Why Choose Hickory Flooring
Choosing your hardwood flooring doesn't have to be stressful, however, you shouldn't take it lightly. There are many hardwood species available for flooring, so many that the decision can sometimes feel overwhelming. That being said, here are some reasons why you should consider hickory hardwood flooring above all other hardwood species.
Strength and Resistance There are many reasons why homeowners choose to install hickory flooring in their homes and perhaps the greatest of these many reasons is the strength and resistance of hickory over almost all other hardwoods. While other species are fragile and soft hickory is tough and strong.
In fact, hickory is one of the hardest hardwood species and is second only to mesquite. Its strength makes it the ideal choice for a flooring material specifically for hall ways, family rooms and kitchens.
Hickory is so strong that it resists dents from falling pots and pans and scratches from high heeled shoes. For a busy family and active lifestyle this is the hardwood that is going to hold up best under busy feet.
Color
What's more important color and style or durability? With most hardwoods you'll find yourself faced with making this decision. One species might be beautiful but soft while another is durable but not quite as aesthetically pleasing for your home. Good news, with Hickory you don't have to sacrifice style for durability or vise versa. Hickory comes in a variety of colors and grain patterns, from the lightest tan to the richest reds with everything in between. Grain patterns can be soft and smooth or harsh and rugged. With hickory you can have your cake and eat it too; both durability and a color pattern perfect for your home and decor. We're confident you'll find the perfect color and style hickory for your home. For the modern or contemporary home, high grade hickories look perfect and for the vintage home or backwoods cottage, check out low grade hickory; it'll give your home that rustic touch you've been looking for.
It's obvious that when you choose hickory flooring, it's a win-win. Not only is it beautiful but it's strong, resistant and wears well too. You're home will look beautiful and your floors will hold up for years and years to come.
Approaches for Installing and Finishing Hickory Flooring
Contrasting shades makes a floor stand out, and for domestic hardwoods, hickory has such a quality. While many domestic species have a close to uniform appearance, hickory is characterized by tan to reddish heartwood and white to cream-colored sapwood. Although higher grades may have more of a uniform appearance, lower grades play up the contrasting heartwood and sapwood.
Hickory hardwood is practical, as well, for flooring. In terms of physical composition, While these qualities make hickory desirable for flooring, the hardwood has a handful of noticeable drawbacks: the high density makes sawing, sanding, and machining difficult, and the closed grain has tendency to give finish a blotched appearance.Â
First, for a smooth surface, hickory must be sanded with a belt sander. Preferably, an 80-grit belt should be used for the majority of the job, while a 120-grit belt can smooth the surface and a 220-grit belt is ideal for finishing touches. As far as adding your own stain or finish is concerned, however, clear or a lighter shade keeps the contrasting appearance intact, while a darker color obscures it. When dealing with standard unfinished hickory flooring, a homeowner has two options for getting around this difficulty: wood conditioner or water-popping. Wood conditioner seals off the grain, while water-popping involves wiping down the wood with a damp cloth to open its grain.
Hand-scraped hickory flooring is a third option. Hand-scraped hardwoods, in general, do not have a smooth appearance like standard unfinished flooring. Instead, all planks are distressed by hand, and the rougher or aged appearance camouflages blotching better.
Not all hand-scraped hickory hardwood is the same. With different varieties are available, the hardwood is altered through aging, brushing or scraping, or adding a darker finish to accent the distressing. Additionally, although hand-scraped hickory can be purchased directly, the hardwood can be custom distressed before a finish is added.
Bella Cera Hardwood Floors 400 Oyster Point Blvd, Suite 115 So. San Francisco, CA 94080 Tel.866.599.7999 Fax.650.873.4316 www.bellacerafloors.com/hardwood-flooring /Hickory-hardwood-flooring.aspx