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Hey guys I'm a real newbie here. I'm dropping 4 black walnut trees in the next couple of weeks and would like to use the wood for hardwood floors. ill be building a new house soon and want to use the wood as best as possible. I guess my questions will start with 1. is it even a good idea to make floors out of this wood or should I turn my efforts toward using the wood for my kitchen cabinets etc.
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Walnut is softer than oak, maple and other woods commonly used for flooring. I have seen some walnut floors and they are beautiful, for sure. But they will wear more quickly in heavy traffic areas than other hardwoods. If it were my trees and my house, I'd have the trees milled and dried for cabinet wood, build my cabinetry with the wood and use something else for flooring. Depending on how much walnut lumber you end up with, you might have enough left over after your cabinets to trade for flooring. It's more sought after and expensive than other common hardwoods these days, and it would probably be an easy trade.
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Walnut would be too soft for flooring unless you have some very gentle usage. My preference is for cabinetmaking. I very much enjoy walnuts for furniture, etc.
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(06-08-2018, 02:28 PM)SteveS Wrote: Walnut would be too soft for flooring unless you have some very gentle usage. My preference is for cabinetmaking. I very much enjoy walnuts for furniture, etc.
I made some Walnut into flooring but used it more as a picture frame, not the entire floor. It is in a bedroom so it isn't subject to heavy traffic. If I was going to use very much, I would take it somewhere and have it milled into flooring. I think the quality will be much better than doing it yourself. That is just my opinion.
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I've seen Walnut used for floors, looks great for about 5 minutes after you clean it.
Shows dust like no other.
As said, better options out there.
Ed
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(06-08-2018, 11:50 AM)tsauntry Wrote: Hey guys I'm a real newbie here. I'm dropping 4 black walnut trees in the next couple of weeks and would like to use the wood for hardwood floors. ill be building a new house soon and want to use the wood as best as possible. I guess my questions will start with 1. is it even a good idea to make floors out of this wood or should I turn my efforts toward using the wood for my kitchen cabinets etc.
I can strongly recommend white oak - BTDT. Also recommend you specify "rift and quartersawn" - makes a beautiful and durable floor.
Doug
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nope. cant be done. now you can donate it to the TOM foundation- a non profit woodworking organizing helping people named TOM in my shop expand their woodworking skills.
any wood can be used for flooring. is it feasable to use walnut? in my opinion, it would be better for something like detailwork in a floor, but a full walnut floor would be quite dark, show every spec of dust, and i think might even make the room appear/feel closed in.
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I think the walnut would look real good as an accent. Perhaps the family monogram in the center of a room?
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I'd say go for it if thats what you want. It would be a beautiful floor.
Soft?? Lol. It would take ten generations to wear through that floor.
Steve
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(06-08-2018, 11:50 AM)tsauntry Wrote: Hey guys I'm a real newbie here. I'm dropping 4 black walnut trees in the next couple of weeks and would like to use the wood for hardwood floors. ill be building a new house soon and want to use the wood as best as possible. I guess my questions will start with 1. is it even a good idea to make floors out of this wood or should I turn my efforts toward using the wood for my kitchen cabinets etc.
You would need to make sure the wood is sufficiently dry. You may be able to get there by having someone kiln dry it, but air drying won't do it, unless the definition of soon is the same as when I tell my wife "I will get to that soon.".
Personally, I would use the walnut for other projects.
In any case make sure the wood is dry.
John
