I disagree...we've been in our home 20 yrs and have hardwoods in the kitchen and they have held up well. I clean them w/a little Murphy's oil soap in water. I love the look and the easy care!!!!!!
Kevin, you have a way with words. "Oh wait...I do get hundreds of dollars for these repairs." Only a contractor could say that...thanks for your candor!
I did all of the tile work in their remodel, recently there washing machine / dryer combo had a leaking issue...believe it or not , it was the dryer...some new type of condensing high efficiency
...»
model...the "drain" of the dryer was miss-aligned withe the floor drain and caused a slow drip leak to buckle all of the wood (bamboo) flooring in the laundry room. They want to have that replaced as well as all of the bamboo in the kitchen. Turn out the insurance company will NOT cover these small continual "leaks" and would only cover the "catastrophic flood" type leaks. In my experience the slow un-noticed leaks are the ones that do the most damage because the go on for such a long time before being discovered.
I agree with the lyrics of KMS' mantra...just tryin' to figure out a tune that it goes with..
Seriously, some folks are quite pleased with the hardwood in their kitchen...and no one argues the beauty of natural hardwoods.
So if I can boldly speak for the three of us, you need to understand where we are coming from
...»
as reputable contractors when we discourage installing hardwoods in areas that historically get wet, or have the potential of getting wet.
We are professionals. We sincerely care about the folks we take on as customers...one would argue that we become much closer to our customers than most service providers, since you literally have to invite us into your home, your castle, your refuge... your personal space, to accomplish the work.
We tend to view the world in a bit more practical way, than perhaps a designer or decorator. Our work tends to be a bit more "permanent" than a coat of paint or a window dressing. We have been around the block a few times....and we have seen what happens, first hand, to that gorgeous hardwood floor after it gets put to the test in a normal kitchen. Can it hold up and be kept gorgeous?...absolutely..but statiscally, I wouldn't put my money on it.
We want our customers to be happy during our work, happy with the final product after we complete it, and ten years down the road. I am sure the guys would agree that we try and talk people out of hardwood in the kitchen because we don't want to get that phonecall down the road that asks "why didn't you talk me out of putting hardwood in my kitchen?". We all want to be able to honestly answer "We tried".... :) Tim
On another note, most of my work is referral and on bigger projects I may be IN an owners home for a week or even months. Unlike the satellite TV guy who may spend an hour or two there, each home I work in becomes an extension of my own home, as it begins to feel that way after a week or so, the same respect and care I put into my own place goes into my clients homes. Many of my clients are repeat customers and have evolved into long term friendships, I get invited over for kids
...»
graduations, BBQ's etc. Though not full fledged "family" they often feel that way. When I make a recommendation based on years and years of common sense experience they see the wisdom in that and realize that I'm not just there for a "quick fix or sale"
Ok...we've had hardwood in our kitchen for 8 years without issue...it's also in a powder room. If you really like the look, I would recommend a sealed in place floor & not the prefinished planks which can allow penetration between the boards. Spills happen & leaks can happen, but hardwood is more forgiving on the feet, back, and dishware than tile.
I'm with Donna on this one. Hardwood floors are the perfect choice for a kitchen - even a busy one with plenty of kids and a dog with long toenails. They frankly get more beautiful with use. Tile is very cold and fragile if you drop things frequently, like I do,
Hardwood floors are the answer. The hydroscopic effect mentioned is a non issue provided you purchase from a reputable source that has properly kiln dried the wood. Reclaimed wood by the very nature of its age has lost its hydroscopic qualities altogether and so makes for a solid, beautiful and reliable flooring choice. Enjoy the project!
Kitchens see some of the highest traffic of anywhere in the home....having a floor that is both durable and good looking is what is needed. In this home the kitchen originally had some tile...this was replaced with wood. And now this wood is completely shot...the "new" wood that was installed was not a solid hardwood like the area in the foreground, but rather a engineered "flooring" product...this wood can NOT be sanded down to make it look better, or match the solid hardwood in the
...»
adjacent dinning area. To make this look good the owner has a few options....
.
Rip out the engineered wood and replace with same or solid hardwood. If the same engineered product is used this cycle will repeat.
.
