Kitchen flooring - tearing my hair out!

15 years ago

We're re-doing the kitchen with white cabinets and black appliances. They granite is grayish so I need color and it should come from the flooring.

I wanted tile for ease of cleaning and aesthetic but with a bad back I've been warned away from a hard surface like that.

Laminate and vinyl are soft and easy enough but I really need something attractive to bring color into the room. "Colorful" vinyl / laminate looks silly to me, like it belongs in a child's play room. I can't find any elegance or warmth in it.

That leads to Brazilian Cherry or Mahogany, both of which have rich red tones.

I was settling on an engineered brazilian cherry when our GC said we'd be sorry with how fast it wears out and to buy solid hardwood.

Today I went into the tile place about my bathroom floors. When the saleswoman heard I was putting wood in my kitchen she said I'd be really, really sorry. "Drop butter on it, see what happens."

I'm so tired of the contradictions! I really need some experienced, un-biased help.

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Comments (8)

sophie_blue
15 years ago
Not sure about engeneered wood but my sister has had parquet floors in the kitchen for many years and nothing happened to them. The butter can be wiped off just like any other surface.
amrad
15 years ago
Nothing wrong with wood floors in the kitchen, a little harder to clean-up, but you can always put down a throw rug near the work areas.
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digiweb
Original Author
15 years ago
sophie_blue: parquet can be any type of wood? I'm not sure.

amad: Should the floor have a certain finish to make it easier to keep up? How do you clean a wood floor?
sophie_blue
15 years ago
I've never seen parquet in engeneered wood but I was referring to real wood. Wood floors are usually finished with some sort of a laquer(sp?) so that you can clean them with a damp (not wet) cloth or mop.
derfy
15 years ago
I'd really question that sales women.
Nothing will affect the Urethane finishes they use today on factory finished flooring. Especially butter

About the only thing that will do real harm is water. like when the sink drain UNKNOWINGLY plugs up from running the disposal and then you turn on the dish washer. Better mop it up quick or it will buckle
digiweb
Original Author
15 years ago
OK, guess what I did? I took 8 wood samples and put butter on all. Wiped it up an hour later with a simple paper towel. NO problem at all.

We're heading back toward tile though. We need color with the white cabs and black appliances. We are thinking a red/copperish color Hacienda floor. Anyone believe that tile floors are too hard? Or butter will kill them? :-)
boxers
15 years ago
look for an engineered wood with an aluminum oxide finish. Almost all of the newer prefinished woods have them. They are very similar to the finish on laminates except that it can be recoated many times. You never actually get to the 'wood' as your walking on the finish. Have no idea why someone would suggest solid wood. Engineered is much more stable and if you want wood its just as durable as anything else. Brazillian will change color 'darken' rather dramatically and with its smooth finish will tend to show everything, but for ease of cleaning you have a good product. I'm a former district mgr for Bruce Hardwood.
digiweb
Original Author
15 years ago
derfy: lol!

boxers: Aluminum oxide, ok.

Does the finish mean I shouldn't worry about the floor hardness rating?

I would be happy with a floor that *didn't* show everything.

Would a teak end up being a better choice? Maybe I don't need to go exotic at all with a good finish.

My goals are:
- wide plank for aesthetic
- reds or yellows (like a golden (not brown) teak)
- durable enough (2 humans, 2 cats)
- just really pleasing to the eye in a room that needs color

Kitchen flooring - tearing my hair out!

Comments (8)

sophie_blue

amrad

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Kitchen flooring - tearing my hair out!

Comments (8)

sophie_blue

amrad

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