Kitchen flooring?

[isaku5]

Last year we decided that the family home needed an update suitable for the two of us now, but also looking ahead to selling and moving to smaller accommodations.

Last year (2007) we had a complete reno done on the upstairs bath. DH is a plumber by trade and so did all the plumbing/ wiring etc. He and I did the gutting of the room to the bare walls. It took seven weeks to finish (lazy tile setter), but the finished product is great. All four bedroom were freshly painted and new window coverings and bedspreads/ duvets purchased. Almost complete.

Now we are pricing out various options for the downstairs rooms -living room, dining/computer room/ kitchen/ powder room and familly room. We realized up front that we were not going to do any major structural changes; instead, we''ll focus on up-dating. Our appliances are ancient ( still have first fridge we bought almost 45 years ago) so have to be replaced. That''s fine - lots of options. Now comes the hard part (for me) replacing the vinyl sheet flooring in the litchen and the horrible ceramic in the foyer and front hall. We don''t want hugely expensive flooring at all so decided to price out hardwood, engineered hardwood, laminate

, new ceramic and a synthetic product called Congoleum ( a little granite iand other synthetics) in a 15" square tile. The advantages of this according to the literature is that it''s not as hard as ceramic so easy on the back, looks somewhat like cermic mixed with vinyl and comes either to be grouted or glued to the floor (no grout lines to get dirty with the latter).

I''d love some input on these, or on any other types of flooring you could suggest. It''s just for the foyer, hall, powder room and kitchen. The living and family rooms are carpeted and the dining room has the older hardwood (honey-colour; 2.25" planks) with a large area rug.

Sorry for the long post

 

[sumbride]

I''m a little in love with cork flooring for kitchens right now. Have you looked at that? It''s easy on the back, water resistant, and comes in lots of colors. Our kitchen floor is only 2 years old and I already want to replace it with cork. I hate tile in kitchens because 1) it''s hard on your back and 2) it''s hard on anything you may drop (I''m a klutz).

 

[isaku5]

Thanks for the input, sumbride. That''s an option I haven''t looked into

 

[lyra]

We''ve had mostly all tile on the main level for 12 years now, and I honestly can''t say it''s hard on the back. It is durable and easily washable though, and if you have pets, nothing beats it. Porcelain tile is better than ceramic, as the colour goes all the way through, whereas with ceramic, it can chip and show what''s underneath the top. I''ve never chipped ceramic tile, but I have dropped a lot of things on it. I''m curious to know how the previous owners of this house *DID* manage to chip it in the kitchen. I almost think it was done during installation. We''re going to gut it out this year and redo it in tile again anyway. Two dogs. Nothing else will do.

 

[isaku5]

Thanks to all the posters here and my own little bit of research, I''m learning a lot. I called the storeowner who gave us the ginormous price and asked about porcelain tiles. He is always glad to answer questions so I asked if there were different qualities in those as well. Of course!!! You can get glazed (pattern on top only) or the real thing with the colour/pattern all the way through. He offered to work out a price for both. I''m willing to listen.

 

[moremoremore]

I would honestly do wood, or second best, laminate. Some of the new laminates are actually very nice. I think you''ll also get the most for your investment that way. We are also in sticker shock right now remodeling our home. Luckily hardwood is in every room downstairs except for the den...we are putting woods in upstairs are well. I think it''s worth it in the long run. Best of luck!

 

[lyra]

I wouldn''t do laminate in the kitchen area as I''ve seen what happens when there is an unforseen plumbing disaster. Our friend''s whole kitchen floor buckled up, and had to be replaced. We do have laminate in our house, and I love it for it''s durability, which can be even better than some hardwoods, but not around water or wet stuff. For instance, the dogs have left claw marks on the actual oak hardwood, but none at all on the laminates. But people buying your house would rather see the hardwood I hear. When our neighbour sold their house last year, the incoming buyers were appalled that it had carpeting in it. Sheesh! We grew up with hardwood which our parents covered up in ugly green sculptured carpet because that was the trend back in the day. Funny!