Rip out the engineered wood and install tile (Like what was originally installed and the best route)
May I insert a couple of comments; Dishwashers have been known to leak. A lot of times just before they get replaced. How many times have we replaced our dishwashers. What are the chances that the leak could go undetected for some time and do EXTENSIVE damage. I have seen extensive damage to the tune of having to tear up all the flooring to the joists, dry them for a period, then rebuilding.
...»
This could very possibly entail the removal of all the cabinetry etc. Could take weeks or months.
I am finding more and more that insurance companies are not covering these damages.
Yes, Hardwood can be a VERY pleasing, forgiving and comfortable surface for kitchens and baths. Just be vigilant in being sure they doesn't get too wet.
As I stated in a previous post......Flooring selections for different areas of the home is a decision which should be based on choice and personal preference. Each have pros and cons. I also recommend tile in wet areas (full baths, laundry) Kitchens are 50/50. If the homeowner wants hardwood flooring and they understand the water issues which may or may not occur.......give them what they want. I feel the style of the home (layout) plays a part in selection. Just don't use carpet. LOL.
I'm jealous, Donna! Would love to re-do my kitchen but can't afford it just yet. I'm sure you'll adore the new kitchen and I'm glad you're keeping the hardwood. Good luck with your project!
If you have childre and pets, the floors will not look good within a few years. The tile shop at Lynnhaven has tile that looks like wood and is going to look great for years and years. I have been told that laminate floors will swell at the joints and not stay flat afer a few years.
@paula G...you got that laminate issue down. right..I no longer install laminates for this very reason...I don't want my hard earned client blaming me for how crappy their floor looks in a few years
I really loved the look & feel of the hardwood floors in my kitchen ... right up to the day the dishwasher leaked. The damage was so bad that the affected planks had to be ripped out (glued down engineered floor). Refinishing was not an option. AND, they no longer make the product in that thickness.
When I can afford it, we'll probably go with tile with radiant heat and a gel mat in front of the sink. That will take away the problem with the temperature and help during standing chores, but dropped item breakage would still be an issue.
=============
I've seen some display homes use a combination approach; a large tile border by the sink, DW, stove, etc and hardwood in the middle ... not sure if we have the room to pull that off though.
@KL k You need to be careful with tile to wood "transitions" these lines if grouted will crack when the wood shrinks / expands with the seasons. I have done these but use a matching caulk for these.
I agree with KMS Woodworks, I would never think of putting down wood floors in my kitchen. My husband put hardwoods down in our library and dining area, ceramic tile in the foyer and powder room. When we remodel our kitchen one day, we will put tile down without question!
OK-in the previous home in NJ I had hardwoods, the real stuff not the lam or eng version but stuff made from trees, and that ran from the front door, down the entry hall through the living room, dining room AND full eat in kitchen. I loved the look, don't get me wrong--very contemporary, which is my style--but I had to have those floors sanded and stained BEFORE I moved in b/c the 7 yr old floors had been totally trashed by the family with 3 kids who lived there before (and the family with
...»
5 kids who lived there before them). I had a matte finish done since the high gloss one in my prev. home showed every little drop of water & the dirt that got caught in it--UGH! I thought it was heavenly until my adult daughter came to live with us and wore, hold your breath Kevin--Stiletto high heals and walked throughout my open areas before I could scream and ask her to remove her shoes, thus pockmarking my entire flooring (talk about patina and 'character'!). IN THE KITCHEN: metal rolling chairs that sometimes rolled over instead of maintaining their position left gauges in the floor that would have needed to be filled more than sanded out. Pots that fell out of cabinets or glasses that fell from above and shattered on the floor also left their marks behind. Thankfully I didn't experience a flood/leak situation but I can see where that's going. Had a friend with some very low end Pergo floor in their kitchen who experienced a dishwasher slow leak that warped and caused layer separation in the product. They were so committed to that floor that they found replacement pieces on EBAY and had someone repeat their first mistake by replacing those pieces that were ruined.
Keven, you are making a case for tile (is porcelain sturdy enough for kitchens and falling glasses/pots?) with maybe wood, or eng. wood in my case, in formal DR and smaller living area that we use as a music & reading room for contrast and visual warmth.
We had hardwood and the first year they looked beautiful but after that they became scratched and ugly. We thought of laminate, but I was told that the seams swelled. We ended up with a product from Lowes that looks like hardwood, goes down in planks like hardwood does, but is made from vinyl and is just beautiful. It cleans like a vinyl tile and does not scratch like laminate does. There are seveal choices of wood grain to choose from too.
