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Flooring Design Dilemma Kitchens

Options for transition from tile to wood

4 years ago

We are in love with wood floors and that’s what we plan to install all over the apartment except bathrooms and kitchen. I want to mask as much as possible the tile floor of the kitchen so with that in mind, which of the following options is better:

Option 1- The tile floor and the transition from tile to wood is much more hidden in this option which is why I gravitate towards it, But I’m afraid it will look kind of weird because the transition line from tile to wood starts at the island (which is OK) and ends at the middle of the drawers which I think can look a bit strange

Option 2- The transition from tile to wood is at the end of the kitchen drawers so looks more sensible, but it is much more visible from every point.

Maybe there’s another possibility we didn’t think about? Do you have any suggestions? What would you pick- option 1 or 2?

Featured Answer

PRO

Skippack Tile & Stone

4 years ago

Why not then just use wood in the kitchen. It's always looked silly to me to split a kitchen floor with 2 elements in all the photos I've ever seen.

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Comments (16)

rinked
4 years ago
Line 2 for sure, but where to stop? Can you extend the tiles towards the hallway? How's the rest of the floorplan? Could the island be moved left?
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I see two options. The first is to have your tile person straighten out the edge of the tile. Fabricate a reducer that's 1/4" thick i.e. the difference between your wood and tile), finish to match the floor and cut it to length. Undercut the door stops to the height of the tile so the reducer will slide under. Fill the gap between the wood and tile with something that's the thickness of the wood. Apply a little construction adhesive to the bottom of the reducer and install it, weighting it down until the adhesive dries. This can be done by closing the door and sliding wedges under it. The second option would be to use a matching baby threshold that would lip over the tile and hide the uneven edge. Fit it, fill the void, undercut stops and secure with adhesive. Trim the door bottom if needed. The bottom of the baby threshold might have to be shaved off so it sits level. If it's made for a 1/2" floor and your difference is only 1/4" you'd have to shave off 1/4". The first solution yields the lowest stepover height but is more work. The second is easy but has a bigger hump at the doorway.
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Rule #1 Never grout to wood. Grout is a guaranteed failure. Especially up against floorboard end cuts. To apply something over the top looks cheap and should always be avoided IMO. See what the installer offers and do not hesitate to ask why this detail was not discussed prior. It would not be the end of the world to have 2pcs. of tile removed and replaced with a proper transition.
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Shim up the nosing to the tile height. Add a scotia to cover the gap on the underside. The tile installer could have taken care of it for you.
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Diana Diana
Original Author
4 years ago
Skippack Tile & Stone ,

I completely agree, but my husband insists (he’s afraid of water damage) so I’m trying to find a way so both of us will be happy...
Laura Hill
4 years ago
Organic transitions...
Diana Diana
Original Author
4 years ago
rinq

Can’t move the island.

How will extending the tiles towards the hallway help? They will only be much more visible…
rinked
4 years ago
If you use them in the hallway too, there's your coherence. :)
Diana Diana
Original Author
4 years ago
rinq

Maybe I wasn't clear, while coherence is important, I'm looking for a way to hide the tiles and the transition from tile to wood. I want to mask as much as possible the tile floor of the kitchen - so that we'll see as little as possible of the tiles. That's why I'm leaning towards option 1 . But then there is the problem of the transition line that ends at the middle of the drawers...
rinked
4 years ago
What are your thoughts on Laura Hill's first image?
cpartist
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
With today’s floor coatings, water really will not be a problem on wood floors. Additionally if you go to sell your apartment, the two floors will be a negative. Go to some quality flooring stores and talk to a salesman about wood flooring and the finishes they use nowadays
Rachel Lee
4 years ago
I would curve it like the photo below.
Diana Diana
Original Author
4 years ago
rinq

I thought about the organic transitions, but we like the straight lines better
Diana Diana
Original Author
4 years ago
cpartist

Trust me, I dragged my husband to every store, but he doesn’t believe the salesman since “he is supposed to sell it” and doesn’t want to risk having water damages later…
cpartist
4 years ago
You have more chance of losing dollars on a resale then having a major leak.
PRO
User
4 years ago
Do not cut into the kitchen/drawers like that, visibility increase or not. Option #2 for sure.
beesneeds
4 years ago
If you get a major leak, won’t matter if your floor is tile or wood, the water is still likely going to get under there and mess up your subfloor anyway. After all, most plumbing is in cabinets or behind appliances, not over the floor.

But if you want to hide your new kitchen floor, perhaps get a couple or few kitchen rugs or mats to cover the flooring?
rinked
4 years ago
How are your thoughts on pvc and ceramic wood tile?

And I agree with cpartist, loads of people have wood in their kitchen without issues (and if any leaks occur, it will spill further into the area anyway). Perhaps start a Dilemma on wooden floors in kitchens, to convince the OH?

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