Pros: Walnut is a very strong and stable wood that can take intricate carving. The color can be beautiful. Cons: Some may not like the variation from dark to light that's sometimes found on a single wide board. Walnut is also one of the more costly woods.
Easily damaged.
Walnut wood is not known for its density. Walnut flooring is softer than some other hardwood flooring and can dent, scratch, or scuff if not adequately cared for.
Although it's a durable option, American walnut hardwood flooring is also relatively soft, which means it marks, scratches and dents easily.
After all, they're both materials that are popularly used for hardwood flooring. That being said, oak is a slightly stronger hardwood product than walnut. Oak is one of the stronger and more durable natural wood options available for kitchen cabinets.
Woodworkers value it for its strength, texture, and color. It polishes to an extremely smooth finish and ranges in color from milky white sapwood to dark chocolate heartwood. Natural walnut wood develops a beautiful patina over time.
Durability. Walnut is rated at a 1010 on the Janka Hardness Scale. European Oak is a 1360 on the same scale. This means that Oak is more durable than Walnut and will stand up better against constant use and daily wear and tear.
Due to its premium quality, unique beauty and durability, walnut is considered a high-end wood. In fact, walnut is considered one of the most luxurious non-exotic woods available for home furniture. Walnut is highly desired for its rich, chocolate-brown color, and lends a feeling of luxury to any space.
In addition to its natural beauty, walnut wood is a popular choice for flooring due to its rich and warm colour. It also boasts natural resistance to termites and moisture, and can last for a long time.
Species such as maple and walnut dry at an intermediate rate, ie a 1” walnut board air dried in the south in the summer time will dry in about 120 days, and species such as oak, mesquite, and hickory dry very slowly (ie 1” per year).
It has a solid grain and it's strong making it an ideal choice for dining room tables. It is very easy to repair if damaged, the table can easily be re-sanded and oiled. Walnut is moderately dense and can and will hold up to whatever you throw at it.
Walnut is strong and durable. Walnut is easy to carve to add intricate detail to wood furniture. It won't warp and absorbs shock well. Walnut's color lightens over time (not as intense a change as the darkening of cherry).
The Black Walnut is one of the most expensive and lucrative trees to sell, thanks to its high-quality dark wood. The tree ranges from $5- $10 per board foot, although it can cost more depending on other factors. In most cases, your 20-inch tree can fetch you $700- $800.
Is dark wood making a comeback? 'After many years of lighter-coloured, Scandinavian-inspired woods dominating home trends, darker, more traditional woods – like teak, walnut, and mahogany – have fallen back in favour,' says Etsy's trend expert, Dayna Isom Johnson.
Walnut is lovely wood, especially when carefully air dried so as to preserve the rich chocolate, purple and black tones in the best of it. HOWEVER, It fades like mad in sunlight. Furniture is touched by sunlight. Therefore, the lovely colors of the walnut go away — and it doesn't take centuries.
Moreover, stains tend to wash out the grain, removing bits of character. For this reason, a natural walnut wood product is rarely stained. Instead, walnut furniture tends to get a clear coat finish; either of some type of varnish, wax, oil, or lacquer.
What is the best type of wood material for furniture? Hardwoods are the best type of wood material for furniture. It's a product that is getting harder and harder to find, but hardwood furniture has the beauty and durability that any softwood or engineered wood cannot match.
Walnut is by definition a hardwood. That means it comes from a deciduous tree (i.e. one that sheds its leaves each autumn) called the black walnut, AKA American walnut. Walnut heartwood has a rich, chocolaty brown color.
Walnut's grain is straight and less porous than other species. Once it's been dried, shrinkage is minimal. This means that it will absorb less water and moisture when in use. Walnut is an especially strong choice for humid climates.
Tung oil varnish is a highly popular oil-based finish for walnut that offers excellent durability and water resistance, while simultaneously enhancing the natural beauty of the wood without significantly altering its hue. This type is chosen by many as the best oil finish for walnut.
Specs & Comparison To Other Hardwoods
Given the right growing conditions, black walnut can grow as much as 7-10cm (3 - 4 inches) each year. This steady growth makes for very consistent grain that is durable, very easy to work with, and does not tend to warp or crack over time.