A little off topic, why hardwood in the kitchen? "Wood like" tiles may be a better option given what goes on in a kitchen. Spills, dropped food etc. I have never seen a dishwasher do what you are describing, however there may be an issue that needs to be addressed. No dishwasher leaks when it is functioning properly.

Well, my first reaction to the question was that any dishwasher can develop a leak when something breaks or when installed incorrectly. But, I think I discovered reason for your concern when I tried a quick search on "GE Dishwashers + door leak." I found dozens of reports and YouTube videos on GE dishwashers with various kinds of front door leak issues, some of which sounded like the problem you are seeing with your Profile model DW. Yikes!

FWIW, I have had Bosch dishwashers over wood flooring for almost a quarter of a century now. (My 110 year-old house was built with wood floors in the kitchen.) I have never had any steam leaks out the front or anywhere else for that matter. My first Bosch was always bone dry on the exterior. I replaced it when the control board burned out and replacements were NLA. I now have a three-rack Bosch 300 series model that I bought when they first came out in 2017.

My 2017 is pretty much the same as the current 300 series models and it has been bone dry on the exterior after I had a leaky water intake valve fitting replaced. The fitting might have been damaged in shipping or it might have been over-torqued at the factory (it was a very early production run.) Anyway, the fitting was easily replaced and the leak never affected my floor. That's because the bases of the Bosch DWs are a containment tub. If anything on the DW leaks, the water collects in the tub where it is detected by a sensitive micro-switch that shuts off the water and flashes an error code. Miele's models have a similar system. I haven't been keeping up on the latest DWs, so I don't know if other brands have similar systems.

All that being said, there is a thread here where somebody back in 2010 ran into a steamy vent on an older Bosch DW model; have you seen this thread?

When we remodeled our kitchen 9 years ago, we put in 2 Bosch dishwashers (large family). No leaks at all, and we have hardwood in our kitchen.

I've never had a dishwasher leak, except when someone put regular dish detergent in it. I've installed KitchenAid, Bosch, Maytag, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, and GE. Sounds like your particular model had a problem.

We’ve never had a leak and have had GE, Kitchenaid and Bosch dishwashers.

Hardwood floors in kitchen make more sense than tile because it is softer on your feet.

Vinyl sheeting may have the most actual practical value but yuck.

Been hardwoods in kitchen since I remodeled one 15 years ago.

Pulled tile out of a house that we were n for a year before converting to a rental. Did stick on vinyl sheets instead.

We recently replaced our 22 year old Asko for a bad motor. Pulled it out - ZERO water on the hardwoods it's been on for that same time period. Replaced with another.

Never ever had a dishwasher leak. I'd suspect poor seals, perhaps poor installation.

We have a Bosch 800 series that I hooked up about a year ago, zero problems and I love this thing so much we're putting 2 in the next house.

@TXLab, how is the drying power of that Bosch? I’m trying to decide that and the new Cove dishwasher, but I need something with a superior drying power.

The steam builds up and leaks out the top, slides down the front of it, and drips onto the floor.

I have a similar problem with the vent on my dishwasher. The steam escapes out the front of the door (which is good, because I've had dishwashers that release steam out of the top of the door [under the countertop] or the side of the door [into cabinetry], and the steam damages adjacent materials).

The disadvantage is, if I empty the dishwasher too soon (I like to empty it as soon as it's finished, and start another load immediately, because I do 4 loads per day), then the steam puddles on the floor. :-/

I would love to find a dishwasher that releases steam out the front, but that doesn't puddle when the door is open during unloading....

We have had a GE Profile for 14 years. So far, no leaks or problem with steam. We also have hardwood. Must be a defect with your machine.

@Shola Akins If you are wanting 100% completely dry then I'd look elsewhere. We usually have to dry anything that has any type of indention that can hold water, especially plastics. However all glass, and dishes are perfectly dry. This doesn't have a heating element, so its more energy efficient...but the downside is that you will have some water to deal with on plastics. At first I was worried about it, but we don't mind at all. Just keep a towel or drying rack close by and a quick dab and then into the cupboard.

Its super easy to clean the filter, and it's so quiet is frankly hard to believe. If it were not for the red light on the floor letting you know that its on, I'd open it up during a cycle all the time.

Highly recommended. It's my favorite appliance buy ever.

TXLab - What brand is it?

Asko has heated fan drying. IMO it is superior to those who crack the door open. Unless my plastics are nested, they are dry.

I have had various built in dishwashers and all have had insulation around them .... on the top and sides. I am thinking that would help with the steam leak problem. Whirlpool I have now has steam come out the front.

The only leaky dishwasher I had was because I used vinegar as a rinse aid and within a few months it ate up the seals.

The only DW leak I've had was when the powdered detergent caked in a corner of the door and defeated the gasket. No problems in 30+ years since and using liquid detergent.

YMMV

Also never had a DW leak and have had hardwood floors in the kitchen in every house we have owned. I have a Miele DW that has AutoOpen drying and it works very well to dry everything inside and there is never any moisture outside.

From Miele website:

Patented*AutoOpen drying

At the end of the program the door of the dishwasher opens automatically and leaves a small gap. This allows fresh air to reach the dishware and even washed items like plastics dry completely. A special airflow pattern protects the worktop from moisture.

Another shout-out for Miele and its auto-opening door. It's the killer feature that bring me back to that brand each and every time.

I have had leaks from dishwashers (and old Maytag), but that was a long time ago. Modern dishwashers shouldn't do that. And that's doubly-true for Miele and Bosch with their built-in drain pans.

I personally still don't like hardwood in the kitchen and I am glad we picked a beautiful tile instead. But that's personal preference. I like hardwood in other parts of the house.

Miele. Wood floors, wood door on DW and no problems.

Thank you, everyone, for your input. We ended up buying a Miele Crystal EcoFlex from an independent appliance dealer. I especially like that it has a built in pan. When I gave the salesman the low down on my GE Profile dishwasher's leaks, he said that the brand has had so many problems since being sold to an overseas company that they stopped carrying it. The problems must pre-date that time even because I found four service tickets due to leaks dating back six years.

How does the Miele do with drying?

Great experience with Bosch.

I've had very basic, builder grade GE dishwashers that didn't leak. I've had a KitchenAid with no leaks and now a Bosch with no leaks.

I'd suggest Bosch as well. They have several models with sensors to auto shut off if any water accumulates at the base from a plumbing clog and I have never experienced or heard of clients having any kinds of door leaks from steam. I would also agree with all who have steered you away from faux wood. Stick with wood, cork or stone for kitchens. Vinyl products can not match the aesthetics or the feel of real materials and are enormously bad for the environment from a manufacturing and end of life disposal perspective.