The last three kitchen projects I worked on were all hardwood floors and they are all very pleased with the outcome.
Good morning Debbie,
Great explanation on what type of flooring to use in the kitchen. We have wood floors as so does most of our house. Love the look and feel of it on our feet.
Gita - I'm glad you are seeing the same thing.
Roger - That is great to hear.
Dorie - That is wonderful. I know, it feels so much better than tile.
My wife and I prefer an good quality sheet vinyl by Mannington or Stainmaster. I know it's not the "trend" of today but we are not moving anytime soon and don't have to be concerned about buyers. Enjoyed your post very much.
Another gold star for the Floor Lady at hand! Case in point doing an open house yesterday with the hardwood floors everywhere there were oohs & aahs!
Morning Debbie, What a great, informative post. So much useful information. I can remember just a few years ago how "awful" people thought it was to put wood flooring in your kitchen and today it is all the rage. Good points. Wood flooring does not go out of style. How many people now are pulling up their carpeting and restoring the beautiful wood underneath
HI Debbie, thank you for the infomation. We use some of this type of flooring in our rental homes.
Doug - That's understandable. I would try Armstrong or Mannington, though. Stainmaster focuses on carpet.
Ginny - Oh cool. So glad to hear that.
Bobbie - Yes, it never goes out of style and it will last through the years.
Captain Wayne - You are welcome, and that is good to hear.
Hi Debbie,
We are going to install hardwood laminate in the entire home of the flipper home. With exception of the bedrooms. Those will get carpet. I hate tile or a cold floor in the bedrooms. :-)
Have a great day in New Jersey.
Best, Clint McKie
Clint - That makes sense. I hate cold tile in a bedroom too. That would be crazy here.
Debbie, we went with wood flooring in our kitchen a couple years back. It made a big difference.
I still don't like tile floors even though they're in my home, but not in the kitchen!
I'm surprised that tile floors aren't #1. Most of the kitchens in Fort Wayne have tile floors, but I am seeing more and more of them with wood floors now that I think about it. Interesting topic.
Michael - Excellent. Glad to hear that.
Ron - You are not alone.
Jamanda - Tile certainly used to be preferred but the trend has been going towards hardwood, esp in our area. I'm sure it varies based on location...in the warmer climates, tile will be preferred, and esp if the home is built on a slab.
Silvia - Right...in Florida, most homes are built on a slab + it's more humid, so I would expect tile to be more popular there. Plus, it's warmer, so the cold on your feet is less of an issue.
Hi Debbie - great blog. I have been seeing mostly hardwood flooring in new construction in our area. My last buyer took out the brand new carpeting that the previous homeowner had installed to sell the home and replaced it with hardwood flooring right after they closed the transaction.
Sarah
Very interesting post. I would have thought tile is more popular. I guess what is old is new again.
Debbie, great info...I guess I am "with it" because I have both bamboo and italian porcelain tile thru most of my home :-)
Debbie,
I am seeing this more and more in new homes and old homes that have been rehabbed in Silver Spring.
Thank you Debbie, this informative blog of yours has helped me clarify certain questions I had for: tile versus wood, flooring in the kitchen.
I prefer tile in the Kitchen and Bathroom but my wife wants wood so I guess we get wood.
In socal the trend is also hardwood/engineered but tile most popular . . . for now. Most newer homes or renovations go wood.
Great article! I just saw a home the other day that had cork flooring in their lower level kitchen. They explained that it is easier on your knees, easy to clean, and absorbs sound. Very unique and cool!
I'm floored!!! And I agree, hardwood will never go out of style. In AZ, we have a problem with dust/dirt blowing everywhere. If you have hardwood, be prepared to be dusting and sweeping every time you open any door in the house! Tile is more popular out here because it's cool - and as you mentioned, there is no problem with scratches.
A great article!
I am having a renovation of my house, and we are installing cork in our kitchen to replace the vinyl that was there previously. The several layers of vinyl and subfloor were just pulled up last week, and new subfloor added. The cork will not be placed on top until later this month, though. I added it because our familiy spends so much time in the kitchen, and wanted to add a little cushion underfoot.
I put Hardwood in my kitchen when we built the house 18++ years ago... It is a great choice.. Warmer and more resillient than tile!
I love the look of hardwood but enjoy the maintenance of tile but HATE how hard it is on your feet.
Debbie, I'm sending a link to this post to my client who is getting ready to build new! Great information!
Great post from the flooring expert. I just want to add that I really hate pergo, laminate, whatever you call it. It looks cheap. It just screams 'I couldn't afford .....' fill in the blank there.
I like hardwood and tile both. I really dislike the vinyl squares that you sometimes see.
Wood floors is just classy! Old or new floors they always seem to attract positive attention
Debbie, all good points in the blog, but the one that jumped out at me was the one that hardwood floors make the kitchen look bigger. I had not thought about that before, but now that you mention it, and I think about it, they do.
