Is Hickory a Good Wood for Deck Building?

When it comes to building your deck, whether it is forFlexibility: The same characteristic of hickory that
a pool or just for general usage, one of the mostmakes it great for sports equipment makes it great for
important considerations will be the material you use.surfaces. It is fairly easy to work with and get into
There are many different types of building materialsplace, which means a lot less hassle when you are
that can be used to manufacture decks, fromcutting for dimensions. In addition, hickory tends to have
composite woods and processed artificials, to themore give, and when used as decking and flooring
different wood species that are used for constructionmakes it easier on the feet and less susceptible to
purposes. In this article, we will take a look at hickorydamage.
and its relative merits as a deck building wood.Durability: That same flexibility, as we touched on
First of all, it is important to note that hickory has beenabove, also makes hickory last longer than other types
widely recognized for its properties when it comes toof wood used for decking and flooring. It is a very
the manufacture of thousands of different products,durable wood and can withstand all sorts of conditions
from sporting goods to flooring. Hickory is a veryas well as high usage without losing its appearance.
flexible wood, and although that makes it ideal forAesthetics: Hickory is pleasing to all the senses, from
baseball bats, canes and so on, it is not necessarily thesight to touch to smell. In fact, it rivals cedar for the
best choice for structure projects.most recognizable scent among the building woods.
What this means is that hickory should probably not beRelatively inexpensive: Hickory is native to North
used for the pillars of a raised deck or even theAmerica and grows to maturity fairly quickly, so it’s
substructure. However, note that above we said thatfairly affordable as a building material.
hickory is valuable in flooring; this means that it is anSo if you are looking for a deck that has a bit more
ideal choice for the actual decking of your project.pizzazz to it than the run of the mill cedar, and a bit
Let’s take a look at some of the qualities thatmore character than composites, hickory just might be
make hickory great for decks:the ideal choice!