Advice on dining/kitchen flooring

[cmac609]

Hi everybody

I am getting new flooring in my dining room and kitchen (which is almost like one room because there isn't any walls separating them. So I want the same flooring in each. My living room is right next to my dining room and it has hardwood flooring (medium oak color).

We had ceramic in here before but I was thinking pergo or something similar. However the colors I am liking are darker than what I have in my living room. Some reds in them because my cabinets are a maple/harvest color (a little cherry looking).

Not sure If it would like right with different color flooring. Any advice.


Anybody else have different color wood?

Thanks.

 

[Theaberdeenkid]

May I throw a caveat in there about pergo in the kitchen, we had it in the kitchen when we moved in to the last house. The area by the fridge where people kept spilling water and dropping ice form the dispenser warped the pergo to where the edges curled.

 

[DizMe]

Yes, laminate is subject to warping problems in the kitchen. I have hardwood floors in my kitchen because it's all part of a large great room and was actually a family room originally so we just kept the wood floor. I have to say that it has not stood up well to the abuses inflicted on a kitchen floor. The areas around the sink/dw and refrigerator have turned blackish in color due to water and wear. It's a beautiful floor material but I sure wouldn't recommend it for a kitchen. I honestly don't know what the best option would be, though. I didn't like vinyl or tile. Concrete might work for my family!

 

[wekhogan]

I don't think I'd like hardwoods and Pergo juxtaposed, especially with different colors. How about a slate - look tile? I would say continue the hardwoods, but not so much with cherry cabs already.

 

[trinchick]

Has anyone ever installed the porcelain tiles that look like hardwood? They intrigue me when I see them in the store, but I'd be interested to hear about real-life experiences with them.

Were they less costly to install than hardwoods?
Are they easy to keep up?

We have a textured tile right now that traps so much dirt. Would love a new alternative but don't want to install hardwoods in the kitchen where I have two messy kids and a dh who won't pick up a chair to slide it in and rather scrapes it back and forth...

 

[HM]

We have 12X12 tiles in our kitchen/eating area. Carpet in the family room next to the eating area and oak flooring in the dining room next to the kitchen. I really like having tile in the kitchen for ease in clean up and worry free from any scratches or warping.

 

[mikehn]

Our entire house is either porcelain or hardwood. Porcelain is about double the cost of hardwood per square foot installed. Its a huge investment. You really should visit some showrooms to see how wood and tile compliment and contrast before you make a decision.

 

[wiigirl]

We put in some bamboo flooring this year...love it!

 

[Anthony1971]

We have Hardwood in our kitchen for 10 years and have not had a problem.
with that said it was a prefinished floor when we had it installed which has a much more durable coating than not prefinished. Yes it will get some dents but all hardwood flooring does. I would stay clear of pergo type flooring for the most part. Home Depot does have a new type that is said to be moisture resistant as it has a thin layer or real wood on top and the bottom on some is plywood... however the cost is high and unless you are doing it yourself it will be more than hardwood.....

 

[bethy]

I have had all types of floors in my years as a homeowner. First and foremost I wouldn't put anything that looks remotely like wood next to the hardwoods unless it matches exactly - same wood, same color, same finish, same material - especially in a greatroom set up where it really is all one room.

Also, when laying ANY type of flooring remember that labor is by far the biggest cost versus the actual materials. For example, in my experience real hardwoods are not far the same price as Pergo to install.

Here would be my ideal kitchen flooring:

18" x 18" Porcelain tile - for fewer grout lines to clean plus this size makes the room look bigger.

Narrow grout lines/margins (1/8" to 1/4") - to make cleaning easier

as dark a grout color as possible that will blend with the tile (no contrasting grout)

several layers of sealant on the grout - possibly apoxy grout if you can afford it

have the tile laid in a diamond (en pointe) pattern (it makes the room look much bigger and more interesting and welcoming)

Choose a tile with a slight texture so it's not slippery and is easier on the feet.

