Hickory Hardwood Flooring Pros And Cons: Prices, Installation Costand Best Brands

Hickory hardwood flooring has gained significant popularity among homeowners seeking durability and distinctive natural character in their living spaces. As one of the hardest domestic wood species available in North America, hickory offers exceptional resilience against daily wear and tear. This flooring option showcases dramatic color variations and unique grain patterns that create visual interest in any room. Before investing in hickory flooring, it’s essential to understand its advantages, limitations, cost considerations, and installation requirements to determine if it’s the right choice for your home.

Hickory hardwood flooring is crafted from the hickory tree, a species native to North America known for its exceptional hardness and strength. On the Janka hardness scale, which measures wood’s resistance to dents and wear, hickory scores between 1,820 and 1,860, making it one of the hardest domestic wood species available for flooring.

Visually, hickory is distinguished by its dramatic color variations, ranging from creamy white sapwood to reddish-brown or dark brown heartwood, often within the same plank. This natural characteristic creates a rustic, distinctive appearance with prominent grain patterns that many homeowners find appealing for adding character to their spaces.

Hickory flooring is available in solid hardwood planks (typically ¾-inch thick) or engineered formats that feature a hickory veneer over plywood layers. It comes in various widths, finishes, and grades, allowing for customization to match diverse interior design styles from rustic to contemporary.

Pros of Hickory Hardwood Flooring

Exceptional Durability

Hickory ranks among the most durable domestic hardwoods available for residential flooring. Its natural hardness makes it highly resistant to dents, scratches, and everyday wear, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic areas and households with children or pets.

This natural toughness translates to impressive longevity, with properly maintained hickory floors potentially lasting 50-100 years. Unlike softer woods that might require replacement after a decade or two, hickory hardwood represents a truly long-term investment in your home.

Distinctive Aesthetic Appeal

Hickory’s dramatic color variations and bold grain patterns create a visually striking floor that becomes a design feature in itself. The natural color range within individual planks—from pale cream to rich brown—creates a unique, character-rich appearance that’s impossible to replicate with manufactured materials.

This wood species takes stain well while still allowing its natural character to show through. Whether left in its natural state or colored with stains ranging from light to dark, hickory maintains its distinctive personality and visual interest.

Value Addition to Property

Quality hardwood flooring consistently ranks among the home improvements with the best return on investment. Hickory’s premium status and exceptional durability make it particularly attractive to potential homebuyers. Real estate professionals often cite hardwood floors as a feature that can increase property values and decrease time on market when selling.

Versatility in Design

Despite its traditional associations, hickory works surprisingly well in various design contexts. In rustic or farmhouse settings, its natural variations enhance the authentic, lived-in aesthetic. In contemporary spaces, wider planks with lighter finishes can create an unexpectedly modern look while maintaining warmth and texture.

Cons of Hickory Hardwood Flooring

Installation Challenges

The same hardness that makes hickory durable also makes it challenging to install. Cutting, nailing, and working with this dense wood requires specialized tools and expertise. DIY installation is not recommended unless you have significant woodworking experience and proper equipment.

Additionally, hickory’s natural tendency to expand and contract with humidity changes means proper acclimation before installation is crucial. Failure to allow the wood to adjust to your home’s environment for at least 3-7 days can result in problems like warping or gapping after installation.

Higher Cost

Hickory typically commands a premium price compared to more common hardwood species like oak. The combination of its exceptional durability, distinctive appearance, and installation challenges contributes to this higher cost point. While this represents excellent long-term value, the initial investment is higher than many alternative flooring options.

Prominent Grain and Color Variations

What some consider hickory’s greatest aesthetic strength can be viewed as a drawback by others. The pronounced color variations and bold grain patterns may not suit minimalist design preferences or spaces where a more uniform flooring appearance is desired. Hickory’s distinctive character can sometimes compete with other design elements in a room.

Maintenance Considerations

While hickory is resistant to physical damage, its pronounced grain can potentially trap dirt and require more thorough cleaning. The natural expansion and contraction with seasonal humidity changes may be more noticeable in wider planks, requiring consistent climate control to minimize these effects.

Hickory Hardwood Flooring Prices

The cost of hickory hardwood flooring varies based on several factors, including format (solid vs. engineered), plank width, grade, and finish. Expect to pay approximately $5-$9 per square foot for unfinished solid hickory and $7-$12 per square foot for prefinished solid hickory planks.

Engineered hickory flooring generally ranges from $4-$8 per square foot, depending on the thickness of the veneer layer and overall construction quality. Select and premium grades with fewer knots and more consistent coloration will command higher prices than more rustic character grades.

