Kitchen Flooring – When to Use Wood vs. Ceramic Tile

Some homeowners want to renovate a kitchen immediately after moving into a new home. Others want to remodel after getting tired of the same old kitchen for years. Either way, there are numerous options, and you should seriously consider what your kitchen designer recommends. Often just changing the flooring if it is old and worn is enough to revitalize your kitchen. So this post discussed the benefits of either hard wood floors or ceramic tile floors in the kitchen.

Wood

Hardwood flooring has been used in kitchens for as long as they have been building homes for its durability and availability. It maintains its high-quality appearance for years as long as you maintain it with some deep cleaning every few months and a urethane coating for protection. It also maintains an almost timeless quality provided you select the right materials initially. When you renovate a kitchen, you may want to think about resale value and what other buyers are going to like. Hardwood is a solid option that stands up to the test of time. However, it does cost a little more than option flooring options with some reports averaging it costs between $5 and $8 per square foot plus the installation costs.

Ceramic

Ceramic is highly resistant against water due to the protective glaze the tiles receive following installation. Similar to hardwood, it is extremely durable, and tends to lasts over 20 years after installation or longer depending upon the quality of the tile and how well it is installed. One huge advantage is that there are many options in regards to color, style, motif that you can select from where hardwood is limited to the shades of wood stain you can select from. You can decide how big you want the tiles to be and what shape they come in. One consideration is that they do tend to get a little cold around winter if you choose not to have radiant heat under the tiles.

When Is Each One Best?

While you should follow the advice of your kitchen designer in North Jersey, you ultimately want to pick flooring for that can repel stains when a glass of red wine falls and can hold up to heavy traffic. It may help to look at photos of kitchen flooring to help you make up your mind. Sometimes photos can suggest what you should not do.

If you want to remodel your kitchen to make your house easier to sell, then hardwood is a good choice because it does raise the resale value in most cases. However, if you plan on living in your house for a while and want something that captures your spirit and personality, then ceramic tiles may be the way to go. Listen to what your kitchen designer recommends, and then follow your own intuition so that you get the most out of your next renovation.

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Kitchen Flooring Ideas

Your kitchen might be the most expensive room to buy flooring for. Why?, because materials used in this room must withstand traffic, spills and more scrubbing of food splatters and chemical agents. Many homes use stone tiles, ceramics and wood with a durable urethane finish, but there are still so many other options for your floor that are available that will make good sense. Here are a few of our ideas:



Beautiful Bamboo. If you have an earthy color palette, consider bamboo plank flooring. Bamboo reflects light, keeping the room airy and bright. You can find renewable bamboo floors in various sizes and patterns to complement your kitchen styles. Bamboo can also be stained in a variety of colors.

Limestone Offers a Casual Finish. Consider a matte or honed finish if you opted with limestone floors for your kitchen. This kind of finish provides the room with a more peaceful look and feel. This kind of flooring also hides scratches, needs minimal maintenance, and gives added traction when wet.

Comfortable Cork. Cork flooring is durable, quiet and cushiony, so it is easier on your joints. It costs almost the same as hardwood, and has a unique ecological advantage: sustainability. Cork trees regenerate in just nine years, while other trees can take up to 30 years or more.



Engineered Wood. Consider engineered wood over laminate or solid hardwood. Light flooring with white-washed cabinets create a cool monochromatic color. Engineered wood is best in rooms with potential water issues as it shrinks and expands less than solid woods.

Traditional Hardwood. Wood floors gives character and warmth to a room. If you want wood flooring in your kitchen, remember that solid woods are vulnerable to moisture and warp with repeated exposure, so put a rug near your food preparation and clean up zones to catch any spills. Treatingthe wood with a sealant is highly recommended.

Stylish Slate. Large slate tiles give a stylish and sound surface underfoot. Its color is also great for hiding hair, pet fur and more. To maintain it, reseal it with a matte-finish product annually. The type of stone you choose and where to put it determines if you need to seal it.

Try Travertine. Travertine tiles add an elegant touch to any space. Maintenance is as easy as yearly sealing, monthly wet mopping and dry sweeping a few times a week. Polished travertine is virtually stain-resistant and is a good choice for high-traffic areas, such as a kitchen.

These are just a few of the kitchen flooring ideas with many more options available today. You can look for other kitchen designs with style online. And while you are at it, consider adding under cabinet kitchen lighting to further compliment your flooring choices and custom wood kitchen cabinets.

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