Staining Hickory Wood

Hickory is a very fibrous wood but its staining and finishing characteristics are quite similar to oak. In my own flooring business natural wood floors i have been asked to stain many maple and hickory floors when refinishing but i usually tell my customers no. This characteristic causes uneven absorption which inevitably leads to splotchy results.
staining hickory wood

Natural Hickory Barstool With Arms Seat Standard Finish

Natural Hickory Wood Samples

Allen Roth Barrel Hickory 6 14 In W X 4 52 Ft L Handscraped Wood

Finishing hickory wood will require a top coat with a very specific type of product.

Staining hickory wood. That usually makes them unhappy but the reason is that the grains in both maple and hickory flooring can be very hard in spots and very soft in others. Hickory is one of the hardest of all hardwoods. But with this said i would strongly advice against staining hickory. Sand the surface of the hickory on a hand block with short strokes always with the grain.

A couple customers wanted a fruit wood stain that i get from sherwin. Hickory is a hard durable wood comparable to maple. The fruit wood color goes really nice with the hickory. Let us know how this all comes out.

Finish hickory wood with help from an experienced contractor in this free video clip. Staining and clear coating solid hickory stair treads duration. Hickory has a tendency to polish when it is sanded causing even more problems with stain penetration. Stain will not penetrate easily into hickory and absorbs at different rates resulting in blotchy stain.

It has strong colors and a tight grain. While many homeowners choose not to stain this wood but rather to display its unique hues and coloring theres no reason why you cant stain it any color you like. Staining the floors brings out this feature but its a lengthy procedure because the surface must be sanded and conditioned to seal any imperfect grain and prevent blotches. It just all wipes off leaving minimal color.

I have hickory cabinets that i bought with the intent of staining a moderately dark reddish brown to go with adjacent woodwork but found that the wood isnt accepting the regular oil based stain except in the softest parts of the grain. If you are dead set on staining your best bet is to choose a light color of stain. Hickory stains just fine and accepts the stain even. Beautiful hickory crotch wood on the wood mizer lt10.

It has closed pores and a tight grain. Anything that works for oak work well. Hickory is extremely beautiful and does not requirw any help feom stain to look stunning. Introduction to hickory and oak oakiemac.

Hickory is ill suited for stain because the wood grains are very hard in some spots and soft in others. Here are some important tips on how to stain hickory flooring.