| First maybe I can give you the easy answer. Hickory | | | | plans. Thus it is important to see a large enough |
| hardwood floors are pretty visually exciting. Many of | | | | sample of the floor you are considering to get a clear |
| the grades, particularly the lower ones have a huge | | | | picture of what you are buying in your hardwood |
| variety of colour from almost white to the rich dark | | | | flooring. Hickory as discussed can be quite variable. |
| brown tones of the heart wood giving very dramatic | | | | Now aside from colour, hickory can be a great wood |
| looking hardwood flooring. Hickory, as a commercial | | | | for durability. It is the second hardest domestic wood |
| species, is often a group of trees within one biological | | | | species commonly made into hardwood flooring in |
| family that includes both the 'true hickories' and the | | | | North America. Only mesquite wood flooring is harder |
| 'pecan hickories.' Each member within this family has a | | | | according to the standard Janka ranking system. This |
| different spectrum of colours. It is not just a | | | | feature comes at a price though. |
| question of whether the wood is sap wood or heart | | | | Hickory lumber is quite tough and fibrous; in fact it |
| wood, but also a question of exactly what wood | | | | doesn't really like to cut cleanly especially with a |
| species you are buying. Together they can produce a | | | | semi-dull chisel. Sanding is a challenge, thus we highly |
| quite vibrant and variable looking floor. | | | | recommend that you only purchase pre-finished |
| Interesting enough some wholesalers are coining the | | | | hardwood flooring. Hickory tends to raise a bur and |
| phrase 'calico' hickory to refer to this dramatic | | | | requires additional attention to preparation if you are |
| variation of colour. They guarantee that every piece | | | | to obtain a quality finish. This is easier to do in a |
| of wood will have both the light and dark shades of | | | | multi-million dollar factory than you and I struggling at |
| wood on every face, not that that really matters if | | | | home. That is besides the fact that large |
| we are talking about flooring as only one face shows, | | | | manufactures have the ability to use aluminum oxide |
| but may be more relevant if we are making hickory | | | | additives and UV curing to create a more durable |
| kitchen cabinets. | | | | finish. |
| Earlier we were suggesting that much of this colour | | | | Check out our site at for hickory's janka rank for |
| variation is found in the lower grade, but in addition | | | | hardness relative to other wood species and details |
| to the colour the lower grades will also have | | | | on shrinkage issues related to hickory hardwood |
| significant natural defects like pock marks and knots. | | | | floors that may affect the appropriateness of this |
| This figure creates quite a rustic appearance that | | | | species for various home environments; below grade, |
| emulates country living and lake side property but this | | | | on grade or above grade. |
| is not appropriate to every set of interior decorating | | | | |