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Wooden flooring in kitchens


7 Tips for Wood Flooring in a Kitchen

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It’s hard to beat the natural beauty of wood flooring, but it’s not a traditional choice for a kitchen, due to the greater risk of damage from water and traffic in this room. Yet wood flooring is currently trending in today’s kitchens, so if you’re considering it for your home you’ll want to be informed about species options, installation, and maintenance to reduce the possibility of damage.

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1. Learn why wood is trending.

In addition to its good looks, wood is becoming popular flooring for the cook space so as to create a visually seamless surface between the kitchen and an adjacent dining room or a great room. Many homeowners prefer this cohesive look to the start-and-stop feel of different flooring in adjacent rooms. Additionally, wood has a warm, soft sensation underfoot, unlike ceramic or porcelain tile, which can be uncomfortably cold on bare feet or on a crawling infant’s knees. Because the kitchen is such a busy, spill-prone area, however, it’s important to consider the potential downsides of wood before installing it in this room.

2. Remember: Wood and water don’t mix.

When wood becomes saturated, it can swell, warp, or even split—so even a small dishwasher leak that goes undetected for some time can damage a section of a hardwood floor. A splash here and there, however, especially if it’s wiped up quickly, poses less risk. Consider your family’s habits. If spills are rare and you’re vigilant about the state of your kitchen appliances, a hardwood kitchen floor should hold up just fine—as long as you give it a polyurethane sealant every four to six years to maintain a high level of water resistance.

RELATED: 7  Ways You May Be Ruining Your Wood Floors

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3. Go the hard way.

The number of attractive wood flooring options at your local home improvement store can be confusing. So be sure to select a species that’s hardy enough to withstand the high-impact traffic typical of kitchens. Everyday comings and goings in street shoes, as well as movement of chairs and stools, could scratch or dent a wood floor. Pulling a major appliance away from the wall so a technician can work on it can also mar wood flooring, leaving deep scratches. (Fortunately, there are some effective ways to repair scratches on wood floors, but these often only minimize their appearance and rather than make your wood floors 100 percent again.)

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The wood flooring industry uses the Janka Scale to rate the hardness of various types of wood—the higher the rating, the harder the wood. To learn the hardness rating of the wood you’re considering, check out The National Wood Flooring Association’s Janka Scale. Wood with a Janka rating over 1500, such as hickory or Brazilian walnut, will withstand the increased traffic in a kitchen better than a softer type of wood, such as white ash or beech.

4. Let wood acclimate.

Whether you enlist a professional contractor or have the skills to put down the floor yourself, the wood must be allowed to acclimate to your home before installation for best results. Most wood flooring is stored boxed in unheated warehouses, where the climate is often quite different from the temperature and humidity of residences. If you install wood flooring before it acclimates, it could swell or shrink slightly and your floor could end up with gaps between the planks. Acclimation involves cross-stacking the boxes of planks in your home for anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on species. Recommended acclimation periods can be found in the manufacturer’s installation and warranty information.

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5. Compare prefinished and unfinished planks.

The simplest way to install wood flooring is to purchase prefinished planks, which provide a finished floor as soon as they’re nailed down. Yet when it comes to kitchens, prefinished flooring is not preferred. Prefinished planks typically have slightly beveled edges that give the floor a finished look, but these bevels create tiny tracks between the boards that allow spills to run down between the planks.

Even though it involves additional work, opt for unfinished planks, which are completely flat, for your kitchen. After the planks are installed, the entire surface should be sanded, stained, and then sealed. This offers a uniformly smooth surface, seals the gaps between the boards, and protects the flooring better against spills.

6. Seal and restore your floor.

A good sealant makes the difference between a wood floor that withstands traffic and spills in a kitchen, and a floor that’s easily damaged by water spots and scratches. Both water-based and oil-based sealants are available, but for kitchen use, a quality oil-based sealant, such as Varathane’s Clear Matte Oil-Based Polyurethane (available from The Home Depot), will provide the greatest protection. The downside to applying an oil-based sealant is the longer drying times, some requiring up to 24 hours before you can walk on the floor.

