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 remains the #1 selling hardwood flooring, exotic species such as Asian walnut and Brazilian cherry have made great strides to become leading hardwood flooring choices. If you are looking for a very distinctive floor that would be considered a centerpiece for your room or home, Asian Walnut hardwood flooring is worth considering. There are several things to know when considering exotic Asian Acacia Walnut flooring species.
Most Asian Walnut floors are offered with a factory finish. Factory finish means that the factory has applied multiple protective coats of polyurethane, aluminum oxide, or a combination of both. These finishes protect the floor from minor scratches and wear. Of course, any hardwood floor can be scratched, but today’s factory finishes are much better than they were 20 years ago. The best option is to find an acacia hardwood floor with an aluminum oxide finish or a combination of aluminum oxide and polyurethane. If you purchase unfinished Asian walnut hardwood floors, you will need to apply the protective finish after installation in your home. This type of in-home finish is not very comparable to a factory finish, as an installer cannot duplicate the heat and pressure of the plates the same as a manufacturing process in a factory.
Asian walnut is usually available in 3 colors or stains. Natural is the most common color. Actually, the natural does not stain but has a protective finish. Natural Asian Walnut tabletops will have a wide variety of color ranges from dark to light. However, the darker colors will be a bit more predominant. Another commonly sold color is Cinnamon or sometimes called Cherry. This color has slight red undertones to give 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 actually black or extremely dark, but it’s a deeper, darker shade than the other colors you’ll find. A smoke stain, Asian Walnut is a nice alternative to its cousin, Black Walnut, as the Asian version can be priced a bit less.
One tip to remember when obtaining Asian Walnut hardwood flooring samples is to order two samples. Asian walnut or acacia wood has very different characteristics between each board. Two samples will give you a much better idea of what the floor will look like. Another tip is once you’ve decided to go with a specific color or dealer, buy a box first. When you get the box, place it loose in one 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 work. If for some reason you don’t like acacia hardwood flooring, you’ll only lose around $100 instead of thousands.
Some design and construction notes to consider are the characteristics of Asian walnut hardwood floors. Almost always, Asian Walnut is a solid 3/4″ board that is designed for nail-in installation. The Asian species of walnut hardwood flooring also has a distinct grain pattern. Large swirls and a loose grain structure make Asian Walnut is one of the most unique looking of any wood species sold today.This unique grain pattern works great in large rooms and areas.Another feature of Asian Walnut or Acaica hardwood flooring is that the boards generally do not exceed 4 feet in length.The tree itself is not a tall growing tree, so the boards tend to be a bit shorter than traditional pecan trees.A final note on Asian properties of the acacia nut is that it ranks very high on the Janka scale, which is around 2300. The Janka scale is a measure used to determine the hardness of a species of hardwood. or, the harder the wood will be. At 2,300, Asian walnut is much harder than common oaks, which are around 1,300. As a reminder, any hardwood floor can suffer from dents, ie rattling, scratching, etc., however, the harder the wood, the stronger it is.