Gaia Floors eTerra White Series American Hickory GA651115 SPC 6.5mm 7.2-inch
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Description
warm taupe beige with natural grain character · 100% waterproof · Eterra White Series collection
What is American Hickory GA651115?
6.5mm total thickness with a 20 mil wear layer. It is Gaia Floor’s Eterra White Series take on a warm honey-toned, built on a rigid SPC core.
Is it waterproof?
Yes — 100% waterproof. Spills, mop water, pet accidents, even minor flooding won’t damage American Hickory’s 5mm SPC core with attached IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment layer. Rated for every room including below-grade basements.
Best rooms?
Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, mudrooms, and any room where moisture is a concern. American Hickory’s 20 mil wear layer and IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment acoustic pad also make it excellent for offices with rolling chairs and family rooms with kids and pets.
Who’s it best for?
Anyone balancing performance and budget — American Hickory’s 20 mil commercial-grade wear layer at $3 to $4/sqft is residential pricing with commercial-grade protection. Popular with pet owners, families, and rental managers drawn to the smooth.
How thick is it?
rigid SPC core, plus an attached 1.5mm IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment — total plank measures 6.5mm.
Price range?
American Hickory runs $3 to $4 per square foot. Plus applicable tax. For exact pricing on your specific quantity and delivery of Gaia Floor Eterra White Series, call or text (408) 753-3220.
Overview
warm taupe beige with natural grain character defines American Hickory — a floor that reads as calm, considered, and effortlessly balanced. 7.2-inch by 48-inch planks float over most subfloors using an angle-tap click system with no adhesive and no acclimation wait, engineered for the 20 mil of stability serious floors demand. The 100% waterproof SPC core stands up to spills, humidity, and damp subfloors — safe for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. Available now at Kapriz Hardwood Floors in Santa Clara.
Specifications
| SKU | GA651115 |
|---|---|
| Brand | Gaia Floors |
| Collection | eTerra White Series |
| Color | American Hickory — Warm tone, warm taupe beige with natural grain character |
| Plank size | 7.2 inches wide × 48 inches long |
| Thickness | 6.5mm |
| Wear layer | 20 mil |
| Surface texture | HD wood embossing with ceramic bead finish |
| Edge profile | micro-bevel |
| Finish | UV-cured EnduraPro ceramic bead finish |
| Locking system | Uniclic angle-tap drop-down system |
| Unique planks | 10-20 unique pattern repeats per box for natural variation |
| SF per carton | 19.23 sq ft |
| Installation | Floating click (Uniclic) |
| Installation grade | All grades — above, on, and below |
| Waterproof | Yes — 100% |
| Warranty | 50-Year Residential / 10-Year Commercial Limited Warranty |
| Certifications | FloorScore + GreenGuard Gold certified |
American Hickory: features and build quality
✔ warm taupe beige with natural grain character — versatile across design styles. The warm honey/golden tone pairs well with traditional or contemporary cabinetry. The HD wood embossing with ceramic bead finish surface and character variation give American Hickory authentic depth — it reads as real wood, not printed imitation.
✔ 6.5mm total construction — premium SPC feel. Rigid SPC core plus attached acoustic pad delivers 6.5mm total plank thickness. Dramatically firmer and quieter underfoot than thinner SPC. 100% waterproof — safe for every room including kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms.
✔ 20 mil wear layer with UV-cured EnduraPro ceramic bead finish. The 20 mil commercial-grade wear layer handles pet claws, chair legs, dropped dishes, and heavy daily traffic. Extra scratch resistance matters in kitchens, entryways, and pet households.
✔ Pre-attached 1.5mm IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment. No separate underlayment purchase, no pad decisions. The attached pad is required for the waterproof warranty — other pads void structural integrity coverage. Dampens footfall noise throughout the home.
✔ HD wood embossing with ceramic bead finish surface with micro-bevel edges. Texture follows the printed grain exactly, creating visual depth that reads as real sawn wood up close. Defined plank edges without overly-wide grooves that trap dirt.
✔ Uniclic angle-tap drop-down system floating click — above, on, or below grade. Installs over wood, concrete, or existing hard flooring. No adhesive, no acclimation wait, DIY-friendly with a tapping block. American Hickory’s Uniclic angle-tap drop-down system plus 6.5mm rigid build works above, on, and below grade — basement to second floor, no construction-type restrictions.
✔ Need an installer? We refer licensed pros. We’re a licensed flooring retailer in Santa Clara — we refer customers to licensed contractors across the Bay Area. (Author byline at top of page covers our installer credentials so they’re not repeated here.)
✔ Wholesale pricing — no big-box markup. Kapriz has been a Bay Area flooring specialist since 2003, and that volume earns us direct-supplier pricing from Gaia Floors that a one-time buyer can’t get. We’re a flooring-specialty retailer — no big-box overhead built into your per-square-foot price. What you see in our quote is what the manufacturer charges plus our margin, not five layers of distribution.
