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Steamed Walnut Wide Plank (Face Grain) Countertop
- Steam treatment blends pale sapwood into the heartwood for even color
- Warm golden brown tone without the purple and red of untreated walnut
- Random-width full-length planks made to your dimensions in two to three weeks
Steamed Walnut Wide Plank Butcher Block Countertop
Steaming is a treatment done to raw walnut lumber before it is dried. The wood is held in a steam chamber so that pigment migrates out of the heartwood and into the pale sapwood, reducing the difference between them. The result is a top with far less light-and-dark contrast than natural walnut, in an even warm golden brown. It is the same species and the same wide plank construction, with full-length random-width planks and no finger joints. The difference is entirely in the color.
What makes this countertop different
- Steaming solves the sapwood problem without heartwood-only grading. You get a more consistent color at a price closer to standard walnut than to Premium.
- The tone lands warmer and more golden than untreated walnut, which runs cooler and darker with purple and red in the heartwood.
- That trade is worth stating plainly: steaming gives you evenness and takes away the deep chocolate range. If the dark, varied look is what drew you to walnut, our Premium grade is the one you want.
- Steamed stock is more predictable board to board, which matters when a top has to match cabinetry or run alongside another walnut surface.
- Full-length planks with no butt or finger joints anywhere in the piece.
- Buildable up to 84 inches deep, 138 inches long, and 1-3/4 inches thick.
Where this countertop works best
This is the walnut for projects with a matching requirement. If you are building an island that has to relate to walnut cabinetry, running two separate counters that need to read as one material, or working in a room where a single high-contrast top would fight the flooring, the evenness earns its keep. The golden tone also sits more easily with warm metals and cream cabinetry than natural walnut does. As with any face grain top, knife marks show, so cut on a board, not on the counter.
A note on configuring this top
Because the base color is already uniform, steamed walnut takes stain more predictably than natural walnut, where sapwood and heartwood absorb at different rates. If you are doing a stain match, this is the easier walnut to match to. Wire brushing remains subtle here. That is a function of walnut’s tight grain, not the steaming.
Common questions
Does steaming change the strength of the wood?
No. It is a color treatment applied before drying. Hardness, stability, and workability are the same as untreated walnut of the same grade.
Is the sapwood completely gone?
Blended, not eliminated. Steaming narrows the gap considerably, so what would have been a pale cream streak reads as a lighter passage within the same brown family. You will still see variation, just far less of it.
Which is darker, steamed or Premium?
Premium is darker and cooler: deep chocolate with purple and red in it. Steamed is lighter and warmer, landing in golden brown. They are different looks rather than different intensities of the same look.
Will it lighten with sun exposure?
Like all walnut, yes, though the shift is less noticeable here because the starting point is already warm. Expect the tone to soften over several years rather than change character.
Can you match this to walnut cabinetry?
Often, and more reliably than with natural walnut. Add Stain Match and send us a door sample or a finished offcut. There is a one-time $125 stain match fee per order.
- American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), steam treated
- 1,010 lbf
- Even warm golden brown; sapwood blended toward heartwood
- Wide plank / face grain, flat sawn, random width, full-length planks
- 138 inches
- 84 inches
- 1-3/4 inches
- Domestic (USA)
- 2 to 3 weeks
- CT-WPSW
Your new Hardwood Lumber Company countertop is protected by a one-year warranty against defects in material and workmanship. To ensure your warranty remains valid, any unfinished countertops must be finished and installed within one week of delivery, and you must follow our Countertop Finishing and Installation Guide precisely. Natural wood characteristics, such as minor warping due to environmental changes (often correctable with proper installation) or variations in grain and color, are not considered defects. The warranty does not cover scuffs or scratches on prefinished countertops caused by installation or normal wear and tear. Specific conditions that will void the warranty include not adhering to the finishing and installation guide, failing to support overhangs greater than 10 inches, or not properly protecting cutouts for stoves (from heat) and sinks (from moisture). Additionally, countertops with sink cutouts that have a Mineral Oil Finish or Salad Bowl Finish are not covered under this warranty
----------Order Lead Time
Countertops, Tabletops, and Backsplashes ship in 2 to 3 weeks. Lead times may vary based on order volume and seasonal demand. Please contact our sales team online or by phone at 1-800-798-1269 for questions regarding current order lead times.
Small Item Shipping
Items under 70 lbs and 96 inches long ship via FedEx Ground or UPS Ground. You can select your preferred carrier at checkout.
Large Item Shipping (Freight)
Larger orders are shipped securely on a pallet via motor freight.
- Standard Delivery: With this option, you'll be responsible for unloading your order from the truck.
- Liftgate Service: For easier unloading, select this at checkout. The driver will lower the pallet to the ground. (Note: Typically for items up to 90" long. For items over 90" needing liftgate, please contact us).
- White Glove Delivery: For ultimate convenience with most larger items, choose White Glove Service at checkout. We'll deliver your order directly to your room of choice.
Receiving Damaged Items
Please inspect your order for any damage before signing the delivery receipt.
- Note Damage with Driver: If you see any damage, ensure the driver notes it on the delivery receipt prior to signing. This is very important.
- Significant Damage: If an item appears unusable due to severe damage, please refuse the delivery.
- Contact Us: In any case of damage or refusal, notify us immediately. We'll arrange a prompt replacement.
To keep your hardwood countertop looking its best and performing well for years to come, proper care is essential. If your countertop arrived unfinished, it's crucial to apply a food-safe finish to all surfaces (top, bottom, and all edges) within one week of delivery. For countertops finished with oil, re-apply a quality butcher block oil or conditioner approximately twice a month, or whenever the wood begins to look dry, to keep it hydrated and protected. Clean your countertop regularly with mild soap and warm water, wiping up spills promptly. For disinfection, a diluted white vinegar solution can be used. Avoid abrasive cleaners and never let water stand on the surface for extended periods. For specialized finishes like Rubio Monocoat, use the recommended cleaning and maintenance products to preserve its unique properties.
Steamed Walnut
The sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. Walnut is generally straight-grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. Walnut works easily with hand and machine tools, and nails, screws and glues well. It holds paint and stain very well for an exceptional finish and is readily polished. Our Steamed Walnut contains up to 40% sapwood. The steaming process extracts color and disperses it throughout the sapwood, resulting in a warm golden brown color. This color is blended through the steaming process.
