Floors, floors, floors

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

I need advice, our downstairs floors are my next project. Currently tile entry through to kitchen, laminate family room, different laminate in office, formal dining and master bedroom, was considering uniform hand scraped hardwood throughout, but concerned about the kitchen and how it would hold up with the bar stools and breakfast area chairs.

Featured Answer

feeny

11 years ago

I'm a big fan of hardwood, even (maybe especially) in kitchens. They are classic, beautiful, don't show dirt easily, are more flexible to stand on than tile (thus better on your back and leg muscles if you cook a lot), and last for the life of the house. We have a 1920's house with original hardwood floors throughout, including the kitchen and breakfast nook, and the floors are still going strong (though they've been refinished a few times over the life of the house, but not in the last decade we have owned it). I'd suggest putting those little circular furniture pads on the bottoms of your stool and chair legs and checking them every six months or so for any that have worn down. We haven't had any trouble with scratches, and we have a teenager and two rambunctious dogs who hang out in the kitchen a lot. Also, remember that lighter wood stains show dirt less.

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Comments (24)

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Shannon Ggem Design
11 years ago
I agree with Feeny. I love hardwood and use it everywhere.
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Chandani
11 years ago
Hi, I think the idea of unifying the space by having consistent flooring through out is a good one. If you are really concerned about wood in the kitchen, one option is to use tile in a similar colour to the hardwood. There is also porcelain tile that looks like wood. Bring home samples and look at the combination in your light conditions at different times of the day.
PRO
Mint Design
11 years ago
We have hardwood throughout, even in the baths and love them. There are finishes which help protect in wet areas though we prefer old fashioned wax so that any scratches can be buffed out. Do not ,however, wax stairs....better to put a runner there. Also consider small rugs in areas of high traffic. I have small Persian rugs at my kitchen sink, and in the center of the bathroom....they are practically indestructible and age well! Her are a couple of photos which I hope will give you ideas! :)
PRO
Mint Design
11 years ago
ps you will need to click to enlarge the bath photo to see the floor and rug.....
benjijk
11 years ago
true, there are a lot of wood porcelain varieties that resemble hardwood floors, and require much less maintenance. Here's a few.
http://tiledaily.com/category/porcelain/wood-porcelain/
Sim Virk
Original Author
11 years ago
thanks all! I like the idea of uniform hardwood throughout too. Any tips for the media room? Can we use wood in there too?
feeny
11 years ago
Absolutely!
PRO
Mint Design
11 years ago
You can use hardwood in the media room but use rugs for the accoustics. I like cork floors in media rooms for accoustical reasons. You can get them to look like hardwood floors. I will attach a couple of photos for you. :)
PRO
Oak & Broad
9 years ago
Sim, wood floors can also be refinished many years later with a different stain color if you like to match changing taste and style.
PRO
simpleFLOORS Seattle
9 years ago
I too love the all over wood look. If you do go with this make sure to have felt pads on the legs of your kitchen chairs and bar stools if possible. In my home I replace the felt pads under the dining legs about every 3 months as they get a lot of use/wear.
mfwolfe
9 years ago
LOL
PRO
Armstrong Flooring
9 years ago
May we suggest Alterna Reserve floors for your entryway?
PRO
DirectBuy of Fort Worth
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Woods all the way. There are some great values out there. Use felt pads to minimize damage by furniture and then run to Bed Bath and Beyond and pick up their furniure touch up kit with the 3 colored markers. I have yet to find a wood sample in my showroom that I can't touch up with those. The trick is to wipe it off with you finger after the touch up. Leaves the color behind but not the excess.
Lois Black
9 years ago
What color hardwood flooring would look good with my kitchen?
PRO
Farha Syed Design, LLC
9 years ago
Hello Lois

Looking at your counter tops and Cabinets I would go with a Medium brown which doesn't have an orange tone to it. Something along the lines of Gun-stock Oak which is a perfect example of a medium brown.

I hope this helps.
PRO
Armstrong Flooring
9 years ago
Hi Lois,
We have a wide variety of great hardwoods to choose from. One that might look nice is a gray hardwood from our America Scrape hardwood collection. These floors are durable and come in a rustic hand-scraped wide plank, which is very on-trend right now. Here are more from the American Scrape Collection: http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/hardwood/american-scrape-hardwood/floors-30976.asp
And below is another great choice - in Oak - Natural.
J Gast
9 years ago
we do wood floors in kitchens all the time. Bohemian makes them and installs themselves. This way we can always come back to clean and buff up after a year or so. I can sent you some examples if needed. We age them and use oils to finish.
Jill Forrester
9 years ago
I sanded and bleached my redoak floors 6 months ago without finishing them, now they've gone dirty , should I sand them again ?, what should I finish them with to protect them?, want white Scandinavia floor look, someone said white soap flakes, help!,
PRO
Burton Ryan Designs
8 years ago
Depending on how distressed the flooring is you will never notice and is easy to touch up
PRO
Perfect Finish Flooring
8 years ago
Im a big fan of hardwood flooring for this project!
PRO
User
8 years ago
Hi There. We are a flooring company based out of Westchester NY. It's definitely nice to have a the same flooring throughout. It usually makes the space appear larger. I'd look to your subfloor to see if it's concrete or plywood and that will dictate which type of flooring you can install and any prep work needed. In the kitchen area, hand scraped hardwood is a really good choice because if the floor does scratch(which at some point it will, every hardwood scratches) it will blend better and may not be as noticeable. It's always a good idea to apply felt pads to the feet and legs of furniture and chairs as this protects the floor. Feel free to take a look around our site. We have some useful blog posts. The Couture Floor Blog- Westchester NY
PRO
Garrison Collection
7 years ago
Hardwood floors are definitely the way to go in the kitchen. They look great, and depending on the type of floor you get, they will be fairly easy to maintain and keep looking nice!
PRO
Mannington
6 years ago
Today's hardwood floors have very good scratch resistance, and are good for almost any area in the home. It's always wise to use pads on the feet of furniture, though (and some manufacturers require them in order for the warranty to be valid). That said, Mannington offers a wide range of beautiful hardwood floors for any space and an amazing array of handscraped hardwoods - maybe this Iberian Hazelwood Mannington Iberian Hazelwood

Or this, Mercado Oak: Mannington Mercado Oak

Or this, Maison Provence Hickory: Mannington Maison Provence Hickory

Whatever your preference, you can find it at a flooring retail store near you: Mannington find a local store

Good luck with your project!