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.
Even if you'll be using a table daily, walnut is very strong and will stand up against the wear and tear of daily life so long as you take care of it properly. Any table will take on wear over time, but unlike softer woods, walnut will not dent or scratch unless something out of the ordinary happens.
As a general rule of thumb when selecting the best wood, hardwoods will be more durable than softwoods and will last longer. Most hardwoods used in the United States for wooden table tops are white oak, red oak, hard maple, cherry, and walnut.
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.
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.
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. It holds up well resisting significant dents or dings.
Black walnut wood is coveted for its colors and striations as much as its heartiness and durability. A black walnut piece of furniture will last for decades to come (if taken care of). But black walnuts aren't just pretty as furnishings. The trees themselves are beautiful and larger than life.
They are a very hard nut, and no, you're not going to easily crack them with one of those simple tabletop nutcrackers you see in a bowl of holiday nuts on the coffee table at Christmas time. That is just not the best tool for the job, and if you try to crack them that way you'll likely come to the same conclusion…
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.
Real or solid wood is more expensive than composite wood (usually labeled as “engineered” or “manufactured” wood). It's also heavier and more durable. Glass and marble tops are more expensive still, and make a big visual impact — but they're harder to maintain, and are not able to be made extendable.
A lacquer finish can give wood a beautiful, deep shine. It is also one of the most durable finishes available, making it a good choice for high-traffic areas such as dining tables. Lacquer is also heat resistant, making it a good option for use on dining tables.
Transitional styles vary greatly, but typically favor table top thicknesses in the mid-range, from 1" to 1 ¾". Not excessively thick or thin, but well-proportioned to the interior space. Larger, more rustic pieces may work well with a thicker top.
Walnut is more expensive as it is a bit rarer due to natural limitations such as size. Ash, Maple, and Cherry are more abundant as they grow larger but have highly sought after aesthetics in the grain which make them less expensive than Walnut but more expensive than some hardwoods.
Care and Maintenance of Walnut
All walnut pieces need a good regular dusting. It's best to avoid commercial cleaners. These can leave residue on lacquered wood or damage oil and wax finishes. Oil finished furniture does best with the application of natural linseed oil once a year.
Though walnuts can be eaten as it is by removing the outer shell, the best way to have them is by soaking overnight. Just soak 2-4 walnut pieces overnight in a cup of water and have them first thing in the morning. Soaking walnuts helps in reducing the bad cholesterol levels in the body.
You can tell walnuts are turning old if they are rubbery or shriveled. They have turned rancid if they have a strange odor similar to paint thinner. Throw away rancid walnuts! Store shelled or unshelled walnuts safely in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
The outermost portion of the tree known as the sapwood because it carries the trees nutrients is typically a pale blonde color, though it can also be yellow-gray as well. Unlike cherry, maple, and oak (which all darken in color as they age), walnut wood will actually lighten slightly over time.
Wood Furniture
Hardwoods like teak tend to last years (50+) longer than softwoods (20+) like cedar or pressure-treated pine.
Grade: First and Seconds (FAS)
This is the highest grade, and NHLA states for all lumber the following: 83.3% clear of defect on both faces.
Why is walnut so costly? Walnut is a scarce and slow-growing tree, consequently causing its price point to be higher than other varieties of wood. This is due to its remarkable grain patterns and deep, dark color that is so highly desired.