In the midst of remodeling your kitchen, one of the biggest challenges you may be facing is what type of flooring you should select for the kitchen. This is a critical decision because whatever flooring you choose should complement the rest of your home and should be durable enough to withstand the kitchen environment.
Should My Kitchen Flooring Match The Rest of My Floors?
For several years, in the design world, the kitchen was viewed as a separate entity from the rest of the home, but modern home designs embrace all kinds of looks. That means homeowners can use any type of flooring in the kitchen area as long as it complements the design of the home. Whether your kitchen flooring should just be an extension to what you are already using throughout your home or if you should choose something different, depends on your personal taste.
That being said, there are both advantages and disadvantages to extending your home’s flooring to the rest of the house. To help you make the decision, here are several reasons that you should or should not match your kitchen floors with the flooring used throughout the rest of your home:
Advantages:
- If you have an open concept kitchen, extending the flooring will make things appear larger and more spacious.
- It allows your spaces to flow together and provides a cohesive, well-balanced look.
- If you are using hardwood floors, it is definitely a great option because hardwood floors are extremely durable and they add to the overall value of the home.
Disadvantages:
- Matching hardwood floors, even if they are of the same species, can be difficult. In fact, you may not be able to select a grain that is exactly identical to your existing floors. But, that being said, you can obtain samples before you make a purchase to get an idea of the look.
- Using hardwood flooring in the kitchen presents its challenges. While hardwood flooring is a durable construct when exposed to water and other harmful elements, it can cause it to age prematurely; homeowners should select hard surface flooring that is capable of withstanding moisture.
When Should You Keep Your Kitchen Flooring Different?
You should keep the flooring in your kitchen different if:
- Carpet is installed throughout the other areas of your home
- The kitchen is closed off from the rest of the home
- The kitchen floor is on a different level from the other areas
So if you are flooring a 1300 sq’ area, which involves a kitchen, living room, dinning room with a hallway leading to bedroom and bathrooms and the dining area is a step down and you wanted to do the laminate wood flooring that is waterproof, should I lay it all same direction and everything except for the steps down to dining or what??? And what floor would be the best to use for an easy waterproof installation that looks like wood floors ? What’s the difference in using wood floors vs laminate and how big should the boards be????
So if you are flooring a 1300 sq’ area, which involves a kitchen, living room, dining room with a hallway leading to bedroom and bathrooms and the dining area is a step-down and you wanted to do the laminate wood flooring that is waterproof, should I lay it all same direction and everything except for the steps down to dining or what???
Typically we recommend laying it all the same direction and with most of the laminate and waterproof luxury vinyl products offered today the choice of direction is up to you. We have installed floors where the direction changes from one area to another (example: foyer goes one direction and kitchen goes the other direction) but that is not typical.
And what floor would be the best to use for an easy waterproof installation that looks like wood floors?
Coretec, Mannington Adura and Dixie TruCore all have interlocking plank systems that look like wood floors and are waterproof. They easier to install than a traditional hardwood and the method of installation between the products is comparable.
What’s the difference in using wood floors vs laminate and how big should the boards be????
Wood floors are great for their natural beauty as well as durability and, depending on the type of wood, can add considerable value to your home. Laminate flooring is made from pressed wood, it is more durable and resists scratches, moisture and wear and tear. The trend lately has been wider with and longer length boards but there are more narrow widths and everything in between.
Hope this helps!