FLOORING suggestions for a kitchen/famiy room combo....hardwod, tile, etc...

[shrapr]

Originally Posted by deeds

Looking for flooring suggestions for a large area consisting of a kitchen and family room area....somewhat l-shaped going into family room rea...want to keep a good flow of areas....

I have seen some wood look tile in the water potential areas and also in the main living areas. They are hard to tell from distance unless you reach down and feel it. Obvious drawback is the hardness and chillness.

[Restrain]

Wood look tile in the wet areas. Water leaks will happen. That is a given. This can result in discolor and warping, as the water will run under the wood, penetrate and the wood will swell.

Had this happen in my own home, others I have seen. And with mine, it was a laminate specifically designed not to have these issues. But they did.

[utsci]

We installed real 3/4" ash hardwood floors in almost the whole house 15 years ago. The refrigerator and dishwsher have both leaked on the flooring a handful of times. Granted we caught it quickly because we don't run the dishwasher unless we're home and the refrigerator laeks were very minor. Nothing bad has happened to the floors. We have a tung oil finish, no poly. In one of the bedrooms we have laminate wood flooring. All it took ws one night of a barely dripping humidifier leaving a quarter-sized puddle and the bubbling of the surface started. Most people don't notice it, but we do.

In the kitchen our laundry room adjoins, separated by a door. We used a transition strip and installed ceramic tile in the laundry/furnace room. And I would not put hardwood in a bathroom without serious consideration.