Kitchens: Tile or wood for kitchen floor?

Forum: Kitchens Replies: 8, Views: 143 Print -

Author Content beclu727 Dacula, GA (Zone 7b) January 14, 2007 10:24 PM Post #3084991 We are putting in bamboo flooring in our family/dining room area which is also open to the breakfast nook and kitchen. We were going to put the bamboo in the kitchen, but are now having second thoughts. We are now thinking about tile, specifically porcelain. Anyone have either and wish they didn't? ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) January 15, 2007 11:59 AM Post #3086250 I think both have pro's and cons. With tile, you also get grout which can be challenging to keep clean, especially in a high traffic area like the kitchen, plus if you drop a glass on it, it's pretty much 100% certain it'll break, whereas with wood you'd have some chance of it surviving. With wood, it's more susceptible to water damage, and since kitchens tend to be wet messy places, that can be a challenge too. I'm not sure if bamboo is less susceptible to water damage than other wood or not. Personally I would probably go for the tile, that way if the dishwasher leaks all over the floor or a pipe in the sink bursts you don't have to replace your whole kitchen floor along with whatever other damage the water does. But if you have kids and lots of breakable glasses/dishes, then the bamboo may be a better bet even with the risk on water damage. (I should note that I have tile in my kitchen, although it's because that's what came with the house, not because I made a choice of any sort on flooring) grampapa Wheatfield, NY (Zone 6a) January 15, 2007 12:13 PM Post #3086287 when we built our house 4 yrs ago we were tempted to put the oak floors right thru the kitchen. ours is open to the dining area/great room, too. we chickened out and put in ceramic tile (12"). I'm not sorry. the tile is very easy to clean (I have a Swiffer wet jet). but I don't know if I would have liked the oak floors because I've never had a kitchen with wood floors. claypa West Pottsgrove, PA (Zone 6b) January 15, 2007 2:59 PM Post #3086838 They're both great choices. I have oak and my brother has bamboo, and they both have held up fine. I think wood floors can take spills better than they're usually given credit for, though. As long as it can be dried out in a day or so it's fine. Ecrane's plumbing examples,though, are different. Water could sit under the boards where it can't dry and might buckle. I hate to even think about it! Tile has it's own 'nightmare' scenarios, too. If you drop a skillet or a wine bottle or even maybe a coffee mug, it could chip or crack the tile. But it could dent a wood floor, too. So make sure to have a few extra tiles to replace any that get damaged. You might consider a dark colored grout that won't show stains, too. The sealer wears away eventually. My 'all time favorite' kitchen floor was Mexican tile that someone got a good deal on in Mexico, and they filled their car up with them. Some had cat paw prints on them, so they were discounted. They washed the floor with milk of all things,(maybe once a year) and it left a beautiful glaze. They swept and mopped it normally the rest of the year. I don't think you'd be disappointed with bamboo. My brother and I installed it, and I think it's harder than maple. I could barely dent it with a 24 oz. (large) hammer. beclu727 Dacula, GA (Zone 7b) January 15, 2007 5:57 PM Post #3087356 Thanks all for your input. I am really liking the bamboo in the hallway - the only spot finished. Claypa - Thanks for the hint on the dark grout. I hadn't thought about that, but the white/light colored grout always looks dirty. I like the ease of cleaning the tile, too. Our kids are grown, but the grandkids do make a mess in the kitchen - helping cook of course. I don't mind a little breakage as long as they don't get hurt. Ecrane - that plumbing disaster is good. Our dishwasher is 10 years old, so who knows when it will "blow" and how... So as of now, I'm leaning towards the tile for the kitchen. Thanks, Becky pirl Southold, NY (Zone 7a) March 22, 2007 1:47 PM Post #3309539 We chose ceramic tile and had it laid on the diagonal - very nice. The remark about the grout is all too true. Getting it clean is almost a waste of time and energy as it gets soiled so fast, especially for gardeners. A friend has tile in the work area and wood in the seating area and it looks lovely. beclu727 Dacula, GA (Zone 7b) March 24, 2007 8:15 AM Post #3315401 Thanks Pirl. This is still a work in progress. The bamboo is down in hall, family/dining room. Since we decided on tile in the kitchen area, we have enough bamboo left to do our bedroom. DH hurt his back so we won't be doing that for awhile I guess. Most of the tile I like is fairly dark. So the grout will be dark too. Then only light colored dirt will show - LOL. A diagonal pattern sounds very pretty, I'll suggest it and see how it works out. Becky pirl Southold, NY (Zone 7a) March 24, 2007 2:04 PM Post #3316157 Light colored dirt won't louse up the grout, thankfully! Have fun. Tir_Na_Nog March 26, 2007 8:35 AM Post #3321936 I have tile and don't care for it. It's hard, cold on the feet, the dirty grout issue, potential to chip and ding...yada yada. But we moved into it new so we sealed the grout with something from HD and it did a wonderful job! The grout still looks new even though it's a light color. But I also find it hard to mop unless on hands and knees because our tile is slightly raised from the grout so you can't get into the grout as great unless on hands and knees. We had wood floors growing up and I just loved them! Plus wood floors don't go out of style whereas tile can easily date a house if you use a bold design or color. We are buying a new place that has both but the kitchen is tiled. We'll replace it when we can but just with more tile as we don't dare try to match the adjoining rooms wood floors. But Pirl is right, done on a diagonal (as it is) makes for a strikingly beautiful look! Good luck in your new flooring adventure!

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