Nothin' like a good piece of Hickory

Clint Eastwood's character, The Preacher, in Pale Rider said it best.  Hickory provides one of Nature's hardest and most durable hardwood floor surfaces available.  If you are looking for a bright flooring option that will give any room a vibrant and chic flair, stand up to the most punishing animals (children included), dishes and glasswear being thrown around at the dinner table, or just plain old heavy foot traffic, hickory might be right up your alley.  The contrasting natural color variation may initially seem counter-intuitive, but instead creates a pleasant calming affect (which may slow down the plate-throwing).  Hickory is also one of the specie where manufacturers may develop their own proprietary grades.  The three basic grades are still present: SELECT, 1COM, 2 COM.  CHARACTER Grade is also very prominent , which is a mix of 1COM and 2COM in the same piece of flooring. MILL RUN (NATURAL), is yet another custom grade where each piece can include any or all characteristics of the three standard grades.  Generally the CHARACTER and MILL RUN/NATURAL grades have longer pieces in the bundles, which make it a little faster to install than the other grades on their own.

                   HICKORY SELECT                                HICKORY  CHARACTER

As with Hard Maple, Hickory requires a lot of patience and time for sanding.  Since it is so hard, the sanding portion of an installation will take quite a while, and should be a factor in the cost of the project.  Because of the unique coloring of each and every piece, this is also a great specie to alternate widths in each row during installation.  Just like the other specie we have discussed, Hickory can be finished in similar fashions: stains, oils, waxes, topcoats only, etc.  If you love the feel of the outdoors, you will also love Hickory floors under your feet in your home.