Which Type of Hickory Flooring Meets Your Needs ?

Prefinished is, perhaps, the most efficient approach to installing this hardwood. All planks are finished and installation involves simply adding them to your floors. Although convenient, prefinished products, hickory included, have significant drawbacks. First, a manufacturer only has a set amount of stains, and one may match your space closely not but exactly. Second, prefinished hardwood does not blend as well with existing materials, although it is ideal for replacing a full floor.

Unfinished hickory provides an opportunity for exactness: You choose your own stain and can blend the flooring better in with the rest of your home. Installation, however, is arduous. If you plan to install hickory on your own, be prepared with the right tools. A belt sander is a crucial component. In order to get an even surface from hickory's closed and rough grain, you must start with an 80-grit belt and sand in the same direction as the grain. Then, to smooth out the surface, change to a 120-grit belt. All finishing touches should be done with a 220-grit belt.

The grain additionally complicates staining. Opening it through water popping makes hickory more receptive to stains. To do this, you should rub down the unfinished hardwood with a damp rag after it has been secured to the floor and, just when it dries, add the stain. Going in the other direction, wood conditioner fully closes the grain. After wood conditioner is spread over the floor, a finish can be added. Multiple coats of a finish may be necessary, and in order to create a smooth appearance, you should go over the dried surface with a floor polisher to reduce the roughness resulting from the grain's texture.