American Walnut
Description
American Black Walnut is a North American hardwood that is used for interiors such as furniture, flooring, gunstock blanks, and other wood products. Walnut has a warm rich chocolate brown color with hints of dark purple. Walnut can be steamed or left unsteamed, and generally has a straight grain. Walnut can be easily worked with both hand and machine tools, painted and stained, as well as polished for an exceptional finish. Walnut has a medium density, moderate bending, low stiffness and has good dimensional stability, which means it is one of the most durable hardwoods of North America.
Common Name(s): Black Walnut
Scientific Name: Juglans nigra
Tree Size: 100-120 ft (30-37 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 38 lbs/ft3 (610 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .51, .61
Janka Hardness: 1,010 lbf (4,490 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 14,600 lbf/in2 (100.7 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,680,000 lbf/in2 (11.59 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 7,580 lbf/in2 (52.3 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 5.5%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.4
Drying: Walnut wood can be green to partially air dried, and waxed to prevent cracking or steamed, kiln dried. Walnut lumber is steamed for 85 hours to ensure the consistency of the color and quality of the wood. During the entire drying process, 1″ stickers are used for even air circulation. Boards are then end-coated with wax to slow moisture escape and prevent end-checking.
Sustainability: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) does not list walnut in its appendices.
The Forest Legality Initiative also states that walnut can be exported and traded internationally.
International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) does not list walnut as an endangered species.
Sizes:
Rough Sawn: sold in board size
4/4 refers to a 1-inch-thick (25 mm) board
5/4 refers to a 11/4 -inch-thick (31.8 mm) board
6/4 refers to a 1 ½ -inch-thick (38.1 mm) board
8/4 refers to a 2-inch-thick (51 mm) board
Would you like to talk to a hardwood decking specialist? We would love to help you call 954-404-8011