Photo: istockphoto.com

7. Take good care.

Whether you choose to put in a new wood floor in your kitchen, or you’ve moved into a house where it’s already installed, the following care and maintenance tips will help you keep it looking good.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Photo: istockphoto.com

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Hardwood Flooring in Kitchens Review: Pros & Cons

Hardwood is regarded as one of the most desirable of flooring materials, and it almost always adds value to a home. But it's also well known among professionals that hardwood floors are somewhat high-maintenance and are a poor choice for wet locations. Some flooring manufacturers make claims that the factory finishes make their products water-resistant, but it's worth noting that they are never described as waterproof. Hardwood is easily discolored by water and the fibers can swell, which can cause the entire flooring surface to buckle. Manufacturers always caution against the installation of hardwood in rooms where wet conditions are likely, and even installation against concrete slabs is questionable since moisture can migrate through the concrete.

And yet, there is a gray area when it comes to kitchens since these rooms can best be described as semi-moist, or sporadically moist. It may be possible to use hardwood as a flooring material, but much depends on the nature of your household. A very busy household or a home designed so that traffic comes directly into the kitchen from a pool deck or garage is probably not the best place for a wood floor. If you are considering wood flooring for the kitchen, you will have to take some precautions, and also keep in mind some of the other qualities of hardwood that might make you reconsider its use.

Cons

Types of Hardwood Flooring

Many aspects of hardwood flooring—costs, maintenance, installation, etc.—vary depending on what form is being used. Hardwood flooring used in kitchens and elsewhere generally falls into one of several types:

Solid unfinished planks: Installing solid hardwood planks, then staining and finishing them in place, gives the best possible wood flooring for a kitchen. With this installation, the boards butt up tightly together and are covered with a sealer coat that covers the entire surface, providing protection that won't be penetrated by water or staining materials. And solid hardwood planks have one very big advantage: They can be sanded down and refinished several times over the life of the floor. Solid hardwood floors have been known to last a century or more. This is the best form of hardwood for kitchens, though increasingly rare.

Solid prefinished planks: Many manufacturers now offer prefinished solid hardwood planks, which take some of the extra work out of flooring installation. Prefinished flooring has increasingly replaced unfinished flooring as the favorite. The planks are sanded, sealed, stained, and finished at the factory, which means the installer doesn't have to do it after installation. However, prefinished hardwood flooring is sometimes milled so that the planks have slightly beveled edges, and this design can be problematic in kitchens.

Engineered planks: This type of flooring is created by bonding a thin veneer of hardwood to a base of plywood or MDF. This type of flooring is always prefinished and is often created with a "click-lock" system in which the planks interlock at the edges. This makes it possible to install it as a "floating floor" with no attachment to the subfloor. This form of hardwood is the easiest for DIYers to install. Engineered hardwood is quite stable thanks to the plywood core, and many types are suitable for installation against concrete slabs.

Reclaimed planks: There is a growing market for using repurposed hardwood flooring, such as the materials salvaged when factories, office buildings, or bowling alleys are demolished. This option is very appealing to anyone interested in eco-friendly building practices since it uses recycled materials. Most larger communities have retailers who specialize in repurposed building materials, such as Habitat for Humanity's ReStore outlets. If carefully installed so that boards butt tightly and a good sealer is applied, reclaimed planks can be an acceptable choice for kitchens.

Watch Now: The Pros and Cons of Hardwood Floor

Hardwood Flooring Cost

The cost of hardwood flooring varies greatly depending on the type of wood and the quality of the product. Surprisingly, there is not a huge difference between costs for solid hardwoods and engineered hardwoods. Although engineered woods use less actual hardwood, this is offset by manufacturing that is more complicated and costly. And these products provide an easier installation process that people are willing to pay for.

For solid wood flooring, the general range of costs for materials alone is between $5 and $10 per square foot for standard domestic hardwoods, such as oak, maple, and cherry. Tropical hardwoods (mahogany, Brazilian walnut) cost $8 and up. For engineered hardwood, costs can be as little as $4 per square foot to as high as $13, depending on the type of wood, the thickness of the veneer, and the quality of the finish.

