Engineered Hickory Flooring
Engineered Hickory Flooring
Engineered Oak Flooring
Engineered Walnut Flooring
Engineered Maple Flooring
Hickory is known for a varied appearance of tan to reddish heartwood and white to cream-colored sapwood. Although the variation of colors changes with spring and summer woods, hickory has closed, rough grain with some definition and has a Janka scale rating of 1820.
This high rating makes hickory flooring difficult for hand and power tools, and less typical methods need to be taken for sanding and finishing. Although the wood holds screws well, the tongues tend to split when nailed, and the wood is difficult to stain. Heavy-duty power tools, such as a belt sander, and wood conditioner may be needed for installation.
Hickory comes in solid and engineered varieties. The latter allows hickory hardwood to be added to any floor of your home. Engineered hickory flooring can be installed on, above, or below grade and is composed of three to nine layers, or veneers, of natural hardwood. The top is high-quality hickory hardwood, and the rest are of the same or different species. With each glued together, each veneer has the grain going in a different direction, which allows engineered hickory flooring to expand and contract less than its solid hardwood counterpart.In addition to installation above, on, or below grade, engineered hickory flooring can be placed on top of any subfloor, including concrete. The number of layers, in most cases, is inconsequential, unless the hardwood is installed over radiant in floor heat. More layers offer better stability against humidity and high temperatures.
Engineered hickory is sold by nearly all manufacturers in unfinished and prefinished varieties. Before you choose a type of engineered flooring, consider the size of the top veneer, also known as the “wear layer,” and how much sanding and finishing the floor will need. Engineered flooring can be sanded several times, and a larger wear layer may meet your needs.
Hickory flooring can be sanded and refinished with waterborne or oil-based finishes. Thinner when applied, a waterborne finish requires four coats, and oil-based needs three, and sanding must be done in between. Engineered hickory flooring is 1/4ths to 3/4ths of an inch thick, with the wear layer being 0.6mm to 3/16ths of an inch thick. Choose a thicker wear layer if you expect more sanding will be needed.
