Hickory vs. Maple

The benefits of Hickory vs. Maple floors

When you’re choosing the hardwood species for a new floor, Hickory and Maple both offer lots of benefits. Floors made from Hickory or Maple will be among the hardest floors you can find, making them ideal for high-traffic locations. But beyond their density, Hickory and Maple are fairly different in appearance, providing a distinct contrast in hues, grain patterns and consistency. Here’s a quick guide to the benefits of Hickory vs. Maple floors.

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Hickory: tough and handsome

Hickory is one of the densest floors available, with a tensile strength that rivals steel. Hickory has a big personality and its highly varied and distinct grain patterns may be too bold for some homeowners. Wide plank Hickory floors are especially dramatic, as the complexity of the graining is on full display.

. The hues in a Hickory floor can range from light beige to cocoa brown and can be tamed with a stain if a subtler color palette is desired. Hickory feels right at home in a wide range of decor styles – everything from modern California bungalows to rustic lake-side retreats.

Maple: neutral and easy-going

The lighter hues and finer grain of Maple floors make it the perfect choice for a more neutral floor that can work well with a wide range of interior designs. The strikingly beautiful grain of a Maple floorboard is much less prominent than Hickory – it’s typically fairly straight with occasional swirls. The color tones are lighter and creamier than other hardwoods, giving Maple floorboards a decidedly modern feel and making it ideal for small room flooring.

Hickory vs. Maple: which is denser?

Both Maple and Hickory are among the denser hardwoods used in flooring, but Hickory is the clear winner here. According to the NWFA, Maple has a Janka hardness rating of 1450 while Hickory clocks in at 1820, making it the hardest of the domestic hardwoods. Both kinds of wood perform well in high-traffic areas, as they will resist dents, dings and scratches more easily than other hardwoods.

Staining Hickory and Maple floors

When looking at Hickory vs. Maple in terms of stains, both floors offer some challenges. Hickory accepts stain better than many other hardwoods and is much easier to stain than Maple. But the grain patterns in Hickory boards are much more varied than Maple, making it potentially more difficult to achieve an even look across the floor. You won’t have that problem with Maple – the grain pattern is subdued and fairly even across boards. But Maple wood has both soft and hard cell structures that take stain in different ways, and staining on a Maple floorboard can often look uneven if it’s not applied correctly.

Cleaning Hickory vs. Maple: which is easier?

As with all hardwood floors, both Hickory and Maple are fairly easy to keep clean. You can sweep or vacuum away dust and dirt, and either floor can be cleaned of stubborn dirt with a mild solution of water and a little white vinegar. With their lighter colors, Maple floors may tend to hide dust and dirt more easily than Hickory and other hardwoods.

The cost of Hickory vs. Maple

Hickory and Maple floors can be fairly similar in price depending on the width grade and structure you choose to start with when designing your floor.

What about the stability of Hickory vs. Maple?

All hardwood floors perform best when more consistent moisture levels are maintained in the environment and this is true for Hickory and Maple as well. The ideal environment for hardwood flooring is between 30-55% relative humidity. To improve the performance of your floor if you have moisture conditions that tend to run higher you should consider an engineered floor. If your environmental conditions ever experience dryness below 30% for an extended period of time you should consider solid hardwood floors.

Ready to see more?

When you’re ready to explore first-hand the benefits of Hickory vs. Maple, contact Carlisle Wide Plank Floors or stop by a showroom. Our wide plank specialists can help you understand the differences in Maple vs. Hickory as well as Hickory vs. Walnut or Hickory vs. Oak flooring. You can learn about the benefits of prefinished Maple flooring or engineered floors, and how Hickory hand-scraped hardwood flooring can help to create a floor with a vintage appearance.