i am getting my kitchen done over in 2 weeks cost is not a factor i cant decide to do tiles or harwood flooring which is better for the kitchen. i have two kids 2 and 5
I am a kitchen designer and have seen so many clients go through this debate :) The problem is that every type of floor has its advantages and disadvantages. A lot of times, it really comes down to considering your lifestyle and what will be easiest for you. Tile is very durable, but will crack with time. As the house settles and the floor becomes uneven, there will be higher risk of cracking. Also if you drop something heavy on it. It is very easy to mop clean, but you do have to consider grout issues. The grout can be tough to clean if you choose a lighter color. Grout is also porous, so if you are worried about bacteria, you will have to keep up with sealing it. Hardwood is also durable, but you must be careful of water damage. If you spill water on it or have a leak under the sink, get it cleaned up as soon as you can. I don't think that means you have to mop up spills the second they hit the floor, but if there's an area in the kitchen that gets splashed a lot, you'll see the damage with time. Wood also needs to be refinished now and again, but not so frequently that it will stop you from purchasing it. There are also some really nice vinyl floors out there that look a lot like tile but are not as cold, hard and prone to cracking. However, if you drop a sharp knife on it or if a child wears soccer cleats around the kitchen, you'll see dents and punctures :) Some laminate flooring (like the brand name Pergo) have flooring that looks either like wood or tile. These floors are durable, but you'll have to beware water damage, just like with wood. This flooring is easy to install and take out. It also doesn't need to be refinished like hardwood. It's a lot to take in, but my advice is to consider the pros and cons of each, then think of your lifestyle and who lives in your house, then make a decision based on that. Good luck!
Do you mean wood Laminate flooring? I would not put Laminate in the kitchen. We did 5 yrs. ago and last month the hot water pipe burst under the sink and believe me laminate does not like water. We had to have it all taken up, including the original vinyl flooring b/c that was soaked as well and mold was present. Never again. We are going with a vinyal floor tile that is textured and looks just like ceramic tile that is almost in-destructible. We chose an Appalachian slate look with blues and grays and a little but of red mixed in. Our contractor is going to lay them diagonally for a more dramatic effect. This will be in our LR as well because it is all one great room..all very open plan. Hope this helps. Please excuse the mis-pelled word of vinyal. Thanks..
I prefer ceramic tile in a kitchen simply because every hardwood floor I've ever had was slippery if liquid was spilled on it. There are issues with keeping the grout clean as someone pointed out, but good maintainence will take care of that. Another factor you'll want to consider is the look of everything else. If you are going with wood cabinets, hardwood floors might be too much. Or if you have a tile countertop and backsplash, tile flooring might be too much. Look at both and compare them to the other elements you have choosen for the kitchen, that will probably make the decision very easy. But either, ceramic tile or natural hardwood, both add a lot of value to your home and look beautiful.
Well First Off I'm Assuming The Kitchens Downstairs And You Sitting On A Concrete Sub Floor. If So You'll Need To Buy Engineered Wood (Wood Sitting Upon Cross Layered Plywood For Stability) Rather Than A Solid So It Can Be Glued Down And Actually Stay Down. Also You Would Need A Moisture Barrier Which Keeps Water Down Away From Your Wood Floor; Some People Don't Know That When It Rains The Water Soaks Into The Yard And Rises Under Your House Right Through The Concrete Sub Floor Which Can Be Deadly For Wood Flooring IE Warping And Sinking. Resistance Wise You Need To Look At The Janka Scale Which Is A Wood Hardness Scale Higher The Number The Harder IE Better. The More Polyurethane Aluminum Oxide Mix (All Finished Wood Has It) They Glaze Over Wood Will Make It That Much More Durable To Dents And Dings Not Scratches All You Need Is A Rock On Your Shoe To Scratch Wood;(Wood Is Harder To Replace Dented Pieces) So That Should Make You Think Of Color Medium Tone Woods Don't Show Scratches As Much As Dark And Light Woods Do. Also Wood Has Corers Mitered, Angled They Can Collect Dust In Them So I Recommend Buying Square Cut So They Are Flush Together So No Room For Dust. ----------- Porcelain Tile Is Cooked At A Higher Temp Cooking Out More Air In The Tile Making It A All Around More Durable And Practical Product Easier To Clean And Maintain You Can Seal The Grout To Keep It Clean And Buy A Hover Floor Mate I Love Mine It Vacuums And Scrubs It Clean With Any Kind Of Liquid Floor Cleaners And Dries It Also. They Also Have A Rating System Called PEI It Is Rated From 1-5 And Is Rated On Usability Where It Can Be Used 1 Is Wall Tile And 5 Is Commercial Use. You Will Have More Color Choices When It Comes To Tile To Match Cabinets And So On. Tile IS Also Easier To Replace If Broken They Chip It Out And Slide In A New One. ----- So After All That I Like Both Which Works For You.
Definitely get tile. My brother and his wife got a harwood floor in their kitchen. My dad and I tried warning them against it. Now they are all the time worrying about putting dents in the floor if they drop something or ruining the look by accidentally dropping and leaving an ice cube on the floor. If you have kids that only increases the chances of stuff like that happening. Tile is much more durable. If you don't like the feel of cold tile on your feet, then add a heater wire under the tile. You can set the floor temperature to almost any temperature you prefer. You only have to seal the tile about once every 3-5 years. With a hardwood floor you'd have to wax or seriously clean it that often anyway. With tile, you also don't have to really worry about stains unless you use a light grout and don't seal it well. Grout comes in a wide variety of colors, so you can color coordinate the grout however you please. An tile isn't that hard to clean with a mop. My brother is big into farming and very meticulous about everything. It'll be funny to watch when his kids want to start playing with Ertl tractors on the hardwood floor.
