How To Get The Right Asian Walnut Hardwood Flooring

Asian walnut wood, known in Asia as Acacia, is becoming increasingly popular in the recent years. Although, it may not outclass oak as the number one popular wooden flooring, it is progressively rising up the ranks together with other exotic types such as Brazilian cherry. Before picking your hardwood flooring, you must know a bit more about this amazingly elegant kind of wood.

The Asian walnut tree does not grow as high as other hardwood trees. Therefore, its boards are slightly shorter than that of other hardwoods. The standard floor board is ¾ inch thick and averages around 4 feet in length. However, this hardwood scores high on the Janka hardness scale, which measures the amount of force required to embed a steel ball within the wood. The Asian walnut hardwood has a Janka rating of 2,300 pounds-force that is a lot higher than common oak, which normally rates at 1,300 pounds-force. Even though this does not mean that flooring made of Asia walnut hardwood will be scratch-resistant, you can naturally conclude that the flooring will surely last.

Finishing

Most of the hardwood floors are sold with some type of factory finish. These are made from protective coats of polyurethane, aluminum oxide, or a combination of both, which are applied to protect the wood from any damage. The latest available factory finishes are already formulated to make hardwood flooring a lot more scratch-resistant. If you happen to purchased unfinished flooring, it will still need to undergo the process of finish as soon as the floors are installed. However, the quality of the finish will not be as good as if it were done in a factory.

Stains

Asian walnut hardwood often comes stained in three different colors. Natural relates to wood that has only got a clear, protective finish in order for the natural color to be valued. This ranges from a light shade to the more common darker colors. Cinnamon-stained, otherwise known as cherry-stained, Asian walnut hardwood boards create a vibrant, reddish shade. On the other side, smoke- or toffee-stained hardwood has a moderately darker hue similar to the natural color of the black walnut wood. As a result, Asian walnut hardwood is usually applied as an alternative since it is fairly more affordable compared to its cousin.

Natural Selection in Color

Since the Asian walnut hardwood shows a large selection of colors, it is advisable to ask for two sample boards so that you can visualize how the finished floors will look like. Many people expect a certain level of uniformity in their flooring, while some enjoy the unique color gradients that Asian walnut hardwood flooring usually display. For a more extensive look at how the finished product will appear, you can try getting a box of boards and start arranging them on your floor. By doing this, you can be more or less sure on whether or not you will be using Asia walnut hardwood for your home. If you made up your mind otherwise, you will have to spend only a fraction of the actual cost of flooring for the entire project.

Natural Grain

Its special loose, whirling grain pattern is also a distinctive feature of Asia walnut hardwood. Depending on your taste, this may tempt you to use this kind of hardwood for your flooring.

The cost of hardwood flooring is often higher if you base them from home improvement stores and local dealers. The latter has the benefit of possible price negotiations and typically giving you free samples. Liquidators and flooring wholesalers both provide you with competitive prices. However, the latter's supply of hardwood flooring cannot be assured and no warranty is usually offered. Floorboard wholesalers give hardwood flooring at more affordable prices and are more reliable stocked. Moreover, most are going to ship free samples to prospective buyers. Be sure to compare suppliers to be able to get the best deal possible.

Asian walnut hardwood floors are a durable, attractive, and budget-friendly alternative for your flooring. When making a decision to purchase flooring, make sure to check out all your options before settling on a particular stain.