Add Dark, Rich Color to Your Floors With Walnut Wood Flooring

Solid hardwood floors have been in use in homes and commercial spaces for centuries. Solid wood has an appeal that outdoes all other flooring options – and with good reason. Various types of wood flooring have a warmth and personality to it that other flooring materials just can’t match.

When choosing a wood species to be used as a flooring, there are few woods that compare to American black walnut. Not only is walnut a beautiful hardwood, it is also durable and will only get better with time.

Rich and luxurious American walnut is found growing predominantly in the mid western United States and is one of the most sought after wood species that is commercially harvested. Used for fine furniture, flooring, paneling as well as many other high end applications the popularity of American black walnut has grown over time.

If you want to get hardwood flooring that brings even more richness, warmth, and depth to a room, take a look at walnut wood floors. Walnut floors are popular with homeowners for their color variations and grain patterns that make them the instant focal point of any interior design. Whether you opt for a rustic walnut floor or you choose something more contemporary, walnut has character that will be the highlight of any room.

The Color of Walnut

Walnut is a wood species that has color variations that are unique amongst hardwood flooring. The heartwood has a very rich, dark (almost purple) color that ranges through many shades of dark brown. The sapwood is lighter in color, and can reach blond tones in places, as well as a lighter, rich brown tone. You can opt for traditional walnut hardwood flooring, which has a more uniform tone, or consider a floor that blends some of the heartwood and sapwood to get more lights and darks, as well as more variety in the boards.

The heartwood and sapwood both have a coarse, uniform texture with a straight grain. The color, texture, and grain patterns work together to give walnut the incredible richness that makes it so popular.

Walnut Flooring Finishes

Like all hardwood flooring, it’s possible to find walnut flooring in a range of finishes and styles. This allows you to use walnut and gain its color and depth, while still complementing the rest of the interior design.

Rustic walnut hardwood flooring is made from reclaimed, old growth wood taken from buildings more than 100 years old. It may still show some of the original saw marks and wear marks from its original use, and it may have more of a patina or dark color in places, depending on the wood.

Traditional walnut is sanded smooth to give the grain patterns and color a chance to shine. It has a character and richness that make it stand out amongst other wood species, without the need for stains to bring out the natural color.

Walnut can also be finished with a range of different stains and surfaces that can give it a variety of looks. These include darker stains that really let the deep color of the grain shine, as well as white finishes that frost the wood, and give it a unique, contemporary color. These colors and finishes can be found on both traditional and rustic walnut flooring, so you can find the ideal complement to your design.

The Durability of Walnut

American Walnut or Black Walnut flooring has a Janka score of 1,010, which means that it scores higher than wood species like Cherry, Birch, Cypress and Pine. Well cared for walnut hardwood floors can last for centuries and can provide homeowners with long lasting beauty no matter where they’re installed. Walnut will hold up well in most residential settings, and can complement kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, and hallways as well as bedrooms.

Because walnut isn’t as hardy as some other wood species, such as hickory or red oak, it is important to make sure you’re getting a good quality material. Look for solid wood planks, not a laminate or engineered hardwood floor that has a veneer that could wear away with prolonged use. Old growth walnut, such as the type used for reclaimed and rustic walnut may also be stronger and of better quality than some newly sawn wood.

Using Walnut Flooring

Walnut hardwood floors can add a lot of beauty to a room. It has a naturally dark color, which means that it can add some depth and contrast to rooms that have a lot of light or that have a lot of light colors or other light wood tones. This is particularly true when using walnut heartwood flooring, which tends to have more dark tones.

Walnut sapwood flooring, which is lighter, may work better in rooms that have other lighter wood colors and tones, as it can blend better, without making the room look overly dark. Since walnut has a prominent grain, as well as periodic knot holes, consider using wide plank flooring, rather than thinner planks, as the thinner planks may make the walnut appear too busy in some areas.

Both rustic and traditional walnut floors are beautiful and available in a range of finishes; the flooring you choose should ideally match the style of the rest of the space. For example, rustic and rustic modern decors may benefit from the more varied texture of a rustic floor, while a more traditional space may make better use of a sanded walnut floor.

Consider Walnut Flooring From Elmwood

With rich tones and an attractive grain pattern, walnut is at home in a wide variety of spaces from formal to casual. Durable enough to withstand the test of time, this hardwood is a go to choice for many architects, designers and homeowners. Needless to say it is truly a wood that will last for generations to come and only become better with age.

If you’ve been considering whether walnut may be the right flooring for you, take a look at what Elmwood Reclaimed Timber has to offer. They have high quality rustic and traditional walnut floors in a range of colors and finishes, and will help you achieve your perfect flooring design. Visit Elmwood Reclaimed Timber today to learn more about these beautiful floors.