Walnut: The Wood of Fine Furniture For Your Doors and Trim

Walnut is a high-quality dark wood often used for furniture and wood trim, like interior doors, kitchen cabinets, and flooring. It has a long history in America. Native Americans considered the walnut tree the wood of mental focus and clarity. Because of its ability to be bent, it was often used in wagon wheels and rockers. Today walnut is most commonly used where its attractive grain and color can be shown.

The wood normally has a fine straight grain and is darker in color. The color ranges from a light brownish tone in the outside sapwood of the logs to a darker almost chocolate tone in the middle heartwood. It is a medium-density hardwood that is durable and decay-resistant. The wood holds moisture well. Because of this, it must be dried carefully to prevent damage to the wood. This ability to hold moisture makes it take stains and finish well.    

It is a large tree that grows one hundred to one hundred fifty feet tall. It grows worldwide but in America, it is more common in the central to eastern regions. Most of the commercial activity with it in America is in the central region.

Even though it is a hardwood it can be machined and worked with easily. Both glues and mechanical fasteners work well with it. Once finished it can be polished with ease. Because of this, it is popular for furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and both exterior and interior doors.