Wood, Tile or Laminate

When we are called in to work on a Client's kitchen, the question is what to do with the floor. Some people think tile because its a kitchen and things get spilled in this room. Or they want a wood floor but cannot afford solid wood.

I always lean towards putting wood down because its a warm, comfortable surface to walk on when barefoot in the house. If you have hardwood floors in the living and dining room, it looks great to carry that flooring into the rest of your house by putting wood in the kitchen. Most likely you have an oak floor that is approximately 3-4 inches in width and comes in 36 to 48" long strips.

The good news is the existing floor can be easily matched to new wood strips. The downside is the cost of this option. To really match up the old and new floor well, its good to have them all sanded and finished at the same time. If done properly, you will never see the difference in the old and new floor. However, this can be more expensive than other options.

A more cost effective option while still giving you the look of solid wood and not Laminate, is engineered wood. Many people confuse Laminate flooring (Pergo brand) with engineered wood. Instead of getting a plastic-resin finsih that simulates wood, you get a real strip of wood. The wood is only about 1/4" thick and coupled with its plywood filler, makes the total plank or strip range from about 5/16 - 1/2" thickness. It can be floated over an existing floor or some products can be glued directly to the floor.

Compared to solid wood flooring, engineered is easier to install and comes pre-finished so there is no fumes or mess you get from solid wood. So your labor costs are much lower which makes this a more affordable option than solid wood. The finishes are great and they hold up well to traffic. Plus, they look so much better than Laminate.