How American Hickory compares
American Hickory sits at 6.5mm in Gaia Floor’s Eterra White Series line. Here’s how it compares to thicker Gaia Floor SPC options:
| Feature | American Hickory (Eterra White Series, 6.5mm) |
Eterra Red Series (8.0mm) |
Eterra Black Series (10.0mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection | eTerra White Series | eTerra Red Series | eTerra Black Series |
| Total thickness | 6.5mm (incl. pad) | 8.0mm (incl. pad) | 10.0mm (incl. pad) |
| Wear layer | 20 mil | 20 mil | 20 mil |
| Underlayment | IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment attached | IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment attached | IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment with skeleton core attached |
| Waterproof | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Warranty | 50-yr res / 10-yr comm | 50-yr res / 10-yr comm | 50-yr res / 10-yr comm |
| Price (per sq ft) | $3 to $4 | $4 to $5 | $5 to $6 |
| Best for | Whole-home residential, moderate commercial | High-traffic residential + light commercial | High-traffic residential + light commercial |
Prices are estimated ranges. Call (408) 753-3220 for exact pricing and project quotes on American Hickory and comparable Gaia Floor SPC collections we special-order from our Santa Clara showroom.
Installation & care
Below are the manufacturer specifications plus installer best-practice notes (author byline at top of page). The warranty follows manufacturer spec; real-world installation often benefits from the extra steps below.
Acclimation
Acclimate flooring 48 hours in installation environment, original packaging, stored horizontal at 35-55% RH and 60-80°F
Pro tip: Run the HVAC for 48 hours before installation to stabilize room temperature and humidity. On new-construction sites especially — fresh drywall releases significant moisture for weeks after finishing, and you want that settled before the floor goes down.
Subfloor flatness
Subfloor must be flat (3/16″ over 10 ft), clean, dry, structurally sound, and meet ASTM F710 requirements
Pro tip: Use a 6-foot straightedge and check flatness every 3 feet in a grid pattern, not just one line across the longest dimension. Small local dips are what telegraph through SPC seams over time, not the 10-foot average.
Moisture testing (concrete)
Concrete: ≤80% RH per ASTM F2170, ≤3 lbs/1000 sqft/24hr per ASTM F1869, pH ≤9
Pro tip: On concrete slabs less than 60 days old, test moisture per ASTM F2170 (in-situ probe) even if the manufacturer doesn’t require it. Fresh concrete releases moisture for months. Waiting an extra week saves you from adhesive failure or trapped moisture issues down the road.
Moisture barrier (concrete subfloors)
REQUIRED over concrete: 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier with 8″ overlap at seams
Pro tip: 6-mil polyethylene vapor barrier over concrete is NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) best practice — even for waterproof SPC. The core is waterproof but click-lock seams are not engineered for continuous moisture pressure from below. Unroll the poly, overlap seams 6-8 inches, seal with waterproof tape, run 2-4 inches up walls. This protects the click-lock seams and extends floor life by decades.
Underlayment (do not replace the attached pad)
IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment is pre-attached — do not add separate underlayment
Pro tip: Two layers of pad compress unevenly under foot traffic, which causes the click-lock seams above to flex and eventually separate. The engineered IXPE antimicrobial sound-deadening underlayment pad is sized to the plank’s flex tolerances. Leave it alone, and fix any subfloor issues below the pad rather than above.
Installation method
Floating installation using Uniclic click system, no glue or nails required
Pro tip: The 1/4-inch expansion gap isn’t negotiable — it goes at walls, cabinets, islands, pipes, pillars, door jambs, and sliding door tracks. Skip it at one wall and the floor has nowhere to expand into; you’ll get buckling in the middle of the room by the second summer.
Radiant heat compatibility
Compatible with radiant heat up to 80°F (26.67°C); maintain 1/2″ minimum separation from heating elements
Pro tip: Rushing the ramp-up is the #3 radiant-heat SPC warranty issue we see — edge separation from thermal shock. 5°F per day back to operating temperature is conservative but reliable. Plan for a 2-week ramp-up period, not a 2-day one.
Daily maintenance
Clean with pH-neutral hard surface cleaner; no steam mops; use felt pads under furniture; entry mats without rubber backing recommended
Pro tip: pH-neutral is the keyword. Acidic cleaners (vinegar-based) and alkaline cleaners (ammonia-based) both dull the Ceramic Bead finish over months, even if they clean well short-term. Stick with a dedicated vinyl cleaner and a damp microfiber mop — wring it out before the mop hits the floor.
What to avoid
Do not install over: tile below grade, carpet, hardwood, sloping floors, drains, existing floating floors, foam, rubber, cork, laminate, or air vents
Pro tip: Abrasive powders, scouring pads, and ‘miracle’ cleaners aren’t just warranty issues — they physically scratch the wear layer. Once it’s scratched, you can’t refinish SPC the way you can hardwood. Stick with microfiber and pH-neutral cleaners, and the floor will outlast most of its owners.
