Asked by: Yon Llergo
hobbies and interests woodworking

Is Walnut a good wood for flooring?

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Walnut is an upscale wood used in hardwood flooring. Although American black walnut is somewhat softer than northern red oak, the wood is heavy, hard, and stiff and has excellent dimensional stability. It is moderately dense, but very strong, with good shock resistance.


Accordingly, what is the best wood to use for flooring?

Hardwoods include the likes of mahogany, teak, walnut, oak, ash, birch and maple. Softwoods include pine, spruce, cedar, larch and fir. When deciding on the best wood for flooring, a dilemma that often confuses consumers is the notion of engineered wood flooring.

Similarly, what type of wood is the hardest for flooring? When in doubt about the type of wood to select for your cabinetry, flooring, furniture or millwork project, refer to the Janka Rating System, which measures the relative hardness of woods. The hardest commercially available hardwood is hickory, and it is five times harder than aspen, one of the “soft” hardwoods.

Also, does walnut flooring scratch easily?

American walnut is not that hard – in fact it is quite soft – so it is easier to dent or scratch than other hardwoods.

How much does walnut flooring cost?

The Costs. When shopping for walnut flooring, homeowners will find that manufacturers charge between $4 and $9 per square foot for the wood boards alone. American walnut is usually on the lower end of the price range, while Brazilian walnut is more expensive.

Related Question Answers

Digno Pohlebaev

Professional

What thickness plywood should I use for flooring?

Thickness of Plywood
The National Wood Flooring Association recommends a minimum plywood panel thickness of 7/8-inch for joist spans of 19.2 to 24 inches, and a minimum plywood panel thickness of 5/8-inch for joist spans of 16 inches or less.

Aissa Zaitouni

Professional

What is the most popular color for hardwood flooring?

While we typically think of oak as a gingery medium brown shade, like the colors found in Colonial and Federal-era rooms, today's homeowners can choose red, white or silver oak as well, making this one of the most visually versatile of all flooring hardwoods.

Sofian Rocher

Explainer

What is the most durable type of flooring?

Tests at Consumer Reports found porcelain tile to be the most durable type of flooring, resistant to scratches, dents, and moisture. It's also very easy to clean. Glazed ceramic and porcelain tile require very little maintenance, though other types need more.

Gaelle Charton

Explainer

What is the best thickness for engineered wood flooring?

Most experts advise a total thickness of 5/8”. Cores should be made of 9-11 layers of real plywood, not OSB or fiberboard. And when it comes to veneer, don't settle for anything less than 3/16” thick. These are the minimum requirements for a dimensionally stable and renewable engineered flooring product.

Eula Schottelndreier

Explainer

Is Walnut a good choice for flooring?

Walnut is an upscale wood used in hardwood flooring. Although American black walnut is somewhat softer than northern red oak, the wood is heavy, hard, and stiff and has excellent dimensional stability. It is moderately dense, but very strong, with good shock resistance.

Gro Wiesner

Pundit

What wood is most durable for flooring?

The Janka Hardness Scale
Red oak, one of the most common hardwood flooring species, ranks 1,290. Brazilian cherry, a more exotic species, ranks 2,350. Black walnut, one of the softer hardwoods, ranks 1,010, while Douglas fir is even softer at 660 on the scale and will scuff or dent easier than a hardwood.

Graca Ylarraza

Pundit

How long do wooden floors last?

Typically hardwood floors should be refinished every 8-12 years, but this varies depending on how rough you are with your floors. Some people don't refinish/recoat their floors and are perfectly content leaving them the way they were installed.

Barbie Zschieschank

Pundit

Which is harder walnut or oak?

Deals Primarily in Four Hardwoods. As you can see in the accompanying graph, rock maple is the hardest of these four hardwoods - about 15% harder than red oak, which ranks second. Black walnut ranks third in hardness - about 20% below red oak.

Marianne Heidekruger

Pundit

Is Walnut flooring durable?

Even though it is slightly softer than red oak, it is quite durable and offers good shock resistance even with a Janka rating of 1010. While a more expensive option, the Brazilian Walnut hardwood is extremely durable because of its hardness.

Fatin Alençooo

Pundit

Is Black Walnut good for flooring?

Black walnut is a dense wood that is also very resistant to decay. The force of the Janka test is measured in pounds-force (lbf) with Black Walnut rating at 1,010 Janka. Its Janka ranking and resistance to decay makes black walnut a good choice for hardwood flooring.

Jamie Almecija

Teacher

Are walnut floors too soft?

Disadvantages. Although it's a durable option, American walnut hardwood flooring is also relatively soft, which means it marks, scratches and dents easily. If you have pets, young children or even wear a lot of pointy heels, you might want to rethink this hardwood flooring choice.

Plamen Vered

Teacher

Does wood flooring increase home value?

Hardwood floors can add up to 2.5% to your home's value. If you're looking for a great way to increase your home value before a sale, hardwood flooring may not be the best way to go. Depending on the value of your home, installing vinyl or laminate could raise your house value to the same price for a lower cost.

Samoil Sabao

Teacher

What does Brazilian walnut look like?

American walnut has a light brown coloring and smooth, subtle grain. Brazilian walnut has a richer, darker color that ranges from tan to deep brown with a grain that can go from long and straight lines to circular curves and irregular patterns.

Adur Klimt

Teacher

Is oak flooring durable?

The durability of a hardwood floor is based on the species of wood used. Some species are much harder and more durable than others. Oak is a fairly durable species of wood for flooring. So, if you choose Oak flooring the durability will be the same for solid and engineered formats of the floor.

Lorien Conrardy

Reviewer

How do I make my hardwood floor scratch resistant?

How to prevent scratches in your hardwood flooring
  1. Take off your shoes!
  2. Add entry mats at the door.
  3. Add felt pads to the furniture, and get extras.
  4. Avoid chairs with rollers.
  5. Clean regularly to get the dirt/grit up.
  6. Avoid spiky shoes, stilettos, and cleats.
  7. Consider area rugs for areas where chairs are moved often.

Antoniu Kovarik

Reviewer

How do you stop a wood floor from scratching?

Use a mat or rug wherever your floors get the most stress. You can also use a mat or rug to prevent water damage. Be sure to use mats inside and outside main entrances to eliminate as much dirt as possible from getting on your floors. Avoid rubber backed mats since they can lock in moisture and damage floors.

Nazar Torrellas

Reviewer

What is the most scratch resistant hardwood flooring?

The hardest and most scratch-resistant species, such as ipe, cumaru and jatoba, come from the tropics, and they typically score 3,000 pounds or more. Domestic hardwoods and raw bamboo, on the other hand, are about half as hard.

Marouane Hirtenjohann

Reviewer

What is a good Janka rating?

With that said, as a general rule of thumb, wood species used in flooring should generally have a Janka rating of 1,000 or higher; this isn't to say that wood species with a Janka rating in the hundreds will not work.

Cyra Nichita

Supporter

What is the most expensive hardwood flooring?

High: Some of the most expensive wood floors are made of exotic woods such as Brazilian walnut, tigerwood, mahogany and cypress. Costs tally $8 to $14 per square foot on average, with installation costs running around $4 to $8 per square foot.