I have the same dilemma, well almost. I have wood floor in the dining room and family room and both rooms flow into the kitchen. which has the same flooring. I want to change that. but don't know what it would look like with wood floors from both rooms flowing into the kitchen. I was thinking maybe a patterned wood floor a combination of dark and light wood; something to break up all the wood I have now.

No, I was thinking of a real wood, patterned floor, not fake wood.

If you do NOT HAVE the hardwood installed yet, you might want to do one of TWO things:

1. Run hardwood into kitchen = done like dinner
2. Run the vinyl-plank throughout the level and ignore the hardwood concept.

The third option which you didn't mention = real stone. Or porcelain tile product in exactly the right visual. This can be tricky if your subfloor isn't ready for tile. Adding layers of plywood to stiffen up wood joists can be a pain...but it gets things done.

You don't have to have bad looking vinyl. There are other options out there. And yes...hardwood is allowed in a kitchen. And yes, high-end vinyl planks can go anywhere you want them.

Run the same hardwood flooring into the kitchen and be done.

Does anyone know of any finishes or installation techniques that would make hardwood more water resistant? I had wood in an open plan house on the entire first floor. When the dishwasher leaked, it seeped under the flooring throughout. My insurance company was not a happy company.

I think they sell alarms that you can put underneath your dishwasher, refrigerator, etc. that will alert you to leaks. There were a variety of them available, when I looked a few years ago. I've never had one, myself, but I was thinking about getting some. I think you may be able to buy pans to set your appliances in?

Vinyl will never look like real wood. Select a vinyl that looks like tile, brick or stone, or use the same hardwood in the kitchen. Wood is great in the kitchen if it is properly installed, stained and sealed.

If you want to stick with faux-wood vinyl in the kitchen and real wood in the LR, how about a contrasting material, say basic black, at the sill in the doorway.

I do agree with the others, though - faux anything nearly always look tacky when set next to the real thing, unfortunately.

Thanks to all! I definitely prefer wood so I am going to put wood throughout. I went to a local retailer and saw that there are multiple options for engineered wood flooring in the same tones and patterns that I like about the Coretec - only real! Now I need to find information on best brands of wood. My local store endorsed Shaw Epic, but the reviews on Houzz are just terrible! I had Harris-Targett previously, but I bet the technologies have improved since then.

Sally, you should also consider raw wood that can be finished on site to your specifications. The only downside is that you need to wait for each coat of poly to dry before you can walk on it.

Hi Sally, as the manufacturer of EPIC Plus we wanted to share a bit more information on the product. We’re incredibly proud of our EPIC Plus line and have analyzed its performance through and through. We understand your concerns regarding the reviews are working with each of these customers individually to determine the cause of the issues. Their installations do not represent the experience of the vast majority of consumers who have purchased EPIC and EPIC Plus flooring. We’ve sold thousands of square feet with amazing outcomes.

The EPIC Plus Collection features a different core than our other engineered hardwoods. This core, called Stabilitek, is the latest technology from the Shaw Hardwood Innovation Lab. We went to construction sites, engaged builders, consulted climate specialists and hired the leading wood and concrete specialists as part of our efforts to create EPIC Plus. Like any hardwood, you’ll need proper installation to ensure the product’s success for many years to come. We recommend you work with hardwood flooring specialists who will see to it your floors are acclimated properly and installed at the recommended humidity levels.

We offer several styles within the EPIC Plus Collection featuring three species: Hickory, Maple and Oak. We would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have about EPIC Plus or Coretec (as it is part of the Shaw family). Hope this information was helpful to you.