Debbie, Hardwood has a clean look and makes the spaces look larger. I see it in our new construction in the kitchens too.
Hi Debbie, you have provided a lot information in this post on kitchem flooring. I have hardwood in my kitchen as I don't like standing on tile whiles.cooking as it is hard on my legs.
Debbie,
Another amazing post of information about kitchen flooring. Even living in Florida I didn't like tile floors, as if you drop something glass it will break and shatter to every darn inch of the floor. Hardwoods seem to be a high preference for Atlanta, by a multiple ratio of 3 or 4 to 1 in the Buckhead/Sandy Springs market we work.
All the best, Michelle
Debbie- I love hardwood floors and having had them in my last house, they were easy to care for.
Hi Debbie,
I love your flooring blogs; they are always informative and educational.
Keep up the good work!
Debbie: I think wood looks beautiful in kitchens. I've recently heard from a couple buyers that they prefer tile in the kitchen due to maintenance issues. They currently have wood. My personal preference is wood and I though this was a great post, very informative. Thanks!
I saw the hardwood trend starting a few years ago. I am sure this will continue to be a trend. One of the main reasons is one you stated
Debbie, hardwood floors in kitchens have been popular here for over 10 years. There are some custom homes from the 90s with wood in the kitchen, and now you see it everywhere. I so much prefer it over tile just for the reason that it is easier on your feet and ankles, not to mention if something drops. I love hardwood!
Sharon
Hi Debbie -- I have hardwood flooring in my kitchen and love it! As a matter of fact it's on the entire first floor except for two bathrooms, which are tile. I think both these types of floors are practical as well as beautiful and long-wearing.
Debbie, wood floors are much preferred here in Denver too! Many of my buyers are requesting the darker colors too.
Great information. I agree that in my area of NJ (Essex & Union Counties), hardwood floors continue to rise in popularity of new homes and remodels.
Debbie, I have said this many times, but I'm going to say it again. I wish you lived and worked in Dallas! You are knowledgeable about every facet of your business! This is post is of great value to potential sellers across the country.
Hardwood flooring is the best. I have it throughout my house (including kitchen) and we love it. It's easy to clean, it always looks great and helps with the allergy issues.
Debbie - You are so right about the hardwood thing. Buyers really LOVE hardwood in the kitchen. But as a dog owner, I would worry about the wood primarily because of the water bowls! Dogs often like to put their feet in the bowls to cool off - at least huskies do! In any case, hardwood and tile trump everything else. The other thing that you said about tile is also true...it is harder to clean. I know that from personal experience and a friend of mine who is a professional chef said she would NEVER put tile in her kitchen. I think she used some sort of rubber flooring becuase hardwood didn't suit her needs either. It was funny because it was a top-of-the-line kitchen but the floor was PURE practicality.
Timely article for me Debbie...I want to get rid of the ugly linoleum in my litchen and either put in some hardwoods (I liked ths distressed hardwoods in your bachround photo) or add some cork instead (sice I was born in a city called Cork!). I'm surprised cork is more expensive than hardwoods.
What hardwood would you recommed for a kitchen.
PS. Personally, I think tile in a kitchen makes it look like a morgue. Cold and uninviting!
Thanks
Conor
WOW - a buncha GREAT info. I may change my own kitchen remodeling plans to wood flooring. Thanks for the easy to understand comparisons!
Hi Debbie,
Very nice post,
I think folks like hardwood or nice ceramic tile. In lower end homes being remodeled I have seen nice "tile look" vinyl. One place I saw (and it was a nice home) had a wood look vinyl and they had 3 kids. easy to clean and hard to damage with water.
Great information, yet floor trends change over time and the type of flooring depends on many factors and elements about the space and its use, don't you agree? Ultimately it's the homeowner's decision regardless of the merits of tile or hardwood.
Hi Debbie, we agree and have had both. Here in Florida we prefer tile, but in colder climates prefer hardwood.
My mother installed oak flooring in her kitchen when it was redone 4 years ago and we all love it.
Our home has wood floors and I love the warmth that it brings. we were warned about water destroying the wood, but we have had no prblems in over 10 years.
I like hardwood. There is a new floor in my near future and it will be hardwood.
How do work floors stand up to water and spills over time? That would me my main concern. Tile is hard on the legs and feet. I was thinking a High Grade Linoleum. But you are the expert.
Gene - Generally, hardwood does well in the kitchen and can tolerate minor spills. It's best if you finish on site so that it's sealed, and use oil based poly urethane w/ an extra coat of poly. You should also make sure you refinish periodically (maybe every 7-10 yrs). For major water damage, you may need to replace some boards and refinish. But the cost of this is minor compared to the savings you received by using wood in the first place. The hardwood will ultimately last much longer than linoleum or vinyl.
Hey Debbie, Didn't we have this conversation on the phone? Darn I wanted to reblog it and can't.
I have been showing homes to a couple of buyers recently and been to new construction in the area. I agree hardwood floor is popular in the kitchen.