In addition to the cost of materials, expect to pay anywhere from $6 to $12 per square foot for professional installation. The wide range of labor costs is affected by local labor standards and the complexity of the job. For example, a floor installation that requires removal of an old floor or structural reinforcement will cost more than a floor laid on a fully prepared subfloor.

Maintenance and Repair

If the right type of hardwood flooring is installed and if it is kept properly sealed, a hardwood floor in the kitchen is fairly easy to care for. In kitchens, the best flooring installation is one where the boards tightly butt up against one another, and where the floor is kept well sealed to block moisture from penetrating. Under these conditions, maintenance is a very simple matter of sweeping and periodic wiping with a barely-damp mop or hardwood cleaner.

However, if these conditions aren't met, hardwood in a kitchen can create a much different experience. Scratches, traffic wear, and other issues can easily compromise the seal coat and allow moisture or stains to permanently damage the wood. And certain forms of flooring are less suited to kitchens. Many prefinished hardwood flooring products have beveled edges that create grooves that channel water down between the boards. This usually doesn't happen with solid hardwood that has been properly sealed with an uninterrupted top coat of polyurethane.

Despite their hardness, these floors are very susceptible to scratching and they will be damaged by toenails of pets and general wear-and-tear. Make sure to choose hardwood flooring that can be sanded down and refinished. This means that solid hardwood will be a better choice than most engineered hardwood flooring. There are, however, some upper-end engineered products with very thick veneers that can be refinished. The refinishing process can range from light screening to remove the surface finish to more aggressive sanding that removes a thin layer of wood to erase scratches and damage. Either way, a fresh coat of varnish is then applied.

Design

Hardwood is considered a premium flooring material and it almost always adds real estate value to a home. It offers visual warmth and texture and creates an earthy naturalness that can work with virtually any architectural style. If hardwood flooring has been installed elsewhere in the house, using the same hardwood in the kitchen allows for the flooring to uniformly flow throughout the house, unifying the decor.

Hardwood Flooring Installation

At one time, most hardwood floors were built with unfinished planks, but it has become much more common for new floors to make use of prefinished flooring.

The installation process for hardwood flooring varies according to different product types. Solid hardwood planks are usually milled with a tongue-and-groove design that allows the boards to lock at the edges. They are usually attached to the subfloor with nails driven down through the edges of the boards and into the subfloor, using a process known as "blind-nailing" which requires a special nailing tool. Solid hardwood boards are sometimes glued down using construction adhesives, such as when they are installed over concrete or an existing hard floor, such as ceramic tile.

Engineered hardwood and some prefinished solid hardwood planks are attached with a modified tongue-and-groove system, sometimes known as "click-lock." These floors are usually "floating floors" that simply rest on a thin dense foam underlayment pad without any attachment to the subfloor. The interlocking edges allow the flooring to float as a large mat over the underlayment. This method also has the advantage of allowing the floor to expand and contract with seasonal temperature and humidity changes.

After installation, unfinished flooring is stained by hand and is then coated with a polyurethane varnish that protects the finish and prevents moisture and stains from penetrating. This protective surface finish should be renewed every few years, especially for kitchen floors.

Solid hardwood flooring planks are usually installed by professionals since the installation is difficult and requires special tools. Engineered hardwood flooring, on the other hand, is often installed by DIYers; the process is similar to that used for other types of click-lock floating floors, such as laminates or luxury vinyl planks.

Top Brands of Hardwood Flooring

Almost all of the giant flooring brands now offer prefinished hardwood floor products, both solid and engineered. For unfinished hardwood, your best bet is to seek out a local specialty flooring store.

For prefinished flooring, consider these brands:

Comfort and Convenience

In kitchens, hardwood makes for a slightly more comfortable flooring surface than harder materials, such as stone or ceramic tile, but it is considerably harder than more resilient flooring materials, such as vinyl or cork. Dishware may well survive falls onto hardwood flooring, but at the same time, a dropped can of vegetables could dent the wood. Hardwood will also feel warmer underfoot than ceramic or stone tile, though not as comfortable as vinyl.

