Wood Flooring Options For Kitchen Remodeling

Today, as the open floor plan concept continues to trend, it's creating another trend that is becoming increasingly popular with homeowners – hardwood flooring in the kitchen. Homeowners want a sense of continuity between their living areas and are consistently turning to wood flooring to achieve that sense of cohesion.

Hardwood has traditionally been used in living areas like family rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms for a good reason. It doesn't hold up well to moisture. While the kitchen is not as humid as the bathroom, it is considered a “semi-humid” environment. When mopped up quickly, the occasional spilled pot, dropped glass, or the occasional kitchen faucet overspray will not have an ill effect.

But you do need to consider more severe water-related events, such as a leaking dishwasher line while you're at work, or a slowly leaking refrigerator. Well, today's hardwood flooring sealers can form an impermeable barrier, so even in cases such as these, if addressed promptly, there is little danger of serious damage.

So let's look at the pros and cons of the two most popular types of wood flooring and how they will stand up to everyday use in the kitchen.

Hardwood Floors For Kitchens

this kitchen uses genuine 3/4” thick, site-finished hickory hardwood flooring which will last for decades.

Natural Hardwood floors are timeless. They never go out of style and add warmth to your kitchen. Hardwood comes in virtually any finish you can think of. Plus, real hardwood can be sanded and refinished, making it easy to match your updated kitchen.

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However, while they're a great choice, they are the most expensive option, and while hardwood stands up to high-traffic, it sometimes does not stand up to water, heat, and humidity too well. You will need to maintain your floors to keep them looking new.

The Pros:

• Timeless Style: Its timeless style will never look out of date.

• Durable: Hardwood is excellent for high-traffic areas, and you can choose the thickness of the planks for longer life.

• Flexible: Hardwood can be sanded and refinished without having to replace the entire floor if you remodel your kitchen.

• Perfect for Open Concept Living: If you have an open living plan, hardwood floors throughout can add cohesion and connect your living space and kitchen beautifully and seamlessly.

The Cons:

• Heat, Water, and Humidity: Hardwood is incredibly durable, but water, moisture, and heat can result in warping or gapping. However, you can combat this by using a moisture barrier, but it will add to the installation costs.

• Difficult to Clean: You want to make sure that if you mop your floors, no water remains. Dry mopping and vacuuming, with the occasional wet mop, can help.

• The Expense: Hardwood flooring is the most expensive wood flooring option. If you opt for sealing and a moisture barrier, it can cost even more.

• Limited Installation Options: Hardwood can only be installed over a plywood subfloor, at or above ground level. Thinner hardwood can be glued over concrete, but it will have a shorter usable life.

Engineered Wood Flooring for the Kitchen

this soft contemporary home uses engineered wide-plank maple flooring in the kitchen and great room.

Engineered hardwood flooring is a human-made product that can be installed practically anywhere. It is made with real hardwood, but it can stand up to moisture, humidity, and heat much better than hardwood. It's durable, plus, it comes in many different finishes, textures, and species, and best of all, it is less expensive than hardwood.

The Pros:

• It's Durable: Because they're made in many layers, engineered hardwood is durable and stands up to daily use. It features a scratch-proof finish, real hardwood, a core layer for durability, and a backing layer that repels moisture. It's an excellent choice for a semi-humid room like the kitchen.

• Real Wood, But Much Less Expensive: It looks like real wood because it is real wood but at a fraction of the price.

• Easy to Clean: Because it has a moisture-proof backing, you can wet mop to your heart's content. Plus, when you're ready to change your floors, engineered hardwood can be refinished. Just make sure you're hardwood layer is thick enough first.

The Cons:

• Refinishing is Limited: Engineered hardwood uses a top layer of natural hardwood, however, because it is not solid, and has a thinner layer of hardwood, it can only be sanded and refinished a limited number of times.

So Which Wood Flooring Is Right For Your Kitchen?

this kitchen uses luxury vinyl plank flooring. while it cannot be refinished at all, it is the least likely to show wear from a dog’s toenails, like real wood and engineered wood floors can.

Both solid hardwood and engineered wood flooring look beautiful, are durable, and will stand up to daily use. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you decide on a material.

Do you need “perfect” floors? Will it bother you to see dings and dents in your flooring? For many homeowners, imperfections are an attractive attribute of wood floors, and when they become worn, they can be sanded and refinished.

This leads us to question two, do you want to be able to sand and refinish your floors? If you enjoy changing your décor every few years, solid wood floors can be sanded and refinished, almost indefinitely. While engineered wood flooring can be sanded and refinished, there's a limit as the hardwood layer is relatively thin.

Finally, are you willing to spend time and money maintaining your floors? Hardwood floors are beautiful, luxurious, and classic. However, no matter how expensive, wood is a naturally soft product. Over time it will show scratches, dings, and dents. If you understand this is a characteristic of the material, you'll love your solid wood floors.

Solid wood floors will also tend to expand and contract with the seasons. A home humidifier can help, but with wood floors, you'll likely need to have them buffed and reapply polyurethane every few years.

If this type of maintenance doesn't sound like something you re interested in, engineered wood floors are dent resistant, need less maintenance, and half-inch engineered wood will hold up better to water and moisture as well. Because it is designed to withstand changing weather conditions better, it takes longer for an engineered product to move with humidity than natural wood.

Finally, price is another consideration. Solid hardwood is the more expensive choice. If you have a smaller budget or are looking for potential budget savings to have room in the budget for that 6-burner chef's stove, engineered hardwood might be a better choice.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 3/8/21.

If you're planning a kitchen renovation in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area, and you have questions about your flooring options, give the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at (608) 846-5963. Our award-winning designers will work with you to help you make the best kitchen flooring choice to meet your family's needs and budget.

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