I had hardwood installed in my entire house here, and in my last home. Every room is hardwood, kitchen, bathrooms, etc. Easy to clean and take care of, not cold and hard like tile. I had a darker shade in my other home as it had lots of windows and more open space. In my downsized home with fewer windows, I have installed a medium shade. A steam mop has it shining in no time. I have pets also. Keep a rug in front of the doors for people to wipe the grit from their feet - and the pets
...»
to cross. I don't wear outside shoes inside as a rule myself.
Interesting conversations. Now to my question = I have had my kitchen floor replaced with 16" ceramic tile about 3 years ago. Now the tile is starting to crack. There are 7 cracked tiles and the contractor tells me that the house is settling. My home is 50+ years old, would it settle now? And what do I do now?
Rose S....we need a bit more information. 1st ...... what type subfloor do you have ...i.e. slab, crawl space. Can you post pictures of the cracked tiles. Thanks
I agree with OS...some more info is needed....How the tile was installed will greatly effect its "robustness". In the case of large tiles ( 16" falls into this group) a "deeper" mud base is used. a 1/4 x 3/8 notched trowel at minimum...with a 1/2 x 1/2 being ideal. A starved application can lead to "thin" areas beneath the tile. these unsupported areas are prone to cracking form day to day use. This is even more common if the tile was set directly on a ply sub floor...which is a big
...»
fat NO NO. If the tiles were set in a sound mud base and you have minor defection then the first "failure" is grout cracking....for the failure to be in the tile...has be believe some install steps were weak or poorly done.
http://www.hometalk.com/Kevin/project/1460
I did all of the tile work in their remodel, recently there washing machine / dryer combo had a leaking issue...believe it or not , it was the dryer...some new type of condensing high efficiency ...»
I agree with the lyrics of KMS' mantra...just tryin' to figure out a tune that it goes with..
Seriously, some folks are quite pleased with the hardwood in their kitchen...and no one argues the beauty of natural hardwoods.
So if I can boldly speak for the three of us, you need to understand where we are coming from ...»
We are professionals. We sincerely care about the folks we take on as customers...one would argue that we become much closer to our customers than most service providers, since you literally have to invite us into your home, your castle, your refuge... your personal space, to accomplish the work.
We tend to view the world in a bit more practical way, than perhaps a designer or decorator. Our work tends to be a bit more "permanent" than a coat of paint or a window dressing. We have been around the block a few times....and we have seen what happens, first hand, to that gorgeous hardwood floor after it gets put to the test in a normal kitchen. Can it hold up and be kept gorgeous?...absolutely..but statiscally, I wouldn't put my money on it.
We want our customers to be happy during our work, happy with the final product after we complete it, and ten years down the road. I am sure the guys would agree that we try and talk people out of hardwood in the kitchen because we don't want to get that phonecall down the road that asks "why didn't you talk me out of putting hardwood in my kitchen?". We all want to be able to honestly answer "We tried".... :) Tim
.
Rip out the engineered wood and replace with same or solid hardwood. If the same engineered product is used this cycle will repeat.
.
Rip out the engineered wood and install tile (Like what was originally installed and the best route)
.
Live with a dirty ugly floor.
May I insert a couple of comments; Dishwashers have been known to leak. A lot of times just before they get replaced. How many times have we replaced our dishwashers. What are the chances that the leak could go undetected for some time and do EXTENSIVE damage. I have seen extensive damage to the tune of having to tear up all the flooring to the joists, dry them for a period, then rebuilding. ...»
I am finding more and more that insurance companies are not covering these damages.
Yes, Hardwood can be a VERY pleasing, forgiving and comfortable surface for kitchens and baths. Just be vigilant in being sure they doesn't get too wet.
============= ...»
When I can afford it, we'll probably go with tile with radiant heat and a gel mat in front of the sink. That will take away the problem with the temperature and help during standing chores, but dropped item breakage would still be an issue.
=============
I've seen some display homes use a combination approach; a large tile border by the sink, DW, stove, etc and hardwood in the middle ... not sure if we have the room to pull that off though.
Keven, you are making a case for tile (is porcelain sturdy enough for kitchens and falling glasses/pots?) with maybe wood, or eng. wood in my case, in formal DR and smaller living area that we use as a music & reading room for contrast and visual warmth.