Although exotic species are gaining popularity in North America, domestic woods still make up the majority of hardwood used for flooring. Exotic species, on the other hand, are often characterized by striking hues or contrasts of heartwood and sapwood, while various domestic hardwoods are literally pale in comparison. Is there a commitment between the two?
Walnut floors have all of these visual characteristics. A domestic species, hickory hardwood has dark brown or purplish heartwood and a white or tan sapwood. The soil, as a result, shows an extreme color difference, especially when compared to other domestic species.
A uniform dark color is often desired for walnut floors. Like all unfinished domestic species, walnut flooring is graded based on appearance: a uniform patina receives a higher grade, while lower grades have a greater presence of sapwood and character marks. But does Clear or Select hickory just have more heartwood? Not necessarily. To give walnut hardwood a uniform appearance, the wood is steamed, causing the darker color of the heartwood to bleed into the sapwood.
Essentially, if you’re looking for a contrasting look for your floor, go for a lower grade (common #1 or #2) for walnut flooring. If you want a uniform dark color, go for a higher grade. However, for staining, finish the hardwood with clear varnish to preserve color contrast or use a light stain; a darker spot obscures the distinction between heartwood and sapwood.
Besides appearance, what other characteristics does walnut hardwood have? One of the densest domestic species, the walnut has a Janka scale rating of 1010 and has good shock resistance as a result. The wood, however, is not hard enough to present machining or finishing problems.
To add walnut flooring to your home, what are your options? Like all types of home flooring, walnut hardwood is available solid or engineered and unfinished or prefinished. The advantages of each option depend on your needs. Although solid walnut is considered traditional hardwood, flooring for a basement or any area below ground level must resist heat and moisture. In this case, engineered walnut flooring proves to be a better option as it expands and contracts less than its solid counterparts.
To choose between prefinished and unfinished hickory flooring, think about the stain you want for your floor, whether you want to spend more time installing the hardwood, and how you want it to blend in with the rest of your home. While prefinished is considerably easier to install and is already stained, unfinished walnut blends better with existing flooring materials and allows you to choose an exact finish for your floor.
