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I have always had tile but will have hardwoods in the new house.
If you are worried about staining hte grout, be sure to use a darker color, NEVER white b/c unless you want to be on your knees with a toothbrush every weekend it will never look right. No matter what color the grout be sure it is sealed- be sure water beads on it.
we have tile in the kitchen and its SUPER hard to keep clean. The grout got dirty looking almost immediately (it was like a gray color and the tile is like a slate color). And it VERY cold on the feet on a winter morning (we are in chicago though) Next time i might do with wood.
I live in a 1960's neighborhood and most people are going with hardwoods in the kitchen when they remodel. Is there a demand yet for bamboo floors? I agree about the laundry room. Call me crazy but we installed Armstrong linoleum. We like a contemporary retro look and some of their new linoleum you could install in a warehouse style loft - not the shiny stuff from the 60's.
One thing to remember is that hardwood is easier on the knees and joints than tile. If you drop a dish on tile it breaks easier. That said, I would try to keep a continuous flow through my house. We put hardwood in our kitchen when we remodelled five years ago and I've no problems. I clean our hardwood with a vinegar/water solution and have had no problems with water damage or wear. This is what our installer recommended. Why are your appliances leaking?
Our appliances aren't leaking, but the previous owner must have had issues with that. In front of the fridge and the dishwasher are dark water stains. A floor re-finisher I talked to said water stains tend to go down so far in the wood that re-finishing wouldn't make a difference. I also have a neighbor who noticed the wood floor in front of her fridge felt soft. She had someone look at it and they discovered that her fridge had been slowly leaking. Now all the hardwood in that area of the kitchen has to be replaced since is was rotting underneath. I'm really not crazy about tiling either, because of the grout issues. We probably will go with hardwood though. Thanks for your advice, everyone !
I'm wondering why nobody is mentioning laminate (like Pergo)? We currently have laminate in our entire first floor and have been so happy with the look and ease of upkeep. Our new home is being built in NC and the builder does not even offer laminate as an option but they will use it per our request. With 3 young children I don't want to have to worry about scratches and dents that come with having hardwood. Also, there is absolutely no maintenance. And we've never had a problem with moisture even when water sits for long periods on the kitchen floor. Most visitors, thinking the floors are hardwood, ask us how we keep them looking so nice all the time.
Are people just not as familiar with laminate flooring or is there a reason for not choosing it? Just making sure I'm not missing something.
My answer was originally tile. But Tigerlily makes an excellent point. I am still thinking in terms of old houses where the layout doesn't flow like a "new" or "newer" home. I might just want the same surface from the family room to the kitchen etc... it the layout dictates that.
Someone else asked why not pergo... I read on this board pergo does not resale as well there. Honestly, I have no idea why. I wonder if Bamboo is put in the "laminate/ pergo" category there in terms of resale. I've seen bamboo in a kitchen & bathroom and LOVE it. But again the house was chopped up.
I'm wondering why nobody is mentioning laminate (like Pergo)? We currently have laminate in our entire first floor and have been so happy with the look and ease of upkeep. Our new home is being built in NC and the builder does not even offer laminate as an option but they will use it per our request. With 3 young children I don't want to have to worry about scratches and dents that come with having hardwood. Also, there is absolutely no maintenance. And we've never had a problem with moisture even when water sits for long periods on the kitchen floor. Most visitors, thinking the floors are hardwood, ask us how we keep them looking so nice all the time.
Are people just not as familiar with laminate flooring or is there a reason for not choosing it? Just making sure I'm not missing something.
I think it depends on the price point of the house. My mom installed pergo in one room in her townhouse, and it works great for her. In homes where there tends to be vinyl, pergo is a good upgrade. I think though pergo looks like pergo, it doesn't look like hardwood, and people here tend to think if I am going to upgrade, I will just put in hardwoods. I agree with you on maintenance issue, but pergo just isn't too popular here. Builders with new construction don't tend to use it, and would either have carpet or vinyl instead.
I wonder if Bamboo is put in the "laminate/ pergo" category there in terms of resale. I've seen bamboo in a kitchen & bathroom and LOVE it. But again the house was chopped up.
PDX Mom. I don't think bamboo should be put in the laminate category because it's a natural wood. My understanding is that bamboo is just as expensive, if not more, than wood. IMHO, I'd just as soon have linoleum than pergo because it is what it is - not fake. I guess I'd rather have bamboo if it's durable (I've been looking for negative comments about bamboo on the net and can't find any). The pros, of course, means trees/rain forests aren't being destroyed because bamboo is plentiful. Someone on this forum pointed out that the new wood used for home construction is not as strong because the trees grow too fast, so I wonder if the new wood is not that great for flooring.
We're replacing the flooring in our eat-in kitchen and family room. I've noticed that a lot of homes seem to have hardwood in the kitchen. I prefer tile, since I think it's too easy to damage hardwood in the kitchen with water spilling, leaky appliances, etc. Do any of you realtors or recent home buyers have an opinion on what would be better as far as resale is concerned? Thanks for your help !
I am a Realtor, I have hardwoods in my kitchen (bought the home this way), I have a son who loves to bring his friends home and I have a dog - just so you know where I am coming from.
Based on the way we live, the hardwoods take a beating in our home. The previous owners also had children and a dog.
In high traffic areas, I have been told that hardwoods should be refinished every 5 yrs. If you put in hardwood floors and after a few years you want to sell, to get the best price, you should refinish the hardwood floors.
The answer to this questions depends on the price point of your home and what the majority of the homes in your neighborhood have. I have been in new homes around the $400,000's that have tile in the kitchen and hardwoods through out the rest of the first floor.
I'll check back in a couple of days to see if you responded about what price point your home is in or the square footage or you can PM me and I'll get you a better answer.
PDX Mom. I don't think bamboo should be put in the laminate category because it's a natural wood. My understanding is that bamboo is just as expensive, if not more, than wood. IMHO, I'd just as soon have linoleum than pergo because it is what it is - not fake. I guess I'd rather have bamboo if it's durable (I've been looking for negative comments about bamboo on the net and can't find any). The pros, of course, means trees/rain forests aren't being destroyed because bamboo is plentiful. Someone on this forum pointed out that the new wood used for home construction is not as strong because the trees grow too fast, so I wonder if the new wood is not that great for flooring.
I have been in several homes where they list the flooring as Bamboo. When we arrive we find that it is Pergo. I am wondering if Pergo did a push on selling their "Bamboo flooring".
I have listed and sold a home that was all Pergo on the first floor. The buyers loved having the Pergo because they really wanted hardwoods but with 4 dogs, one toddler and a baby on the way, they knew Pergo would be easier for them to take care of. The home sold for $260,000.
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