Each type of hardwood flooring has unique qualities and advantages that you should consider while choosing one for your house.
Hickory flooring is finicky, attractive, tough to work with, incredibly durable, environmentally sensitive, oversold, and occasionally unable to meet expectations. Compared to other flooring alternatives like teak and American walnut, hickory is renowned for its durability and minimal care requirements.
It also has a distinctively fashionable appearance. Hickory is a very adaptable flooring material that can blend in with almost any type of room since it has incredibly distinctive grain patterns and color variations that range from creamy whites to medium and dark browns.
Hickory flooring is a popular home choice because of its unique grain patterns and durability. If you require flooring that will withstand wear and tear, this is the best option because it’s one of the toughest wood flooring alternatives available in the US.
Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to hickory for every benefit.
Advantages of Hickory Wood Flooring
Are you considering every flooring choice you have? A list of advantages and disadvantages can sometimes help you decide by reducing the disparities. First, let’s discuss the benefits of hickory hardwood flooring:
Aesthetics: The distinctive beauty of hickory flooring is characterized by unique wood grains, knots, mineral streaks, and color variations within individual boards. These natural elements contribute to the rustic charm and unique appeal of hickory. Wider planks accentuate the intricate patterns and character of hickory wood, making them ideal for flooring.
Durability: When it comes to durability, hickory excels. Hickory receives an outstanding score of 1820 out of 4000 on the Janka hardness scale, which gauges a wood’s resistance to wear and denting.
For comparison, the Janka scores of teak, maple, and white oak are 1155, 1450, and 1360, respectively. Because of this, hickory is perfect for high-traffic spaces like dining rooms, living rooms, and hallways—more on that later.
Versatility: Hickory provides versatility in terms of installation and personalization and is offered in solid and engineered boards. Since solid hickory may be sanded and refinished several times, its look can be updated over time. Because of its sturdy core, engineered hickory may be installed in places with greater humidity levels, such as basements. This feature expands its applicability in the home.
Disadvantages of Hickory Wood Flooring
Cost: When it comes to hardwood, hickory is regarded as a mid-range choice. While it’s not as costly as teak, walnut, and cherry, it’s also often more expensive than birch, oak, and maple. The supplies alone will usually cost you between $3 and $8 per square foot, and if you hire a professional, installation will cost you between $3 and $5 per square foot. Even though it’s not the least expensive flooring choice, its longevity makes it a wise purchase, particularly in locations that will experience high traffic levels over time.
Installing: Cutting and sanding this hardwood takes more work than other, softer woods. However, this does not imply that it is impossible to succeed without expert assistance. If you have the proper equipment for the work, you can complete it if you have expertise with do-it-yourself projects.
However, if you don’t want to take any chances with something as costly and time-consuming as installing flooring for your home, it’s often a good idea to hire a professional.
