I get a lot of questions about our Hickory hardwood floors and how they’ve held up over the years with dogs and a busy family. Below I’ve answered the most frequently asked questions. If you have more, ask in the comments and I’ll respond or add them here.
1. What kind of flooring do you have?
We installed Mohawk Natural Hickory hardwood floors. These are prefinished Hickory planks with a wide range of natural color and grain variation that give the floor its striking, mixed appearance.
2. Did you mix light and dark stains to get that look?
No staining was done. The color variation is natural to Hickory — each board has its own unique grain and hue, which creates the dynamic look.
3. Is it finished on site or prefinished?
Our flooring was prefinished. That made installation much quicker and cleaner compared with sanding and finishing on site.
4. Are your floors hard to keep clean?
Not at all. Hickory is very forgiving. Like any floor, it needs regular sweeping and occasional mopping, but we find we dust and sweep far less than we did with darker hardwoods. The grain and variation help hide dust and everyday dirt, so the floors look clean longer between cleanings.
5. Do your wood floors scratch?
All wood floors can get surface scratches over time, especially in an active household with pets. That said, Hickory is a very hard species and has held up extremely well for us. The natural variation in the wood helps conceal minor scratches and wear from daily life.
6. Are your stairs Hickory too?
Yes, our staircase was also done in Hickory. We updated the stairs to match the floors and I love the cohesive look it creates.
7. Do you have any regrets about installing hardwoods?
No regrets. After several years of use I would choose these floors again. They’ve been durable and attractive. We also installed Hickory in my home office more recently and plan to replace the remaining carpet in two upstairs bedrooms with Hickory when possible.