnut is a tough hardwood of medium density, with moderate bending and crushing strengths, and low stiffness. It has a good steam-bending classification. Reasonable availability. Furniture, cabinets, architectural millwork, doors, flooring, paneling, and gun stocks.

What is Janka hardness test?

The Janka hardness test measures the hardness of wood. It measures the force required to embed a 0.444 inch steel ball into wood to half the ball’s diameter. It’s a good measurement technique to determine the relative hardness across hardwoods.

How hard is Brazilian cherry?

The popular Brazilian Cherry is 2,350 – almost twice as hard as red oak. And, Brazilian walnut comes in at 3,684 – nearly triple the hardness of red oak. Below is a listing of many hardwoods so you can see the range of hardness.

Is pine a hardwood?

You’ll also note that most of the pines (which were used a LONG time ago) are low. They are rather soft and aren’t even considered hardwoods. They can dent very easily. Also note that there are some woods such as “cherry” and “walnut” that vary greatly based on their country of origin.

Is white oak harder than bamboo?

White oak is just a bit harder at 1,360. Bamboo is a bit harder at 1,380 (see my past blog on bamboo flooring – is it hard or soft?) and maple a bit harder than that at 1,450. But, if you shift toward the exotic hardwoods from South America, the woods are on a different wavelength.

What is the best color for a walnut floor?

Walnut aesthetics. Walnut comes in a richer, deeper shade of brown that is great for a classic look. A walnut floor tends to have more variation from plank to plank, so if you are looking for a natural, unusual floor then walnut is a great choice.

Why is walnut more expensive than oak?

Walnut is more expensive than oak flooring because of its rarity and the difficulty of sourcing it. Both walnut and oak wooden floors last for decades, so though they may be more expensive than laminate or engineered wood floors, they won’t have to be replaced as often.

What is the Janka score for oak?

White oak has an average Janka hardness rating of 1360, and red oak is 1290. On the same scale, walnut has a Janka score of around 1000 . Walnut floors usually are softer than oak, as they have a wider grain.

What is the best wood floor?

Oak is one of the most popular choices for a wooden floor and is more readily available. An oak floor is generally cheaper than a walnut floor because walnut is far rarer. Oak is a more traditional material that is grown in the US, so this can also make it cheaper. Walnut is more expensive than oak flooring because of its rarity and the difficulty of sourcing it. Both walnut and oak wooden floors last for decades, so though they may be more expensive than laminate or engineered wood floors, they won’t have to be replaced as often.

What is the difference between red oak and white oak?

Red oak has beautiful natural swirls and knots, while white oak is lighter and more uniform. Oak can blend in well with other pieces of oak furniture you might already have in your home, and it has a stunning natural appeal. Oak has a tighter grain than walnut, which can make it more appealing to some people.

Is walnut hardwood good for a hardwood floor?

A walnut floor is also incredibly difficult to replicate, and artificial versions are nowhere near as effective, so if you want this traditional hardwood floor, real walnut is the best choice. A classic American walnut floor has a beautiful natural appeal, with blonde streaks, a rich chocolate brown colour and a warm, luxurious feel. For grand, large spaces, a walnut floor has incredible aesthetic value.

Is oak flooring more versatile than walnut?

Oak has a tighter grain than walnut, which can make it more appealing to some people. An oak floor can also be more versatile, and you can choose a wide variety of finishes to suit your room. High-quality real oak floors are great for cosy, family homes and have a stunning timeless appeal.

Hardwoods and Softwoods

Janka Hardness Ratings of Wood Species

Considerations When Choosing Flooring

Bamboo and Eucalyptus

• Some of the hardest floors available are strand-woven bamboo and eucalyptus, where you may see Janka ratings at levels from 3,800 to over 5,000, making them harder than all hardwoods. Yet these are not hardwoods. In fact, these plants are not wood at all but are instead grasses. The Janka hardness test is often applied to bamboo and eucalyptus floo...

See more on thespruce.com

Other Considerations