Hardwood vs. Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Since hardwood's real drawback in a kitchen is its susceptibility to moisture and scratching, a flooring alternative to consider is one that is fully moisture-proof and more resistant to wear—luxury vinyl flooring (LVF). Also known as vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl is a thicker form of resilient vinyl, manufactured in multi-layer planks that join edge-to-edge to form a floating floor that rests on a foam underlayment pad. New manufacturing techniques are allowing luxury vinyl to take on the look of many different materials, including stone and wood. So realistic are these floors that you may need to view them on you hands and knees to recognize that the planks are actually made of vinyl.

Luxury vinyl is completely impervious to water and most stains; it's easier to install than most hardwood flooring and much less expensive. Unless you are insistent on wood because it is a completely natural material, it is worth considering vinyl planks instead of wood for your kitchen.

Is Hardwood Flooring in the Kitchen Right for You?

Hardwood flooring is a good choice for your kitchen if you can afford it, are willing to be diligent about caring for it, and want the appeal of wholly natural flooring material. It will be a less successful choice if you have a busy or messy family, or if you have budget concerns.

Wooden floor in the kitchen, perhaps? - Articles

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03.10.2017

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Often, when it comes to choosing flooring for a kitchen, most people lean towards choosing tile or linoleum. These floorings remain popular for their durability, ease of cleaning, and moisture resistance.

However, the right wood, with the right finish, can be almost as strong and durable, absolutely just as easy to clean, and surprisingly just as resistant to moisture.

Plus, the advantage of a wooden floor is that it remains relevant despite the times and can make your kitchen a cozy place not only for cooking, but also for relaxing.


Wooden kitchen floor features:

Unique design

Ask just about any interior designer and they will tell you - if you can afford wood flooring throughout your home, then do it throughout your home, including the kitchen. It looks especially good in studio apartments or in kitchens combined with a living room.

Beautiful wood flooring continuously links one room to another, creating a unified space. In addition, wood is less fashionable than floor tiles, so a wood floor installed today will still be relevant 10, 20, 30 or more years from now. During this period, you can always update it, re-varnish it and give it a completely new shade, it will look like it was just laid. The tile replacement process, on the other hand, is a much dirtier, labor-intensive and costly process.

Color

In the kitchen, as a rule, we spend most of the time, and due to high traffic, scratches can quickly appear on the floor. Turning to the choice of color, designers recommend choosing light shades, firstly because scratches are less noticeable on a light surface, and secondly, light colors give a feeling of comfort.

Comfort

Walking on a wooden floor is not only more pleasant, but also healthier. In winter, tile can get quite cold, and due to the high density of the material, walking on it puts a lot of strain on the back and legs.

Cost

To the surprise of many homeowners, the cost of a wood floor can be almost the same as a tile floor. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, tiles cannot be laid on a subfloor, and surface preparation leads to additional work and costs. Secondly, the purchase of the tile itself, high-quality and durable, suitable in color and texture, often costs more than a wooden floor that will meet the same requirements.

Care and washing

A quick wet mopping or vacuuming a couple of times a week and an occasional professional floor treatment will be enough to keep your floor beautiful for a long time. The main thing to remember is to remove dirt or liquid from the floor as quickly as possible and do not allow dirt to accumulate in places near doors, under carpets or pet bowls. Doing so can cause stains, scratches, and floor distortion, especially on hardwoods.

How to extend the life of a wooden floor in the kitchen?

Many homeowners find that wood flooring in the kitchen will not last long due to the high chance of spilling liquids and increased stress on the floor. The truth is that any floor can be damaged by liquid, even tiles. Grout and low-quality tiles can stain or crack, while the wood floor can warp and scratch. Simple precautions can prevent these unwanted effects.

Choosing the Right Top Coat

The main way to protect your wood floor from damage is to choose the right finish. A water-based polyurethane varnish is perfect for a kitchen floor, as ironic as it may sound, this varnish repels water better than others.

