We Are Remodeling A Kitchen & We Are Having Difficulty Deciding Between Wood Floors Or Ceramic Tiles?

Double B on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 9:23 pm 



It all depends on the present conditions
Here are just a few of the Pros/Cons I can immediately come up with
Wood-
PROS
-Can be very beautiful and last a long time when done right
-Looks Great with throw rugs around problem areas
-Nice insulating value if on a slab floor with no basement
CONS
-The fake wood (Not true hardwood) does not withstand as well to water and traffic–seams will buckle and cannot be refinished when wear starts to show.
-Can be HIGHLY slippery when wet–my friend just broke her wrist slipping on a wet wood floor
-If it is a floating wood floor–joints between wood can begin to separate if not done correctly
Ceramic
PROS-
-Absolutely beautiful if installed correctly
-Many tiles are textured, which avoids slippage when wet
-Skilled professionals can replace just one tile without ripping out the whole floor—Always overbuy by at least a few tiles and a little grout just in case.
-Highly stain resistant- IF YOU SEAL THE GROUT LINES
CONS
-Can be tricky to clean if too textured
-Can be VERY cool on bare feet if installed on a slab with no basement unless sub flooring is installed.
-If grout lines are not sealed VERY well- they are highly susceptible to stains…even by just water.
-Simple imperfections in the grout lines are very easy to spot and focus on after you know they are there…make sure you hire someone who knows what they are doing.

sn2bnurs on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 10:46 pm 



Wood floors get scratched up very easily, especially if you have pets. Plus..all it takes is a drop of a knife and you have a big dent in them. Also…wood floors are a lot harder to keep clean, and you can only use special products to wash them. Tiles would be my choice, because they are more sturdy, easier to clean, and cheaper replace (but most likely you wouldn’t have to).

pissy_ol on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 2:38 am 



ceramic flooring — cold (unless you have infloor heating)
unforgiving if you drop something
hard to replace if a tile cracks
wears well, though has to be sealed yearly
wood flooring — warm
little bit of give if something dropped
scratches or dents
can be refinished
decide what your cabinet colour is and think of that…wood cabinets and wood flooring might be too much of a good thing, where the tiles come in more of a variety of colour
I am building a home, and am putting in hardwood flooring. I just love wood better than tile. It all comes down to personal choice.

DesignDi on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 4:33 am 



I prefer Tile in kitchens (but don’t do white grout). The reasons are: Too much wood is overwhelming. Tile adds depth and interest. Kitchens are high traffic. Water and spills are too common and could damage expensive wood floors in a kitchen.

Tara S on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 9:14 am 



I would do Wood Floors. I have had both and currently have tile. The down side with tile is if you break one it is a mess to replace and the grout is hard to keep up. Wood floors are much easier to clean and it will not break like tile. I have the large 18×18 porcelin tile and I love the look but I hate the upkeep and have two broken where I dropped a glass and the tile cracked.

I ? my family on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 2:03 pm 



I am remodeling my kitchen and we are going with ceramic tile. We will put wood floors in our bedroom

The ReDesign Diva on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 8:49 pm 



How about the best of both worlds? Consider installing ceramic tile that looks exactly like wood! It’s fantastic, because it doesn’t scratch like wood, is easy to clean and has all the great things about ceramic and the fantastic and warm look of wood.http://flooring.builddirect.com/Tile-Flo…http://flooring.builddirect.com/Tile-Flo…http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/catalog.a…http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/catalog.a…http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/catalog.a…http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/catalog.a…
If you go to any good ceramic tile supply store, you’ll find they have quite a selection of ceramic wood tiles.
Enjoy your new kitchen!

Bonnie C on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 9:14 pm 



i know wood looks great but ceramic is so much easier to maintain and it is more durable than wood

floor.re on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 1:13 am 



I seriously recommend tile. There is a grout called epoxy it is stain resistant & seals well, its a bit hard to clean as you apply it but well worth it. I myself love hardwood but I think of spills & its so hard to keep from stain it with water & other greasy spills. If you drop knives & other kettles on it, it may scratch. Its not as hard to replace a tile if you do break one. Myself I would surely go for tile myself.

Dan H on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 7:22 am 



Are you spillers? Have kids? Grandkids?
If you can keep the water off the floors, go with wood, it can be very beautiful in a kitchen. If not, definitely tile.

Jenny C on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 7:23 am 



Hi, It’s a matter of personal taste and how much you use the kitchen. I personally wouldn’t put tile in my kitchen as I cook a lot and it is hard on the back and legs but I love it for my bathrooms. I personally have hardwood and you do need to take care of it but I love it. It is 13 years old and the only place it is showing wear is by the sink where I should have had an area rug.It has had a lot of traffic 2 kids and friends, 2 dogs and 2 cats. You need to wipe up spills. It is more forgiving when something is dropped than tile. I may get it refinished at some point but for now I just think it adds character. My girlfriend has linoleum and loves the easy care of it. I have seen people in her home reach down and touch it so it is a good quality and realistic looking. Friends have tile in their solarium that is heated and that is very nice but have hardwood in their kitchen. I prefer hardwood or tile as I like natural products. If I didn’t spend so much time on my feet in the kitchen I might consider tile. Hope this helps and good luck on your renovation.

radbagm3 on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 8:37 am 



Have you considered porcelain floors. They are durable and will not crack like ceramic floors. Easy clean up as well.
Although wood floors look beautiful, they are just not practical in areas that will have lots of water.

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!