Home

[springers]

Have a 2 story home and want to replace all flooring including stairs baths kitchen. Hardwood is good resale value, and looks beautiful. The kitchen family room combo have to be same floor but nervous about wood in kitchen (all the shows do it). Also what works with the stairs. Carpet wears on stairs and I don’t like to shampoo carpet.
Like the wood look tile in baths but hate grout. Also for the bath thinking of the pattern tile or high quality laminate.
Thanks.

[dex]

@springers there are vinyl floors that look like wood and very sturdy and resistant to liquids.We have used them in our cabin and they look beautiful.

[Wobin]

We have had wood floors in the main living area of both our homes including the kitchen.  Uniform floors make the area look larger and are really essential when the family room and kitchen or dining room and kitchen are one room.   When we sold the first home our realtor rolled up the area rugs and put them in the garage during the listing process to show off the floors.  We loved the Mannington floor in our first home and had them for several years. We bought the exact same flooring in a little darker shade for our current home and the quality of the finish has gone down hill.  I would try another manufacturer.

We used the same area rugs in the kitchen, family room and at the sliding door to the patio to unify the room.  

Some friends have the wood look tile floors in their kitchen with really narrow groutlines that I didn't even notice.  We chose vinyl flooring that looks like tile for the bathrooms in our current house.  

In our old home we carpeted the stairs.  A relative ran the wood flooring up the stairs and I noticed it was a lot noisier.  If you could add a carpet runner on top of the wood that might be the best of both ideas.

Good luck and let us know what you decided and how it turns out.

[GCR18]

My friend had a pergo type flooring put in every room in her house a year ago.  It looks really nice.  She said it's great to clean.  Teenagers and dogs trample on it.

[ninjawife]

I have lived in my house for 6 years and I have hardwood floors throughout the downstairs and on the stairs to the upper floor.  The family that owned my house before me had the hardwood everywhere downstairs except the living and dining room.  We replaced the carpet in those rooms and added hardwood.  We had all the floors refinished not only so the floors would match but b/c the previous owners had a dog and had scratched up the rest of the hardwoods.  

Since refinishing them we have not had any issues with the wood floors even on the stairs, kitchen and powder room.  They still look great after 6 years and I don't anticipate there being any problems with them in the future,

[vsm]

---

@springers wrote:
Have a 2 story home and want to replace all flooring including stairs baths kitchen. Hardwood is good resale value, and looks beautiful. The kitchen family room combo have to be same floor but nervous about wood in kitchen (all the shows do it). Also what works with the stairs. Carpet wears on stairs and I don’t like to shampoo carpet.
Like the wood look tile in baths but hate grout. Also for the bath thinking of the pattern tile or high quality laminate.
Thanks.

---

For bathroom and kitchen, check out Congoleum's DuraCeramic.  Lots of good-looking selections and much more comfortable underfoot than hardwood.  Plus, you can have the appearance of grout without grout.

[Mominohio]

I feel like flooring is a combination of regional and personal preference. There doesn't seem to be a 'right' answer for any of it. 

Here is what I think personally, take from it what you will. 

I live in a climate that will have 90 plus degree summer days, and 15 below zero degree winter days, and everything in between. 

I love wood. Nothing is richer looking, in my opinion, but it can be too much with lots of wood furniture in my opinion. It also isn't the best choice for kitchen and baths, or for anyone with dogs with rough nails, or kids that have toys that can damage the finish. Keeping wood floors looking their best requires a lot of care and monitoring what is being worn on the feet in the house. 

Ceramic tile in my opinion is out, at least in the north. It think it is still found a lot in warm climates and coastal homes, as it is very practical for that environment. I find it very hard on my bad knees, and not warm in colder climates. And I refuse to deal with grout maintance. 

Carpet. People love it or hate it. In my area of the country, it is still very popular in at least parts of the house. It adds an elegance and actual warmth that other types of flooring simply do not. It does require care to keep clean, and harbors more dust and probably germs than hard floor surfaces, 

Laminate. Just installed in my kitchen and dining room. Looks like weathered barn wood from a distance, holds up well to a destructive dog, not a mark on it yet, 100% waterproof. But honestly, it feels like plastic under the feet. Not as warm and good feeling as wood, but a good compromise in certain areas like kitchens, as does not need to be babied like wood, but gives the look of wood. 

Stairs. For safety and comfort I like carpeting. Even if just down the centers with the finished wood sides exposed. 

If it was up to me, my home would be all wood and carpet, including wood in the kitchen. But I need practical, not just what I 'want'. 

[springers]

Thanks for your input. Very good.

[ID2]

I have wood floors throughout my home (except bathrooms). Yes, I have wood floors in my kitchen. I really don't understand the apprehension of having wood floors in the kitchen. I have absolutely no issues. A floor is a floor. 

[phoenixbrd]

@ID2   Same here...wood floors except for the bathrooms.  Just as beautiful as when they were installed....including the kitchen.  The convenience, the rich warmth, the aesthetics....I really enjoy having wood floors.