Hickory floors add heaps of style and beauty to any kitchen, and can raise the value of a home as it is a natural wood.
If you take proper care of your hickory floor it will last you a lifetime. If you find your floor looking drab, you can always refinish it. This is one of the biggest advantages of wooden flooring.
With its natural beauty, hickory flooring gives any room a rustic kind of feel. It also provides warmth to your feet, and is ideal for kitchens.
With a Janka (industry standard for wood hardness) rating of 1820, hickory is an extremely hard and strong wood. It is stronger than oak as well as maple.
A notable difference between hickory and maple or oak is that the color variance of hickory is high to extreme. The different grades of hickory ground, especially the lower ones have a wide variety of color from white to dark brown tones. This gives the wood a very dramatic look. Moreover, these color variations are not only between different boards, but often within the same board itself.
Cost of hickory land
You will find that the hickory floor can be quite expensive. The price starts from about $3-4 per square foot, and can go even higher.
Basically the price depends on a number of different factors such as the construction of the wood (if the boards have grooves and tongues for easy installation), size and thickness of the boards, quality of the wood, finish, whether solid hickory or simply engineering.
Whatever it is, and although you may find it expensive, remember in the long run, you will save your money, because the hickory floor is durable and will last a lifetime. You do not need to make any changes or replace. You can easily refine it, to give it a newer look.
Tips for buying hickory land
1. You can buy hickory flooring in different grades. These grades determine the perfection/quality of the wood. Although hickory of the lower grades is cheaper and may have more imperfections, it is closer to the naturalness of the wood, and is ideal for a rustic kitchen.
2. Also, when buying your hickory floor, think about the thickness of the floor. This is important for stability. The thicker boards are stronger and many people prefer them as they feel slightly better.
3. The size of your kitchen determines the size of the wooden planks to be used. A general rule is that for larger rooms longer boards are advisable and for smaller rooms the opposite is true.
4. For a brighter and more spacious kitchen, choose a lighter shade of hickory flooring. It is perfect for a smaller kitchen.
5. Hickory flooring is available in unfinished and pre-finished types. Pre-finished hickory floors are advisable for kitchens as they are processed in factories. This makes them stronger and longer lasting. In addition, they are more resistant to spills, moisture, UV rays and scratches. You’ll likely get better warranty deals with pre-finished hickory flooring.
6. Engineered hickory flooring is a special type of pre-finished hickory flooring. It is a man-made product that is made of layers of plywood that form the core or underside of the floor. The top surface is made of solid hickory. These layers are placed in such a way that the core and the upper part are placed on top of each other. Because of this, the engineered hickory floors are stronger and dimensionally more stable. They are also more resistant to humidity and temperature extremes. They are perfect for kitchens, both at ground level and below.
7. Engineered hickory floor is also more environmentally friendly. This is because plywood is constructed from soft wood that grows quickly and is abundant. Therefore, less hickory is used.
8. You will find a wide variety of styles in hickory flooring.
- Plank flooring – consists of wider, linear hickory planks.
- Strip – which is a linear hickory floor, but it is not so wide.
- Parquet – a series of hickory flooring that is arranged geometrically.
Installation of hickory flooring
Hickory flooring can be installed by gluing, nailing or floating.
It is recommended that you use a professional contractor to handle your hickory floor installation. Hickory reacts to changes in climates throughout the year. It often retracts as conditions dry out, and then expands again as moisture is introduced into the air. As laymen we are not aware of this. The professionals are aware of all these details. In addition they have the necessary expertise to handle any issues that may arise during the installation of hickory flooring.
Maintenance of hickory floor
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to the care and maintenance of your hickory floor.
Hickory flooring requires little maintenance to keep it looking new, beautiful and clean. You simply have to use a broom on it once a day, or as often as needed, and a wet mop with cleaning supplies that are safe for use on wood as needed to keep it clean.
Mop up any spills immediately or water/fluids can seep through the cracks and cause the wood planks to swell.
It is also recommended to place carpet rugs in high traffic areas, such as in front of the stove and the sink, to keep the hickory floor from being worn unnecessarily.
How to get the best price on hickory flooring
BuildDirect seems to be one of the best places to buy hickory flooring from. Besides the best prices, their customer-friendly policies make shopping from them a pleasure.
