How to Install Brazilian Walnut Hardwood Flooring

Brazilian walnut hardwood flooring is a premium, high-end wood flooring product, noted for its beauty, hardness and durability. As it is an exotic wood, there are certain things you need to know about it in order to make a decision about whether it is appropriate for your particular situation.

Where It Comes From

Brazilian walnut (scientific name Tabebuia serratifolia) grows throughout the Central and South American rain forest. As the name suggests, it is harvested primarily in Brazil, but is also harvested throughout its range, which includes the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It is one of the biggest trees in the rain forest, growing to a height of 150 feet (50 m) with a base diameter from four to seven feet (1.3 to 2.2 m). It uses several trade names; it is called ipe (a term shared by other members of genus Tabebuia) and lapacho (a name unique to the species). Due to its extreme hardness, it is often referred to as ironwood (but not to be confused with the ironwood tree that grows in the North American Sonoran Desert).

The Brazilian walnut product is so called because the lumber resembles walnut in color and grain. It does not produce walnuts. Because of its height, it serves as the top layer in the rain forest’s triple canopy, which allows it to receive ample sunlight for photosynthesis. Its rather slow growth rate makes it a very dense, tightly grained wood. This is where the wood’s hardness comes from.

Brazilian walnut has a Janka rating of 3680, making it one of the hardest woods available. Its hardness gives it fire rating of Grade A, making it comparable to concrete and cement in that regard.

The product’s unique characteristics make it extremely useful in both residential and commercial applications. Its warm, dark appearance gives the room a very cozy ambiance; because it is an oily wood, it maintains an excellent sheen and is easy to maintain. Its hardness allows it to be used successfully in high-traffic areas; any place where one wants the ambiance of a walnut product, and needs the floor to stand up to heavy traffic, including hand trucks and high heels, is a great place for one of these Brazilian walnut hardwood floors. The product resists moisture and pests very well.

The product does have some installation quirks. Because it is so hard, it tends to dull cutting tools, and is very difficult to nail. If nailing is done, it is necessary to pre-drill the nail holes in order to set the nails properly.

Because it is a tropical, wet-climate wood, there can be problems using it in a low-humidity environment. To mitigate these problems, the wood must be “over dried” in a kiln during processing. In addition, it must be given time to equalize (match temperature and humidity with its surroundings) on site before it is installed. Because Brazilian walnut tends to shrink in low humidity, the product should be equalized during the most arid part of the year.

If these considerations are taken into account, your Brazilian Walnut Hardwood Flooring can become a joy to its owner and a conversation piece for decades.