Kitchen flooring advice (wood floors, house, tile)

[PattySea519]

I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen and need advice with the best materials to use. My house was built in 1910 and has several add ons. I've had to use a floor jack to straighten part of the kitchen floor. I would really like to use tile but I'm concerned with the tile cracking. The entire region sits on a bed of blue rock. Over the course of years I have seen the land shift - I have a small berm that has developed and I believe it has caused damage to the vinyl tile in my second story bathroom (I have a 1/16" crack that splits the floor - this has happened over the course of 40 years). I don't want linoleum - so what product has a little give that would adjust to slight shifting. The other problem is that my husband is a machinist and want something sturdy enough that metal filings from his shoes would not damage the floor. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you

[loves2read]

Ask your husband nicely to take his shoes off in the garage or porch or laundry room before coming inside

if you don't want linoleum what about rubber flooring?

[Restrain]

The problem with any material other than linoleum/vinyl tile/tile is water penetration. Water from any source (dishwasher, etc) gets on the floor, it can and will penetrate laminates, hardwoods, etc. and will warp the flooring. Also, in this climate, it will create mold, which you really really don't want.

Linoleum will wear worse than any other material, while tile will wear the best. Tile has no 'give' so there will be some cracking, usually along grout lines of tile as the home shifts.

Given your reluctance to tile, I would recommend a high-quality vinyl tile. It will flex along with the home movement and give you years of life.

[neildiamond11790]

We did our floors over from a horrible tile to a nicer tile, and 4 years later we hate it. Well not the tile, but the grout lines, which have become darkened to a dirty look. We have tried many types of cleaning methods but none have given a clean look. The tile when installed even had additives to the grout to resist stains, but it did not work great. Next floor for me, wood.

I am a little odd, so personally given the floor space and worrying about water coming into contact with wood from sink, under sink and washer, why not tile that small area (go real nice as the square footage is small so cost will be less) and wood the rest. We are considering that as an option to have nice wood floors throughout and the spill and drop zone be a few pieces of really nice tile.

And for the hubby in your house, "check your shoes at the door" policy.

[photoman_6]

how about cork

[Buckeye Joe]

Had similar issues in Ohio before moving to FL.

#1 - I was also a machinist and shoes MUST be left in garage or even better in the locker at work if possible! Even concrete will wear away from repeated walking with shoes with metal shavings. What do you expect?? We had high traffic areas in our shop covered with steel deck plate and it needed replacing every 2 years from only foot traffic.

#2 - No hard flooring materials will remain without cracking very long without a solid level subsurface.

#3 - Check out the laminates which come in click & lock boards that can be a do it yourself instal. Nearly unlimited colors and styles to pick from. They flex and will bridge gaps and minor uneven surfaces with a thin foam layer installed on your existing subfloor.

#4 - We used cork in OH and loved it. A bit of a cushion feel, but also warm on the feet and great durability. The color faded in areas of direct sunlight was its only downside for us.

[Johnlabonte007]

Try a product at the Home Depot called Allure Flooring ez to install and soft on your feet

[coastal chic]

Wood, Cork, VCT, linoleum, small tiles (hexagon, mosaics). Large tiles WILL crack with shifting floors and are inappropriate for a home built in that era.