Difference Between Walnut And Cherry Wood
Difference Between Walnut And Cherry Wood
Selecting the right wood for your furniture, flooring, and cabinets requires knowledge of each wood’s unique characteristics. Cherry and Walnut wood are both excellent choices for any of these applications or even for all three. But, how do you determine which one is the best fit for your home and décor?
Cherry wood stands out for its reddish-brown hues, which deepen over time making it an exquisite option for sophisticated dining furniture.
In contrast, Walnut wood offers a rich deep brown color that looks especially striking with a natural or linseed oil finish making it a great choice for impressive dining furniture.
Both woods deliver effortless style, beauty and durability, but they also come with their own set of pros and cons. As each home has unique requirements only you can determine which wood best meets your needs.
Therefore, it is essential to examine each wood’s characteristics when it comes to furniture, flooring, and cabinetry. By doing so, you can make an informed decision and choose the ideal wood that will enhance your home’s beauty and functionality.
Walnut Vs Cherry Wood: Appearance
Walnut and cherry wood are two popular options for furniture making. While walnut wood is known for its shades of dark brown, cherry wood has a reddish-brown hue that lightens over time.
The heartwood of walnut is a deep, chocolate-brown that is preferred by many, but not all, due to its unique look. In contrast, the heartwood of cherry is light with a pinkish-brown hue when freshly cut, but darkens to a reddish-brown over time, as it is exposed to sunlight.
In terms of grain patterns, walnut wood is dense with a tight, straight grain pattern that is occasionally interrupted by interlocking. This makes it an ideal choice for furniture due to its smooth finish on polishing. On the other hand, cherry wood has a straight grain with a moderate degree of curliness, and a fine texture. The surface of cherry wood has a moderate, natural luster.
While both types of wood have their unique characteristics and are used for furniture making, it ultimately depends on personal preference and the specific design needs.
Walnut Vs Cherry Wood: Durability
Both walnut and cherry wood are beautiful and moderately durable, with their own unique properties that make them suitable for different applications. In terms of hardness, walnut is slightly harder than cherry with a Janka hardness rating of 1,010 lbf compared to cherry’s 950 lbf.
Walnut has a natural luster that is highly sought after by woodworkers, which means it is usually not stained with solid colors. While it has moderate resistance to decay, it is not particularly resistant to insect attacks. However, it is a long-lasting type of wood that can be used for various indoor applications.
Cherry wood, on the other hand, is also a hard wood but slightly softer than walnut. It requires additional precautions to protect it from abrasions and scratches especially in high-traffic areas like flooring.
Cherry wood does not do well outdoors because it lacks natural protective oils that some other hardwoods possess. Therefore, it is primarily used for indoor applications.
Overall, both woods are moderately durable, strong and heavy, with unique characteristics that make them suitable for different purposes. While walnut is slightly harder and more resistant to decay, cherry has its own aesthetic appeal and requires additional care to maintain its beauty.
Walnut Vs Cherry Wood: Maintenance
To keep walnut wood in good condition, you should clean it regularly with a lint-free cloth. While walnut can last a long time if protected from direct sunlight it is not a good option for outdoor furniture as it is not very resistant to insects.
Indoor use is recommended and applying an insect-resistant polish or sprinkling salt on the surface can help extend its life.
Cherry wood has a beautiful deep reddish-brown color that develops when exposed to direct sunlight. However, extended exposure to the sun can cause the wood to become damaged, so it’s important to avoid overexposing cherry wood furniture or flooring to sunlight.
If you do so, it may result in irregular darkening of the wood. As a result, it is best to use cherry wood for indoor furniture or in areas where it will not be exposed to excessive sunlight.
Walnut Vs Cherry Wood: Workability And Uses
When it comes to workability and uses, walnut and cherry woods have some similarities and differences. Walnut wood, especially black walnut, is a durable and versatile type of wood that is easy to work with. It is hard, but can still be carved and steam bent with ease.
It also takes glue and finish well, as well as nails and screws. Walnut is commonly used for furniture, flooring, and cabinetry.
On the other hand, cherry wood is also easy to work with but has a tendency to chip in knotty areas or where the wood grain interlocks. Despite this, cherry wood responds well to both hand and machine tools and can be used for fine carvings.
Like walnut, cherry wood takes glue and finish well and can be nailed and screwed. It is often used for furniture, cabinetry, and millwork.
Overall, both walnut and cherry woods are great options for woodworking, but they have their unique properties that need to be considered when selecting the right wood for a project.
Walnut Vs Cherry Wood: Price
Walnut and Cherry Wood are two popular varieties of wood in the US, with Walnut being slightly less available. Walnut is sought after due its good looks, durability and high price while Cherry Wood is mainly used for making cabinets and furniture and its prices range from mid to upper range.
While both have their fair share of advantages, it is the price factor that tends to differentiate them with Walnut priced higher than Cherry wood.