 

[isaku5]

Excellent point about laminate in the kitchen, lyra. I hadn''t thought of the water issue. We are definitely looking to get the best return on our investment as I don''t think we''ll be here for too many more years. It was in 1988 that our current slightly off-white sheet "cushion" floor was put down. It looked great for the first couple of years and then started to yellow in traffic areas in about three years and got worse from there on. We spoke to the dealer right away when we noticed, but he said that was natural in white or off-white floors. Funny, he didn''t mention that when he sold it to us, and he had been a friend(?) of our family for years. Needless to add: no more purchases from him.

 

[isaku5]

Our issue with either engineed or real hardwood is trying to get close to the original honey- coloured hardwood which is on the dining room floor and the doors and trim. The plank size is larger now too so it might look like a bad mixture coming together.

 

[sumbride]

You might want to look around your area for "salvage" businesses for hardwood floors. We have SEVERAL here in Baltimore that sell old hardwood planking so you could more easily match it with what you have. We have our original hardwood and I love it so much more than the new stuff. It has character and interest. But if you have big dogs, hardwood is so easily scratched up.

 

[movie zombie]

i have a tile kitchen floor and i love it. doesn''t bother my back but i tend to wear a cushiony type sandel in the house. i love the ease of cleanup and the overall look of it. i''ll never have any other type of flooring again. movie zombie

 

[moremoremore]

Oh pish tosh (LOL...is that even a real phrase ) ... about wood in the kitchen. I lived in a pre-war building with original kitchen hardwoods (amazing!!!) and the house we are buying was built in 1988 and has the original woods. I mean yes, if you have a plumbing disaster, there could be problems...but, knock on hard wood LOL, I can''t imagine that happening. Wood + water is ok, as long as it doesn''t sit. So in the kitchen is no biggie.


However, the bigger issue, is matching. To match, imo, you''ll have to sand and re-stain the surrounding floors...which is a big job. I''m in love with Candice Olson and she did a great room with these beautiful linoleum tiles....!

 

[isaku5]

Thanks moremoremore and moviezombie....There is no way in he** I''m going to redo wood floors to match the new. I''d ask DH, but his reply wouldn''t be printable or pass the edit. We did get prices on re-sanding, etc. our oak stairway and the lowest price was $1500. + materials. I''m pretty fussy and the stairs look okay to me the way they are

.

Tile seems to be a good choice.....

 

[sumbride]

Date: 2/21/2008 11:34:17 AM
Author: moremoremore
Oh pish tosh (LOL...is that even a real phrase ) ... about wood in the kitchen. I lived in a pre-war building with original kitchen hardwoods (amazing!!!) and the house we are buying was built in 1988 and has the original woods. I mean yes, if you have a plumbing disaster, there could be problems...but, knock on hard wood LOL, I can''t imagine that happening. Wood + water is ok, as long as it doesn''t sit. So in the kitchen is no biggie.

The concern was with Laminate flooring in the kitchen. It looks like wood, yes, but laminate flooring is just that.... a veneer of wood over, and sometimes only a picture of wood, over plastic. It does BAD things when wet. My parents put it in a bedroom, but when the roof fell in due to a storm, they had to take out their brand new laminate because it was warped and bubbling. It won''t do well in a kitchen.

 

[moremoremore]

LOL- yes, matching will get really costly. I am AMAZED at the cool tiles they have out now a days. Some look like linen, some like wood, some just like marble, etc etc. They don't just have big boring white tiles anymore...Have fun with it! Be bold and daring (LOL- says the queen of beige)

 

[isaku5]

Date: 2/21/2008 12:39:01 PM
Author: moremoremore
LOL- yes, matching will get really costly. I am AMAZED at the cool tiles they have out now a days. Some look like linen, some like wood, some just like marble, etc etc. They don''t just have big boring white tiles anymore...Have fun with it! Be bold and daring (LOL- says the queen of beige)

Thanks again, mmm. Hubby and I just came home from Home Hardware and were pleasantly surprised by the choices. We signed out 3 different tiles and will look at them in the light of our kitchen/foyer/powder room. Each tile is under $3. and the one I''m favouring right now is about $2./ square foot!

