Flooring in Focus Part II: Tuscan American Black Walnut

Our Tuscan American Black Walnut flooring is honestly some of the most beautiful wood flooring I have ever come across in my life -- mind I do lean towards dark woods it has to be said.

Rich dark and chocolaty tones, satin veneered to a wholesome sheen is truly striking in this little number.

American Black Walnut is actually one of the softer solid wood flooring species, with a Janka Rating of just 1010. This gives it a softer feeling under-foot than Teak or Mahogany.

That said: like most solid wood floors, -- all if you shop at McKay Flooring -- American Black Walnut flooring is a floor that will last a lifetime, in fact according to the National Flooring Association solid wood floors like American Black Walnut will last forever if properly cared for (signup here to receive a free e-book on how to care for your solid wood floor).

American Black Walnut is the perfect floor for those who have a natural coal fire, or those who have a living flame effect fire. In such rooms, where the cosy warm glow ripples on the walls, American Black Walnut adds to the cosiness and the warm feeling it gives inside on a winters day.

Tuscan American Black Walnut is fantastic value for money at just £129.34 per pack, and you can buy it online at the McKay Flooring shop.

If you want to see it before you buy, request a sample, or stop by the showroom at Glasgow, Livingston or London for a full display of its qualities.

Wood Flooring in Focus Part I: Caledonian Birch

Caledonian Birch is one of the lighter wood flooring products in the range.  Appearance wise, Caledonian Birch wood flooring is  some of the most beautiful of all the wood species. Light wood mingles with darker shades of olive to give a rich-feel – especially when properly varnished and polished.

It is also one of the toughest; the Janka rating for maple species ranges from 1450 to 1500. Read this post on the Janka rating to find out more about what the Janka measure of durability is.

Suffice to say; with ratings of over 1400, Caledonian Birch wood flooring is the kind of floor that will last you a lifetime.

“Caledonian Birch is one of my favourite flooring products of all time,” said Richard Mckay of Mckayflooring.co.uk, one of the UK’s largest wood flooring distributors and contractors in the UK.

“Its solid and durable enough to last a lifetime and beyond, yet softer to the touch that other solid wood floors, like Teak and Mahogany, which makes it gentler under foot and gives it better heat retaining qualities,” he explained

Finally, another good thing about Caledonian Birch is that it represents some of the longest standing British history of all wood species.

Caledonian Birch comes from the Caledonian Forest.

The Caledonian Forests were formed at the end of the last ice age. Trees began to re-colonise what is now the British Isles over a land bridge which is now beneath the English Channel. Forests of this type were found all over what is now the island of Great Britain for a short period, before the climate began to slowly warm and the pinewoods retreated north into the Scottish Highlands, the last remaining climatic region suitable for them in the British Isles (see Climate of Scotland). Source: Wikipedia

Caledonian Birch is exported all around the world, just like we import tropical woods like Teak from Latin America. It is such a beautiful wood floor that it should not be hidden under rugs, and you can buy it online today.

Tropical Hardwood: Understandably Popular Flooring that Lasts a Lifetime

The massive popularity of hardwood flooring in the UK and around the world, as well as the massive growth therein, is evidenced in the massive growth in tropical hardwood investment products over the past few years.

Demand for tropical hardwoods has multiplied nearly 25 times in the last four decades as global populations expand. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation consumption of industrial wood will rise a further 60% over the next 25 years.

Tropical hardwood investments are highly lucrative, because the demand for tropical hardwood flooring continues to grow massively, whilst the supply will always be limited by the very nature of the beast.

It is little wonder then, that a growing number of individuals, endowments and pension funds are including tropical hardwood products as a hard asset in their portfolios, including Harvard University, which has invested 12% ($500million this year) of its endowment fund in timber.

Bringing it back to flooring, the following species used in popular wood-flooring products are tropical hardwood species:

• Walnut
• Cherry
• Mahogany
• Redwood
• Chestnut
• Tigerwood
• Teak
• and more

Tropical hardwood floors are some of the most striking in appearance and hard-wearing of all wood flooring products, as you can see from the images of Tuscan American Black Walnut flooring here.

Unfortunately they are also some of the most expensive, but in terms of value for money, there are few wood species as strong as tropical hardwood species.

Tropical hardwood is used in solid wood flooring products only, and these floors will last a lifetime if properly looked after. These are the kinds of floors that are frequently reclaimed in Victorian houses etc, because they will just last forever – again, if properly looked after.

Another great thing about tropical hardwood and solid wood flooring is that the look can be changed. Initially varnish can be applied, and then, because the wood is so strong, the varnish can be sanded down and a new, different shade of varnish applied, changing the look of the floor.

If you are in the market for wood flooring, and want a floor that will last a lifetime, and possibly add value to your property, then tropical hardwood, and some other types of solid wood flooring is the way to go.