All About Kitchen Floors: The Pros and Cons of Hardwood and Tile

Gone are the days of tiles in every kitchen! Hardwood floors are becoming an increasingly popular option for kitchens. Although they may seem a tad unconventional at first – hello, what about kitchen spills?! - hardwood floors offer a stylish, classic look that go with just about any style of kitchen! So… let’s get into the pros and cons of hardwood kitchen flooring shall we?

Pros

• Versatility - Hardwood is an incredibly versatile floor material. From the shade to the wood species to the surface treatment, there are so many things to consider! Whether you want a bright, contemporary light stained floor, or you’re after a dark, more traditional look, hardwood has got you covered. Plus, there are plenty of different species of wood to choose from. White oak, walnut, cherry, reclaimed elm, European oak… the options are positively endless. And don’t even get us started on treatment finishes. But that’s for another blog ;) Looking for wood inspo? Two of our go-to flooring companies are Northern Wide Plank and Gaylord Flooring. Northern Wide Plank’s exclusive wood flooring and wall surfaces are at the cutting edge of design and craftsmanship. For over 25 years, they've sourced one-of-a-kind woods from across the globe to exceed their client's expectations. Since 1985, Gaylord Flooring has been working with high quality products like their pre-finished domestic, exotic, and engineered hardwood floors.  Their websites are seriously swoon worthy!
• Easier on joints – From a practical standpoint, hardwood has a bit more give than stone or tile flooring. What does this mean? It means that, over time, wood materials are going to be easier on your joints and feet… which is especially important if you tend to spend hours cooking or entertaining in the kitchen! Definitely something to consider.
• Warmth – Another practicality point? Warmth! Hardwood absorbs and retains heat more effectively than stone or tile, meaning that it won’t become overly cold on the feet.

Continuous flow for open concept rooms. If you have hardwood in your living/dining spaces, with an open concept layout you want the flooring material to flow naturally throughout, rather than a hard line between tile & hardwood in the middle of your beautiful open concept space. Hardwood will be a better choice to run throughout.

Cons

• Maintenance & Durabilty - Hardwood floors are sometimes a little more maintenance. Depending on foot traffic, pets and the frequency of kitchen accidents, hardwood floors may require re-finishing every 5-10 years. Routine care and making sure to wipe up any spills soon after they happen can prolong the life and beauty of your hardwood floors.
• Spills – We mentioned it above… but hardwood is never waterproof. No matter how you treat your hardwood, there’s simply no way around it. Unattended spills WILL damage hardwood floors. So if you’re particularly prone to kitchen spills this may be something you need to consider! Engineered Hardwood with a plywood backing will weather better than traditional hardwood against spills & water damage. They are less prone to warping/twisting and high quality engineered hardwood can also be refinished 3-4 times in its lifespan. Great alternative to give you real wood in the kitchen, but with less hassle and worry (but you should still wipe up those spills as soon as you spot them! Just to be safe and protect your floors).

Tile