Black Walnut Flooring - Enhance Your Floors

Now there’s a huge drift toward the natural way of living. Amazingly, people want to blend modern designs and themes with that. To meet that demand, black walnut flooring options have emerged. They are appealing to an increasing number of homeowners now. And that’s no wonder since trees have huge appeal among other major renewable resources.

What to expect?

Black walnuts are thriving in the US. If whatever being cut down is also replenished with fresh saplings, it’s safe to say that the supply will be endless. So, what you see in a typical black walnut floor? Firstly, they have a nice deep brown and rich color mixed with a mild touch of lilac.

Occasionally, they are blended with attractive lighter shades. And you get a unique, modern and sleek feel with the deep marbled tones. Or at least, that’s how modern designers and typical homeowners see it. The wood’s softness however, can offer a more pastoral appearance – especially following some early wear or tear.

Tell me more about Black Walnut!

Black Walnut happens to be the one and only dark hardwood, which naturally grows in the US. Let’s take the instance of younger, outmost sapwood of this tree’s varieties. It’s whitish, while the inner part of the heartwood can range from dark chocolate brown to purple tones. And take the instance of older trees of higher grades, which are likely to feature darker heartwood compared to the light sapwood.

Such color combinations make up an attractive grain pattern onto your flooring. Some of the manufacturers actually process the wood using steam. This is done for reducing the color contrast. As this sort of vibrant grain pattern is usually straight, any single cut made close to a limb can produce a gorgeous swirling pattern. According to some experts, such cuts reward the wood with a real exotic look.

Black Walnut Flooring - Durability and Maintenance

Black walnut that comes in wider plank flooring would be pretty expensive. A specialty company can cost more compared to average flooring stores or local home improvement stores. Buying older and higher grade wood will cost more.

Younger and basic U.S. grown, 3-inch black walnut flooring should be cheaper. Some liquidator or comparable close-out retailers can be even cheaper. But costs do boil down on the cut & grade of the flooring that you choose with the area’s square footage. And whatever you choose, remember to factor in the cost of installation.

The big plus about black walnut flooring is that, it is already rich in colors. So, it makes little sense staining the wood. Still, polyurethane happens to be a superb protective option. If you look at the Janka scale (a scale that denotes higher numbers to harder and longer lasting woods), Black walnut actually rates a little lower than other hardwoods.

For instance, black walnut rates merely about 1,010, whereas maple rates nearly at 1400! So, as black walnut might be elegant and smooth looking on the first sight, it’s less durable compared to other hardwoods. But for people who enjoy the pastoral feel created by the dark and worn wood, the walnut flooring does make good sense, after all! If you don’t want scuffs or dings, consider applying a mild satin finish on your black walnut floor. This helps blend those marks in.

If you’re planning to have black walnut flooring in a heavy traffic area of your home, then those areas must be enclosed with special throw rugs for protecting the wood. Sunlight, along with heavy liquid saturation might also damage your black walnut flooring. To be on the safe side, keep curtains closed and considering using only slightly moist mops for cleaning it. It’s also recommended that you don’t use any kind of oil soaps if you’re planning to refinish the floor in the future.

Sweeping the flooring regularly can help. Use a broom that has fine bristles capable of trapping the dirt. Try and use natural brooms, since they usually work better compared to synthetic varieties. Sweeping once every day is important here.

And finally, you should vacuum your black walnut flooring once every week. Use a canister vacuum that comes with a suitable bare floor attachment. This should totally remove all sorts of dirt off your walnut floor. Vacuum takes the dirt that sweeping misses.

Nothing beats wood. Plastics and synthetics may come and go and market preference change, but when it comes to a classic, enduring and evergreen flooring option, then nothing really beats wood.

Indeed. We don’t really need to go into the history of wooden flooring. Since time immemorial wood has been employed in house construction and proved a durable flooring option. The use of wood as flooring picked up in the late seventeenth century with the beginning of the Baroque phase of aesthetics in Europe and the mid-eighteenth century with the fermenting of a national consciousness in North America. Today, after a slump in the latter half of the twentieth century, wood has been rediscovered as a reliable, cozy and elegant flooring option.

Amongst wood types, blank walnut is generally adjudged as one of the most sought after and durable flooring options. Black Walnut is grows naturally in many parts of North America and as such is commonly available all throughout Canada, the US and Europe. Since the 1990s, the wood flooring and interiors industry has again picked up speed and as a consequence, there are now in the market numerous wood manufacturers and suppliers who offer within black walnut a range of flooring options. These include solid, engineered and laminated varieties: the first, solid, is the traditionally made variety with all the warmth and durability of the type; the second, engineered, is treated – often tailor made to specifications – in accordance with specific load and temperature requirements; the last, laminate, is not quite wood but offers stain and imprint resistant, wood-effect flooring in a considerable varieties.

Further, depending upon the age of the tree and the finishing, black walnut also comes in different color varieties. These range from almond, purple and chocolaty brown for heartwood to vanilla, white and other shades of pale for softwood.

Whatever your variety, you’re sure to get what you narrow down to, and that too at great, value for money prices. You can either approach your local hardware store or wood supplier or, which is generally more convenient these days, choose to go online, search the net and zoom in to a wood supplier that fits your bill the best. You’ll find more than enough quality manufacturers, suppliers and designers to choose from, all ready to deliver you their best. Be sure, however, to verify the credentials of an organization before making a deal with them and, as always, the old rule applies: never give out your financial information where it is not necessary.

When it comes to care, black walnut does not is for the most quite stain resistant and so as such does not require extensive maintenance. However, some important pointers to remember are to never ever soak it or treat it with oil based soaps for cleaning. Instead, use a damp mop to wipe off dust and stains. Also, since it’s comparatively softer than other wood, avoid dragging heavy furniture across black walnut flooring. Lastly, try protecting it from direct sunlight because that tends to fade the surface quickly.