I routinely design installations with floors well over 1" out of true in 12'. I've had 1" in 6' happen. That's the reality of old houses! There are ways of doing this that do not impact the overall look. Designing the toe with extra room to be scribed to the floor is one way that works if you are creating a custom installation that features design details at the floor level. It does require extra skill from the installer, as it all rests on his shoulders to make happen properly. It's the same for the crown. If there is some sag in the ceiling, using a multi part crown, and planning for some drywall mud as well will disguise it to the human eye. This room is off 1 1/2" from one side of the kitchen to the other. Because the wall cabinets are in 3 separate sections, and the molding is a 4 part crown, and we fudged the backsplash spacing a bit, we were able to disguise it to 98% of the people that see the install. Without using custom cabinets, the only way to disguise the base cabinet issue was shoe molding, and a custom cut toekick to hide the shimming. If this were a custom cabinet line, that would not have been needed as m custom cabinet maker could have scribed everything to fit and then made custom toe details.

I'm a fan of Hickory. Love it! I love it's STRONG variation! Yep. Variation is the word that can be used for Hickory. If you are going for "mid-tone" then it means the Hickory is stained. No problem. That's fine. Hickory takes a stain very nicely. But it will still have plenty of variation. The stain will even that out a little bit, but not entirely. The finish is UV cured urethane. I'm not very excited about that finish. If you are going for factory finish, you will want to work with the TOUGHEST finishes on the market (that's why you go with factory finished...for the TOUGH finish). The UV cured urethane is a ho-hum type of finish. Average would be the best way to describe it. The thickness of the plank is 3/4" = normal for sold. The plank width is 5" with random lengths UPTO 60" (5ft). That tells me there will be many planks in the 3' - 4' range. Again, this is ho-hum average. And with a wide plank product, it will need "glue assist". And Hickory certainly needs it because it has a bit more movement (less stable) than white oak. And then there is the "low gloss" format. The low-gloss finish on this depth of colour = nightmare to live with. It will show dust, etc as well as oily foot prints, sock prints, paw prints and will look hazy at certain times during the day. The "haze" is part of the chemical make up of the finish itself = that's how they take away the gloss...they haze it with a chemical additive. The haze goes away when you sand and refinish the floor. That's the only way to fix it. If you must have a mid-tone floor, I would recommend a TOUGHER finish (aluminum oxide or ceramic infused polyurethane) in a satin. Satin is FAR MORE livable. It offers a lovely glow without being shiny. It hides skin oils (like paw prints from dogs) because it is the same gloss level as skin oils....it isn't hazy....you get the idea.

You need a whole home humidity control. That means dehumidifier (in summer) and possibly a humidifier in winter. Check your HVAC to see if you can change the humidity with the touch of a button (called a Humidistat). A/C isn't always enough to deal with summer humidity in many areas of the southern USA. If you want anything more than a 2.5" plank, you will need HEAVY duty humidity control. Again it must be "touch of a button" level of control. If you don't have it, upgrade to that level. As for 'lumber' it needs to be kiln dried properly. Floor grade wood is treated differently than 'stuff' at a lumber store. In theory everything is doable so long as you have the knowledge, the technique, the tools and the time.

hardwod floors are always and will always be the look. though people seem to not underatand thatbthe reason why these products exist outside of harwood. hardwood is just not practical anymore , yesrs ago youd have certain rooms with different flooring to accommodate the room , now, its all usually open concept and having patchy flooring all over doesnt work. honestly i just dont see hoe you can put hardwood lets say in a kitchen , kitchens take a beating , if you can afford to or want to samf your floors every few years , espec especially if you have a busy household , them go for it , i know of no one that has ever resanded their floors and if so , what a mess. so lvp , laminate etc… all have come along due to the demand for the wood look without the issues of hardwood , so its all a decsion though we have decided on 1400sq ft of coretec lvp, we just love the hardwood though just not practical anymore , i cant have adults and kids tip toeing on our floors. plus in the future if you want a new floor , just pick it up , no demo. just my opinion