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We remodeled the kitchen a year and a half ago and I didn't replace the floor because I had maxxed out my budget. Then we had a couple of unplanned medical expenses and we are finally now getting over the hump and I want to re-do the kitchen floor.
The current floor is tile and besides being installed poorly, there are pieces that don't match so keeping the floor is not an option.
It's a galley kitchen - smallish - flanked by two eating areas, one formal, one breakfast, and both have the wood flooring that was there when we moved in. It appears to be bamboo and it scratches and dents easily. I don't want that in my kitchen plus I doubt I could match it anyway.
I'm not a big fan of tile, it's hard and keeping the grout clean in the kitchen (did I mention I am a messy cook?) is difficult.
Anyone have flooring recommendations for the kitchen? What do you have and do you like it?
I'd put the same thing in that I put in a big spec house I worked on - hardwood. Not prefinished planks, but real 3/4" x 4" tongue and groove red oak, stained walnut and satin finished. Maybe a little narrower in a galley kitchen but I'd extend it at least into the breakfast area and also the dining room if the budget allows. That will be there long after we're gone.
Cork, or hardwood finished in place are the only way to go.
Even melamine shatters on tile. I've only lived in one house with a tiled kitchen. We weren't even there a year and I ended up at the podiatrist!
I looked into cork, but it sounds like it can get dented/scratched easily. That's why I was wondering if anyone actually had cork flooring in the kitchen and how it has held up.
I looked into cork, but it sounds like it can get dented/scratched easily. That's why I was wondering if anyone actually had cork flooring in the kitchen and how it has held up.
Cork is very common in Australia. I have several friends and relatives with cork in the kitchen and main living areas and the only obvious damage I've ever seen was a hole from a stiletto heel. Maybe there are scratches and you just can't see them? I've been knocking around these houses for decades and I'm pretty observant about ths stuff (I once had pristine hardwoods and scratches and marks drove me crazy). Most of them would be 30+ year old floors at this point. My aunt's kitchen floor must be close to 50 years old. I know she had it refinished once. You can also have them sanded and refinished, just like a wooden floor. A friend's floor definitely needs refinishing as you can see the wear in the main traffic zone. They've been in the house around 25 years (yikes! I'm old!), don't know how much older than that the floor is.
Apart from the softness and utter waterproofness I really like how warm they are. In Australia we don't have central heating so it really matters!
I don't like tile either. It's hard on my feet & back when standing for long periods of time. I've experienced this while visiting people with tile flooring.
I had laminate put in my kitchen 10 years ago and it's held up VERY well. Very easy to keep clean. I just use my vacuum. Have never washed/mopped the whole floor--just random spills or doggy foot prints.
My two negatives about laminate are cold in winter & noisy to walk on. I don't wear shoes in my home so that cuts down on a lot of noise. But in the winter, the floor is cold.
Positives are cheap, durable, dog friendly, easy to keep clean, Corelle & glassware don't shatter when dropped, forgiving on feet/back when standing for long periods of time. Plus I love the pitter patter of my dogs toenails as she walks across the floor.
I added a basement bathroom and remodeled my entryway from the garage & my laundry room last fall. I chose Earthwerks LVT for flooring. It's warmer & a little softer to walk on than my laminate but it seems noisier--kind of that hollow sound. It's also a floating floor. So if water damage occurs, it should be relatively easy to replace a few pieces rather than the whole floor.
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