Furniture and pet protection
Use felt pads under all furniture; allow flooring to expand/contract; maintain 35-55% RH year-round
Pro tip: Pet claws don’t usually damage a 20 mil wear layer during normal walking — but scrambling starts and stops on hardwood transitions can chip the painted bevel edges. Keep claws trimmed and use runners in hallways where pets sprint.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate how much flooring I need?
Pro tip: we strongly recommend hiring a licensed flooring contractor to measure before ordering, especially for larger jobs. They’ll account for transitions, stairs, closets, and pattern waste that homeowners often miss. Under-ordering means stopping mid-install to wait for another box — and batch matching isn’t guaranteed.
Can I install SPC myself?
Pro tip: when a claim gets filed later, the manufacturer sends a licensed flooring inspector who examines the install — DIY that followed manufacturer spec to the letter can still pass inspection. DIY that cut corners won’t. We don’t tell customers not to DIY — we tell them: price out a licensed contractor quote first, read your brand’s warranty carefully, and decide based on your comfort with the procedure, not just the labor savings.
Will American Hickory work in my basement?
Layer 1 — concrete moisture epoxy applied directly to the slab (products like Koster VAP 2000 or Aquafin 2K/M). Liquid-applied membrane that chemically bonds to concrete. Rates around 25 lbs/1000sqft vapor transmission versus the 8 lbs ASTM F1869 requires.
Layer 2 — 6-mil polyethylene sheeting on top of the cured epoxy. Seems redundant, but it’s not. Epoxy handles normal slab conditions permanently. The plastic sheet above is your insurance against slab cracks that develop over 20+ years from settling, seismic movement, or seasonal water-table stress — all common in Bay Area homes, especially older ones or those built on fill. If the slab cracks in year 12, the epoxy layer is compromised at that crack — but the plastic above stops the moisture before it reaches your SPC.
Total cost: $600-1,100 for a typical basement versus $50-100 for plastic alone. For a floor designed to last 20+ years in a moisture-prone slab, double protection pays for itself the first time the slab shifts.
How does SPC compare to real hardwood?
SPC is functional flooring, not an investment. It’s waterproof, handles pet claws and kid spills, installs fast, costs less upfront. But it’s a printed image with a wear layer on top — you can’t refinish it, and when it wears out in 20-25 years, you replace the whole floor. For kitchens, bathrooms, basements, rentals, and high-traffic family homes, SPC is the right call.
Real investment = engineered hardwood with at least 3mm veneer. That’s the threshold where the floor becomes refinishable — you can sand and refinish it 2-3 times over 50+ years, updating stain color as design trends shift. 4mm+ veneer pushes that to 3-5 refinishes over 75+ years. Appraisers factor genuine hardwood into home value; they don’t factor SPC. If you’re in a forever home, want real wood underfoot, and are willing to keep liquid away from it, engineered hardwood with 3mm+ veneer is the long-game choice.
Important caveat: engineered hardwood sold with 1-2mm veneer (common in budget lines) is functionally the same as SPC — can’t be refinished, lasts 20-25 years, then replace. If you’re paying hardwood prices, check the veneer spec. Under 3mm = you’re paying premium for a utility product.
We carry both categories — happy to walk you through specific products in either direction. The real question is: are you buying for 20 years of waterproof durability, or for 50+ years of refinishable real wood?
Do you offer samples I can take home?
How fast can I receive my American Hickory order?
What’s your return policy?
Always covered at no cost:
• Manufacturing defects
• Wrong product shipped
• Delivery damage (documented on receipt before driver leaves)
Why returns aren’t the default: sending a flooring pallet back means six handoffs, each with damage risk. Freight runs $300–800. Kapriz carries the exposure if the supplier rejects the condition on arrival.
Written exceptions (rare, case-by-case): 25% restocking fee + customer pays all freight + supplier handling. Never available for opened cartons, custom orders, closeouts, or discontinued runs.
Pro tip: the fastest way to build confidence before ordering American Hickory is to see it in person. Call us at (408) 753-3220 first — we’ll confirm whether American Hickory is currently in the showroom (sample inventory rotates) and set up a sample loan or showroom visit. If color matching is critical for a larger project, we have additional options we’ll walk through on the phone.
Hydronic vs electric radiant — which works better with American Hickory?
See American Hickory in person
Visit our Santa Clara showroom to handle the plank, compare it to other SPC options, and ask our team anything about installation or pairing.
891 Laurelwood Rd, Suite 101
Santa Clara, CA 95054
In-store pickup · Call (408) 753-3220 for delivery options and pricing
Last updated 2026-04-28 · American Hickory GA651115 · eTerra White Series collection · Tracked via Kapriz Hardwood Floors, Santa Clara CA.
Additional information
| Brand | Gaia Floor |
|---|---|
| Collection | eTerra White Series |
| Flooring Type | SPC |
| Thickness | 6.5mm+ |
| Water Resistant | Yes |
| Wear Layer | 20 mil |
| Width | 7 inches + |
| Color Tone | Honey/Golden |