Type	Price Range (per sq. ft.)	Features
Unfinished Solid Hickory	$5-$9	3/4″ thickness, requires on-site finishing
Prefinished Solid Hickory	$7-$12	3/4″ thickness, factory-applied finish
Engineered Hickory	$4-$8	Hickory veneer over plywood core
Wide Plank Hickory (5″+)	$8-$15	Premium pricing for trending wider widths

Installation Costs and Considerations

Professional installation of hickory hardwood flooring typically costs between $3-$8 per square foot depending on your location and project specifics. This price range reflects the additional labor and expertise required to work with this dense, challenging wood species.

Factors that can increase installation costs include subfloor preparation, removal of existing flooring, complex room layouts requiring numerous cuts, and stairway installation. For a typical 500 square foot area, expect installation labor to range from $1,500 to $4,000, not including materials.

Additional considerations that may affect overall project cost include:

• Baseboards and trim work ($1-$3 per linear foot)
• Underlayment materials ($0.50-$1 per square foot)
• Delivery fees for materials ($50-$100)
• On-site finishing for unfinished hickory (additional $3-$5 per square foot)

Professional installation is highly recommended for hickory flooring due to its density and propensity to split if improperly handled. Specialized tools like hardwood floor nailers with appropriate pressure settings are required to properly secure this dense wood without damaging it.

Best Hickory Hardwood Flooring Brands

Bruce Hardwood

As one of the most established hardwood flooring manufacturers, Bruce offers an extensive selection of hickory options in both solid and engineered formats. Their American Originals collection features high-quality hickory planks in various widths and finishes with 25-year warranties. Pricing typically ranges from $5-$9 per square foot.

Shaw Floors

Shaw’s hickory offerings stand out for their premium construction and impressive finish options. Their Epic Plus engineered hickory line features a thick wear layer and their ScufResist Platinum finish for enhanced durability. Shaw’s reputation for quality and their comprehensive warranty coverage make them a reliable, though somewhat premium-priced option ($7-$12 per square foot).

Mohawk

Mohawk’s TecWood engineered hickory collections combine style and practicality with their proprietary ArmorMax finish that provides exceptional resistance to everyday wear and scratching. Their GenuEdge technology allows for detailed beveling that enhances the natural character of the wood. Pricing typically ranges from $6-$10 per square foot.

Somerset

Somerset specializes in Appalachian hardwoods, with their hickory offerings renowned for exceptional grading standards and consistently high quality. Their solid hickory products are 100% manufactured in the United States and feature an impressive 50-year residential warranty. Somerset’s commitment to sustainability and domestic production appeals to environmentally conscious consumers. Expect to pay $7-$11 per square foot.

Hearthwood

This premium brand focuses on engineered hardwood with remarkably thick wear layers. Their hickory collections feature distinctive hand-scraping and wire-brushing techniques that enhance the wood’s natural character. Hearthwood’s meticulous attention to detail and artisan-quality finishes command higher prices ($9-$14 per square foot) but deliver exceptional aesthetic appeal.

Comparing Hickory to Other Hardwood Options

When considering hickory against other popular hardwood species, its exceptional hardness stands out immediately. With a Janka rating of 1,820, hickory significantly outperforms red oak (1,290), white oak (1,360), and maple (1,450) in resistance to dents and wear. Only exotic species like Brazilian cherry (2,350) or cumaru (3,540) exceed hickory’s natural hardness.

Oak remains the most popular hardwood flooring choice due to its moderate price point and relatively consistent appearance. Hickory costs approximately 15-30% more than red oak but offers significantly higher hardness and more distinctive visual character. For homeowners prioritizing durability and unique aesthetics over cost, hickory represents superior value.

Maple offers a more consistent, less dramatic grain pattern compared to hickory, appealing to those preferring a cleaner aesthetic. However, maple’s lighter color shows scratches and dirt more readily than hickory’s varied tones, which can better camouflage minor imperfections and everyday wear.

Maintenance and Care Tips

To maximize the lifespan and appearance of hickory hardwood floors, follow these essential maintenance practices:

• Regular cleaning with a microfiber dust mop or vacuum with a hardwood floor attachment to prevent abrasive particles from scratching the surface
• Prompt cleanup of spills to prevent moisture damage
• Use of furniture pads under heavy pieces to prevent denting
• Maintaining consistent indoor humidity levels (35-55%) to minimize seasonal expansion and contraction
• Periodic cleaning with a manufacturer-approved hardwood floor cleaner
• Refinishing every 7-10 years or as needed to address wear in high-traffic areas

While hickory’s natural hardness provides excellent resistance to physical damage, it’s still vulnerable to moisture issues and UV fading. Area rugs in high-traffic zones and window treatments to limit direct sunlight can help preserve your floor’s appearance over decades of use.