Choosing Your Kitchen Floor: Tile or Hardwood?

Posted on Monday, June 5th, 2017.

 

When updating your kitchen, the question of what flooring to use comes up. Most people want hardwoods in the rest of the house but the kitchen poses a dilemma. Hardwood or tile? Here are some characteristics of both materials to consider:

Tile: Hardwood:
Pros:

  • • Durable
  • • Easy to clean
  • • Light color options

Cons:

  • • Hard on legs/feet
  • • Cold in winter
  • • Subject to cracking

Laminate::

  • • Not recommended despite the lower cost
 Pros:

  • • Elegant and authentic
  • • Warm in sock feet
  • • Comfortable for standing
  • • Polyurethane finish is water-resistant

Cons:

  • • Water leaks can damage floors. (Spills shoulld be cleaned up quickly)
  • • Subject to dents from dropped skillets, etc.

Many Wood Wise clients choose hardwoods for their kitchens because of the beautiful look and warmth. With non-slip area rugs in strategic places such as in front of the sink, the daily wear and tear to the floor is kept to a minimum.

If you like both wood and tile, there is porcelain tile that looks like natural wood. It comes in all kinds of colors and finishes (check out Byrd Tile’s selections at: http://byrdtile.com/2016/08/). It is so real looking that the first time our design team saw it, we had to actually reach down and touch it to make sure. Porcelain wood-look tile can also be a great look in bathrooms and laundry rooms where water can be a bigger issue.