Hardwood or tile in kitchen (Austin, Howe: wood floors, how much, house)

[llkltk]

I know you all have your opinions, so let's hear them. The dining, entry, powder, ext entry will be wood. Family room carpet. Should I go tile in the kitchen or wood? I could go wood in family but then little ones wouldn't have much cushioning. Share your thoughts. Thanks!

[Trainwreck20]

There was another thread around here recently asking about this same thing. I think I was one of the few that liked our wood floors in the kitchen .
Plusses:

• Easy to clean - mop, sweep, or vacuum. No grout to get stained.
• Durable with the protective coat that was added.
• Softer/Warmer look in the kitchen.
• Slightly smaller chance of things breaking.

Minuses

• Crumbs are really visible (ours is a light wood).
• Have to be a little careful with standing water (we have not actually had an issue - coating helps lots!)
• It will ding somewhat eventually.
• Could affect popularity during resale (or that is the sense that I get from here)

Unknowns:
Cost? Not sure which is cheaper or if it is significant

Re: the powder room
We had a small toiler leak that we probably would have never know about, except the floor is wood. The moisture under the toiler darkened the wood, eventually. Fortunately, it fell under the builder warranty and was repaired and the floor replaced for free. However, we are planning on changing the powder room to tile eventually, since it exits on to a carpeted hallway anyway.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by llkltk

I know you all have your opinions, so let's hear them. The dining, entry, powder, ext entry will be wood. Family room carpet. Should I go tile in the kitchen or wood? I could go wood in family but then little ones wouldn't have much cushioning. Share your thoughts. Thanks!

Tile. Moisture can warp wood...what if your dishwasher leaks?

[neddy]

Tile won't give the little ones any cushion either, my guys have had may bumps and bruises to prove that! What about cork? Or the wood looking lamiate?

[Trainwreck20]

Our floor is laminated wood, which has taken care of day to day water issues quite well. We haven't had a major leak, but it probably would get under the wood.

[mimimomx3]

I prefer fminimizing the number of different floorings. I'm not a fan of going from tile in the entry to wood, to carpet to tile...the new kinds of wood don't warp or ding in the kitchen. Good luck.

[jhwest]

We have wood and, although I love how it looks, it gets completely hammered. Kids drag chairs around, stuff like that. The wear and tear gets bad. Especially if it's by a door leading outside. Dirt and sand can really wear down the finish.
Honestly, it's not any easier on kids than tile. When they fall down, they cry no matter what! Unless it's carpet, it won't feel good.
I'm not a big fan of tile in the kitchen because I don't like the grout. If it's pale it's a pain to keep clean. Also it's hard on the feet. I'm usually barefoot unless there's tile. Then it's just impossible. Plus, if you ever want to get rid of it, it's a huuuuuge pain.
I'm not a big fan of laminates, but they are a lot more durable than plain wood. There are some really attractive realistic ones out there now. I think that's what I'd go for.

[Phisch]

We eliminated all the carpet in our house and installed engineered wood. Solid wood wasn't recommended by different contractors because of the humidity in Austin. No to laminates for the same reason.

The kind we got is very dark (kind of like espresso) and very knotty and has a hand-sawn look. There are a ton of knots and dents in it anyway, so when we scratch (not "if" with two boys and klutz me), we just take Minwax and cover it up if it's bad enough. The stuff is great! The installer said the best cleaner for it is an even mix of white vinegar and water.



We have tile in the really high traffic areas and I love it. Easy to care for.

[Mike78613]

I have vinyl flooring / like wood in living room and tile in kitchen. I really dig the vinyl wood flooring. I would love it in the kitchen. Its so easy to clean and so strong! Most of all, love the looks!!

One thing I will say is your going to be changing out your return filters in the home more often. You be soooOOO amazed on how much dust now can't stick to carpet.

[teatime]

I'm with Mike. Vinyl is durable and so easy to clean.

Now, I might take some crap for this, but have you considered Congoleum for the kitchen? My current home, which I bought last year, has it in the kitchen, laundry room, and master bath and I figured I would replace it with something more "chic." HOWEVER, after living with it, I LOVE it! Very easy to take care of and it looks nice, too. My mom had a very expensive grade of it in her kitchen and it was like walking on a thin cushion. That would be great for little kids.

My house had wall-to-wall, except for the rooms I mentioned. I kept carpet in the bedrooms but installed parquet flooring in my living room and dining room. I had tile in my former home and didn't like it, frankly. It took more time to clean, with the grout, than I really wanted to spend.