Choose a neutral color with lots of subtle flecking to disguise dirt

And finally: Radiant heating under the tiles. It is WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!! Even if it's just to take that tile chill off a bit. It changes the feel of tile floors completely. Go with electric heating and it's not too too expensive for a relatively small area.

 

[LJSquishy]

Either go with matching hardwoods from your living room, or porcelain/ceramic tile. Pergo floors (or any hardwood or laminate floor) in a different color than your current hardwoods is going to look pieced together and cheap.

I love the ceramic tile that looks like wood planks, though I'm not sure how it would look next to actual hardwoods. If it were my house, I would go with tile.

 

[mackgold]

We have installed the hardwood floor with carpets around the dining. This looks quite elegant.

 

[gr8tdame]

We have the tile that looks like wooden planks in our kitchen...we have the planks in two different lengths. We have an open floor plan and the rest of the house is all hardwood flooring. The kitchen and breakfast area was also hardwood flooring but with the dogs spilling water all over the floor constantly it was beginning to blacken and was just too hard to maintain. I love the that wooden plank tile in the kitchen and breakfast area and if I could afford it I would do the family room dining room and den in it as well. It is so easy to clean and because of the texture it does not get slippery when wet. I love slate floors as well. Another option I would consider is cork flooring. Cork flooring is very comfortable to stand on in the kitchen however it is mega expensive.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We had hardwood flooring put in to our living room, dining room and kitchen. Didn't want to do different types of flooring because it's all one area (kind of). I'm happy with the flooring except in the kitchen. It certainly has not held up as well as other areas of the house. You drop a pot, got a mark. No matter how well I clean it, it never looks as nice or good as the rest of the flooring. I did see a long time ago on HGTV a ceramic hardwood. You would never know it's ceramic. If I had known about that years ago, I would of checked that out.

 

[abmitch01]

I've had ceramic tile, laminate flooring and now in this new house, wood floors.

I hated ceramic tile, didn't like the looks of it, hated dealing with sealing the grout, it was cold. I had laminate put through my entire town house, an upper grade laminate, it did well. but I had cheaper laminate before that would warp if liquid sat on it for even a short time (I had a dog with brain damage who often urinated on the floor). Once he passed I got the nicer laminate. It was really pretty and seemed much more durable than what I had had.

then I moved and we have oak wood. Very pretty but it's already showing some wear and tear in the kitchen.

I personally would consider the higher end vinyls for a kitchen, they have come a long way and last forever.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have Armstrong Alterna Luxury vinyl tile in our family room and kitchen, and I love it. It is laid out in a diamond pattern with grout between the tiles and looks fantastic. It's extremely easy to clean as well.

http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/alterna.asp

 

[Aliceacc]

We did our kitchen last fall and knocked down the wall separating it from the kitchen.

We installed porcelain tile that looks just like wood. Honest , people are surprised to feel and realize its not wood.

It's fabulous!!! It shows no dirt, and can be cleaned with a wet mop. It has texture, so wet feet coming from the pool to the bathroom won't slip easily.

I love it and recommend it highly.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hi everybody

I am getting new flooring in my dining room and kitchen (which is almost like one room because there isn't any walls separating them. So I want the same flooring in each. My living room is right next to my dining room and it has hardwood flooring (medium oak color).

We had ceramic in here before but I was thinking pergo or something similar. However the colors I am liking are darker than what I have in my living room. Some reds in them because my cabinets are a maple/harvest color (a little cherry looking).

Not sure If it would like right with different color flooring. Any advice.


Anybody else have different color wood?

Thanks.

I would not use Pergo in the kitchen. I do not like tile, so went with a very thick Armstrong with the color layers all the way through, and very cushioned (will not cut when a can, etc. is dropped on it). After 13 years it still looks brand new, was not cheap, but I would use the same thing over in a heartbeat.