Asian walnut hardwood floors are one of the most unique hardwood species available on the market today. Often referred to as Acacia, this walnut hardwood flooring is obviously harvested in Asia. Asian walnut hardwood floors have become increasingly popular in recent years. Although oak is still the number one selling wood flooring, exotic species like Asian walnut and Brazilian cherry have come a long way to become the top wood flooring options. If you are looking for a very different flooring that is considered a centerpiece for your room or home, Asian walnut hardwood flooring is worth considering. There are several things you need to know when considering the exotic Asian flooring species, Acacia Walnut.
Most Asian walnut floors are offered with a factory finish. Factory Finish means that the factory has applied multiple protective layers of polyurethane, aluminum oxide, or a combination of both. These finishes protect the floor from minor scratches and wear. Of course, any wood floor can be scratched, but today’s factory finishes are much better than 20 years ago. The best option is to find an acacia wood floor with an aluminum oxide finish or a combination of aluminum oxide and polyurethane. If you buy an unfinished Asian walnut hardwood floor, you will need to apply the protective finish after installation in your home. This type of home finish is not very comparable to a factory finish, as an installer cannot duplicate the heat and pressure on the boards in the same way as a manufacturing process in a factory.
Asian Walnut is generally available in 3 colors or tints. Natural is the most common color. Natural is not actually dyed but has a protective finish. Natural Asian walnut planks will have a wide variety of color ranges from dark to light. However, darker colors will be a bit more predominant. Another commonly sold color is cinnamon or sometimes called cherry. This color has light red tones to give it an elegant and semi-formal look. Cinnamon is a very rich and deep stain. The final color you may find is a stain sometimes called Smoke or Toffee. Smoke-stained Asian walnut floors look very similar to another species, black walnut. The stain isn’t really black or extremely dark, but it has a darker, deeper hue than the other colors you’ll find. A smoke stain, Asian Walnut is a good alternative to its cousin, Black Walnut, as the Asian version may be priced a bit lower.
One tip to remember when obtaining Asian walnut wood flooring samples is to order two samples. Asian walnut or acacia wood has highly variable characteristics between each board. Two samples will give you a much better idea of what the floor will look like. Another suggestion is that once you have decided to choose a specific color or distributor, buy a box first. When you get the box, place it loosely in an area of your home to make sure you like the color and style. You may or may not be able to return the box to the dealer, but your initial investment will be much less than if you had purchased the entire job. If for whatever reason you don’t like acacia hardwood flooring, you’ll only be out of about $ 100 instead of thousands.
Some design and construction notes to consider are the characteristics of Asian walnut hardwood floors. Most of the time, Asian Walnut is a solid 3/4 “board that is designed for a nailed installation. Asian Walnut wood flooring species also have a distinctive grain pattern. Large swirls and a loose grain structure give a Asian Walnut one of the most unique looking of any wood species sold today. This unique grain pattern works great in rooms and large areas. Another feature of Asian Walnut or Acaica hardwood floors is that the The length of the boards does not typically exceed 4 ft. The tree itself is not a tall growing tree, so the boards tend to be slightly shorter than traditional walnut trees. A final note on the Asian properties of walnut. acacia is that it has a very high rating on the Janka scale, which is around 2300. The Janka scale is a measure used to determine the hardness of a hardwood species. ro, the harder the wood will be. At 2,300, Asian walnut is much harder than common oaks, which are around 1,300 or so. As a reminder, any hardwood floor can be dented, scratched, scuffed, etc., however the harder the wood, the stronger it is.