Speak with a technologist to decide which type of flooring is best for you - ready-to-install wood flooring with a top coat or a floor that you need to varnish yourself. By choosing a finished floor, such as hardwood flooring, you will get a very strong and durable coating, but the joints will be susceptible to liquid ingress. If you will cover the wooden floor yourself after laying, then the seams can be treated with special mixtures for sealing, and then apply varnish to the entire surface.

Use mats

In areas where it is almost unavoidable to get water on the floor, such as near the sink, dishwasher or refrigerator, you can put water-repellent carpets. Damage to your floor can only be caused by severe flooding or prolonged presence of moisture on the surface. There is no need to worry about drops of water or accidentally spilled sauce, you just need to eliminate the consequences as soon as possible.

We choose wood species responsibly

The kitchen in almost any house is a place with high traffic, the whole family gathers here, guests come, pets walk, so the type of wood on the floor should be chosen taking into account this feature, oak or ash is best suited. Of course, there are some exotic breeds that are stronger, but due to their characteristics, they can tolerate moisture, temperature changes, or other environmental conditions worse.

If you opted for a wooden flooring, then also think about what suits you best - solid wood flooring or parquet boards. Each of them has its own merits. The floor from the array can always be cycled, thereby extending its service life and updating its appearance. But at the same time, wood fibers are more susceptible to deformation from moisture. For this reason, many people choose parquet board as a floor covering.

Note the cortical floor.

Cork flooring has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, moreover, it is quite often used for kitchen flooring. Firstly, because, like wood, it gives a feeling of comfort and at the same time it is much softer than solid wood, which is better for your bones and joints. A professionally installed cork floor will last as long as a tile floor. The process of replacing a cork floor is quite quick and less expensive compared to a tiled floor.


If you want to learn more about installing a wooden or cork floor, call 8 (495) 120-09-50 technologists with 11 years of experience will be happy to answer your questions.

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Wooden floor in the kitchen

Wood is a noble material that has been used in our homes for many years. It can be found on the floor and on the walls, on the ceiling, in furniture and furnishings. It makes the interior warmer visually and to the touch, gives elegance and creates comfort. This material is used in almost all interior styles in different forms, it is easy to care for, there are many ways to process and paint it.

Wood flooring is a classic that will never go out of style. But can it be used in rooms with high humidity and increased floor wear? Of course, yes, you just need to know about the features of care, choose the right type of wood, process it accordingly and cover the wooden floor in the kitchen with modern protective equipment. How to arrange a wooden floor in your kitchen will be discussed in this article.

Contents

  1. Wooden floor in the kitchen and its features
  2. Which wood works best?
  3. What else do you need to know about wood flooring in the kitchen?
  4. Alternative solutions
  5. How to protect a wooden floor?
  6. How to care for a wooden floor?

Wooden floor in the kitchen and its features

Of course, wood is a demanding surface, while in the kitchen the coating will be constantly exposed to dirt and even mechanical damage. Wood, however, is an extremely durable and resistant material. It just needs to be properly treated and it will serve us for many years.

There are several ways to protect the floor. Oiled wood, as well as treated with special solutions, is better protected from moisture and dirt. But wax is also used, however, such a coating does not withstand the effects of water and sand well, in addition, it is rather troublesome in terms of cleaning.

During operation, we must not forget about proper care, then the floor will look good for a long time. It is recommended to use special wood cleaning products (e.g. resin-based).

Kitchen with wooden floors - photo

When deciding to lay a wooden floor in the kitchen, you should be familiar with some important nuances. One of them, as noted above, is the choice of the type of wood. We can choose from domestic or foreign wood species - oak, beech, sycamore, maple and exotic ones such as teak, merbau, Brazilian cherry or even bamboo. Regardless of the type of wood, care should be taken that all elements have the same uniform color and texture. Any knots and unevenness under the influence of operation can lead to distortion of the floor.

Photo - wooden floor in the kitchen in a wooden house

When choosing, remember that dark wood floors are more easily soiled, as any dirt, fallen crumbs and scratches are visible on them.

Another important consideration is the type of wood flooring for the kitchen and dining area. The market provides us with a choice of wooden parquet floors, laminated boards or laminate. While in the case of furniture it is recommended to choose products made of solid wood, in the case of flooring, this option requires a particularly professional approach, otherwise it may become deformed.

