When it comes to picking the right floor for your kitchen, it’s a big decision that can really change how it looks and works. Hardwood flooring is one option that’s classy and has a timeless feel. So, is it a good choice for kitchens?
It is important to keep wood flooring away from moisture and water. Despite this, the amount of water in your kitchen should not cause any problems for your flooring.
When you know how to care for it, it will last a lot longer. For this reason, hardwood floors make an excellent option for your kitchen if not better than tile or vinyl.
You can choose hardwood floors for your kitchen if you are willing to care for them and are aware of moisture problems.
There are other flooring options to consider, such as tile or vinyl, which may be more suitable for some kitchens due to their moisture-resistant properties.
What You Should Know Before Putting Down Wood Floors In The Kitchen
It is more difficult to clean hardwood flooring than ceramic tile. Wood flooring is more susceptible to both water and wear. Previously, our kitchen had hardwood floors.
Although we liked it, it wasn’t our favorite. For the kitchen of our new home, we looked at ceramic tile.
During the design process of our new house, the kitchen, dining area, and living room ended up being very open to one another. Due to the lack of good places to switch from hardwood to tile, we opted for all hardwood.
There is nothing we don’t like about it, and it looks nice. Whenever a spill occurs, we make sure to wipe it up quickly and completely.
Additionally, we have changed our policy to a “no shoes in the house” one, which helps prevent damage to the floors.
Hardwood has the advantage of not being as hard as tile. When you drop glass or ceramic, that matters most. It may break if you drop it on wood. You’re pretty much guaranteed to break it if you drop it on tile.
Installing ceramic tiles is expensive and removing them can be a pain. The beauty of wood floors is that they are easier to replace and can go with pretty much anything so long as the color isn’t too strange.
Hardwood Floors In The Kitchen: Pros And Cons
Before making a decision, you should weigh the pros and cons based on your specific needs and preferences.
Due to my experience working in a home improvement supplies company, any suggestions I make will be fully based on my knowledge. The pros and cons of each option are listed below, so you can make an informed decision.
Pros:
- Value
- The ease of cleaning
- Durability
- Aesthetics
Cons:
- Maintenance
- Cost
- Scratches
- Moisture Sensitivity
Having a moisture-resistant kitchen floor is more important to me than hardwood floors, so I won’t suggest hardwoods for you.
Maintaining Your Hardwood Floor
You must remember to take care of your hardwood floor if you choose it for your kitchen.
A hardwood floor is more susceptible to damage than tile or vinyl flooring, especially when it comes to water (which your kitchen has a lot of).
Due to this, maintaining it requires a few steps. You can keep your floors in good condition by following these tips.
1. Spills Should Be Cleaned Up Right Away
You should wipe up any spills on your hardwood floor immediately if they contain water or other liquids/food. If you let something like this sit on your floor, it may cause damage and, in some cases, expensive repairs.
When you spill a lot of water on your wood, it will absorb into it, which can cause warping, bubbling, and mold growth.
The stains left by foods and other liquids can be especially noticeable on lighter colored wood. Keep your floor clear of anything that might collect.
2. Deep Clean
You won’t need to deep clean your floor as often if you sweep your floors and clean up spills. If you want to maintain your hardwood floors in your kitchen, you need to use a hardwood floor cleaner every few months.
If you plan to use a cleaner on your wood, make sure it is safe for it. The finish on your wood might be damaged, or the appearance might even be affected.
3. Vacuum Or Sweep Frequently
Keeping your hardwood floor clean by sweeping or vacuuming often is also a good idea. In this way, you can avoid anything sticking to the wood or discoloring it by keeping crumbs off of the floor.
This should be done once a week at the very least. However, sweeping or vacuuming daily is a good idea if you can.
4. Refinish When You Need To
Your hardwood flooring will also need to be refinished every few years (usually every three to five). A protective layer will be formed over your flooring, which will make spills and stains less likely to damage it.
Choose The Right Hardwood Floor For Your Kitchen
Choosing hardwood flooring for a kitchen isn’t as simple as picking one type. Depending on your home’s design and your personal preferences, you might have to make the right choice for yours.
You can, however, make the right choice for your space by following a few tips. The following are some things to consider when choosing kitchen flooring.
1. The Design
It’s often a better option to have hard floors in your kitchen, but it’s also a good idea to expand your options if they don’t match your overall home design.
In addition to the material, your flooring should also have a design. Color is important, so consider it.
Woods can be lighter or darker in color. In a small kitchen, lighter colors can create an impression of space, while darker colors do a better job of hiding crumbs and stains.
Consider the grain pattern as well. Make sure you choose a grain pattern that you like, since there is no right or wrong answer.
Talking to a professional interior designer might be a good idea if you don’t know what kind of flooring suits your kitchen well.
2. The Wood Species
It is possible to categorize wood species according to their hardness or softness. The hardness of oak and maple woods is higher than that of walnut and pine, for example.
Consider the species of hardwood floor as you choose it. The durability of harder woods is greater than that of softer woods. Due to this, they won’t dent or warp as easily, so they are more likely to last for a longer time.
A hard type of wood might be a better choice for your kitchen flooring due to its high traffic (and spill prone nature).
3. Your Budget
Take your budget into consideration before getting carried away by all the beautiful wood floor options available.
Floors made from wood are generally more expensive than those made from other types of wood, and they can easily exceed your budget.
You will be charged per square foot for flooring. In other words, even though some flooring options seem affordable, their cost can quickly add up.
Make a budget before you begin shopping and stay away from options that are beyond your budget. Don’t make the mistake of falling in love with something you can’t afford.
Alternative Options
It is somewhat more comfortable to walk on hardwood floors in kitchens than harder floor surfaces like stone or ceramic tile, but hardwood is considerably harder than more resilient flooring surfaces like vinyl and cork.
While hardwood flooring will likely survive falls onto dishware, a dropped can of vegetables could dent it.
In addition to being warmer underfoot than ceramic tile or stone tile, hardwood is also more comfortable underfoot than vinyl flooring.
A flooring alternative to hardwood in a kitchen is luxury vinyl flooring, which is fully moisture-proof and more resistant to wear. Hardwood’s major weakness in a kitchen is its susceptibility to moisture and scratching.
Luxury vinyl floors, also called vinyl planks, are a type of resilient vinyl that is formed from multiple layers joined together to form a floating floor on top of a foam underlayment.
In addition to replicating stone and wood, luxury vinyl can also mimic many other materials with new manufacturing techniques.
Vinyl planks look so realistic that you may not be able to tell that they are actually made of vinyl until you examine them on your hands and knees.
Water and most stains cannot penetrate luxury vinyl flooring; it’s much easier to install than most hardwood flooring.
For a kitchen, vinyl planks are a better alternative to wood, unless you insist on wood since it is a natural material.
If you can afford hardwood flooring, you’re willing to take good care of it, and you want the appeal of wholly natural flooring material, hardwood flooring is a great choice for your kitchen.
Final Thoughts
Many kitchens on HGTV have hardwood flooring, especially those with open plans. However, it’s not waterproof, despite the fact that it looks beautiful and is easier on the legs and feet than tile or stone.
It only takes one bad leak to ruin the floors. Compared to other flooring options in a kitchen, vinyl flooring is safer and easier on the legs and feet.
However, it’s not as luxurious as hardwood. Besides looking great, stones, bricks, and tiles are waterproof.