On the other hand, if everything is done professionally, this option will be durable, as solid wood is characterized by extreme strength, as well as the possibility of repeated cycling. Solid wood can be used in the form of parquet, mosaics and traditional boards.

Sandwich boards usually consist of two layers of softwood and one top layer of noble wood glued together. This design prevents any deformation. Sandwich boards are installed with or without glue. This type of floor is also suitable for scraping. This type of flooring is increasingly being used in residential areas. The panels are already protected at the factory with several layers of varnish or oil, which eliminates the need for sanding and varnishing immediately after installation.

The unique layered construction increases the board's flexibility while increasing its resistance to external conditions of use (changes in humidity and temperature). In addition, this type of panel makes it possible to install a hardwood floor under underfloor heating if you decide to install an underfloor heating system in the kitchen. Such a board is covered with a special high quality varnish in several layers. Each of the thin layers of lacquer is pre-hardened against UV rays. Thus, the flooring is carefully protected from damage. At the same time, the varnish coating does not form a thick and rough film, but an extremely thin, flexible and durable one.

Which tree performs best?

If you are dreaming of a wooden floor in your kitchen, be sure to choose wood with a uniform texture and uniform color, free from knots that can fall out under the influence of use and moisture.

What else do you need to know about wood flooring in the kitchen?

Among the available types of wood floors in the kitchen, it is best to use parquet or durable wood boards. The masonry technology must be with a sealing edge, so that under no circumstances water can penetrate into the joints. You can also use laminated wood panels. They are not as good as hardwood, but this material is guaranteed not to swell or dry out after installation.

The following types of wood work best on the kitchen floor:

It is necessary to choose wood of the first grade and uniform color, with a uniform surface without knots. It should also be noted that dust, scratches and traces of dirt are more visible on dark wood.

Alternative solutions

Pressed bamboo kitchen flooring is also an interesting solution. The pressed bamboo board is very resistant to moisture and incredibly durable. Its surface is covered with several layers of durable varnish. There is also a choice of several colors of bamboo plank. It is also a product for people who do not like the classic look of bamboo and the characteristic texture of this type of wood. Pressed bamboo slabs can be sanded and re-polished, giving us the ability to renew the floor. Such a purchase will reliably serve for many years.

Finally, we can buy laminated panels. Currently, there are products that imitate wood, they are made of fiberboard, HDF or chipboard and are distinguished by abrasion-resistant protective layers. When choosing this type of flooring, you need to pay attention to the abrasion class suitable for the kitchen.

How to protect a wooden floor?

This type of coating, when properly processed, is highly resistant to moisture, water stains, dirt and dust. Oiled wood shows itself well. No less stable coatings coated with varnish. Only water and sand subject the varnish to gradual destruction. It is difficult to clean a waxed floor because wet cleaning also removes the wax.

How to care for a wooden floor?

The best way to clean this type of finish is to dry clean it and use a wood care product from time to time. It is undesirable to use a large amount of water for washing. Dirty areas should be cleaned as soon as possible, preferably with products specially developed for this purpose (the best products are based on acrylic resins).

In the event of deep scratches, the entire floor must be renewed. Parquet repair is very complex and the renovated part will always differ from the general appearance of the surface.

In classic interiors, wood creates a very warm and cozy atmosphere, so despite the practical advantages of ceramic tiles for the kitchen, parquet or planks are highly desirable in such stylizations. In addition, such a coating is always warm and pleasant to the touch.

If you choose a flooring, you can read our other article - which floor is better for the kitchen.

In a small kitchen, a wooden floor can visually enlarge the room, since in this case there will be no dividing lines that optically reduce and divide the space into sectors. You can also choose a combined floor, finishing the work area, for example, with tiles, and the dining area around the dining table with wood, this will be a very practical solution.

The kitchen is a room that is usually associated with a lot of dirt and moisture, there can be spilled tomato juice, wine or berries falling on the floor, which have a strong pigment and can stain the surface. Therefore, often people refuse to lay a wooden floor in the kitchen.

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