I have the name of a good tile man so will contact him for a price. Yay!! Thanks again for all the suggestions and warnings! You can count on PS''ers to come through.

Btw, I too am a "queen of beige" as we are updating for future sale.

Our decor currently is very colourful, but I tell people that it was decorated by gypsies

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We have hardwoods in our kitchen and had a little dishwasher hose incident

Our kitchen had a few inches of standing water. Luckily we caught it (after the few inches) turned off the valve and used every towel in our house to mop it up. We were about to leave to go out of town too which would have been a disaster (our entire first floor is hardwoods). No damage is done. The floors look the same as before.

 

[isaku5]

Date: 2/22/2008 6:26:09 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
We have hardwoods in our kitchen and had a little dishwasher hose incident

Our kitchen had a few inches of standing water. Luckily we caught it (after the few inches) turned off the valve and used every towel in our house to mop it up. We were about to leave to go out of town too which would have been a disaster (our entire first floor is hardwoods). No damage is done. The floors look the same as before.

That is amazing, Tacori!! Did your floors have some sort of extra coating that helped to prevent disaster??

We''ve decided to avoid any form of wood as matching what we have is just about impossible. So today I went looking for ceramic and porcelain tiles in the in $3./sq. foot range. There were quite a few possibilities as far as relatively light colours go. The only reason I tried to avoid them at first was the dirt accumulating grout lines. I know the logical answer would be to choose a darker colour, but we like the light and airy appearance so will have to put up with that darned grout. We have ceramic tiles in our foyer, and even though the grout was sealed, it still turned dark.

Anyone out there know a great way to keep grout lines clean without scrubbing on your hands and knees??

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We didn''t build the house so I don''t know if they used a special coating or not (the house was built in 1995). We were very relieved as matching wood is costly and a PITA. We were lucky we were home!

I love slate and travertine. They are so beautiful. We had ceramic tile counter tops in our old house and my grandmother spilled coffee and didn''t clean it or tell anyone about it. Of course the coffee stained the grout but I had one of those clorox bleach pens and it worked like a charm! Maybe there are newer/better sealers now.

 

[isaku5]

Thanks, Tacori. I''ll just have to buy caseful of the bleach pens

In another thread, you mentioned that you hadn''t posted any sparklies lately; just a gentle reminder that the sweet one in your avatar is sparkliest of all.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Isabel, she is the best gem of all! I feel lucky everyday.

Good luck with your renovations!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Don''t have a lot to add...because I am a bit woozy today. I have been on hands and knees with a grout brush and 15 different chemicals including muriatic acid. NOTHING IS WORKING WELL.

The bonehead home owners who were previous SLAVES to this house had tile floor installed with WHITE grout. WHITE GROUT in a kitchen are you nutts? Did I saw Woozy? Anyway as I was scrubbing I had the phone up to one ear and yakked to every flooring expert there was. The main thing I remember was NEVER use a sponge mop and always let your cleaner float before you mop it up. They say that removing the cleaner before its time encouraged the dirt to travel and get stuck in the grout.

Well, I have a very large kitchen and I only got about 6 square feet back to white. Because one...I never floated my cleaner, and three (woozy) I just spilled 32 ounces of organic cranberry juice. Woo Hoo. Oh here is the whole reason I started this entry...I thought you could seal grout. Guess what girls...there is no sealer that dirt doesn''t penetrate...grout remains porous forever and ever amen.

So Isabel...as Woozy as I am I hope to express if you grout with tile...go very dark or grey not tans or light...and well don''t grout if you can help it. Oh that''s funny, there is a Unicorn in my kitchen. He looks hungry. Gotta go.

Congoleum is a fabulous product for high traffic areas and wet like kitchen areas. It is easy to clean...if you ever damage it is is replaceable. It has a updated contemporary-as in current look. And a ton of colors. Negatives...are if your floor is unlevel, or lumpy or has any imperfections you will be able to see it. So prep is key. You have so many color options..and many look like cork or other sustainable looking finishes. I encourage you to exhaust that avenue above the rest. I have been sent a whole slew of samples and it is very durable.

 

[isaku5]

You may have risked your mental wellbeing to help a cyberbuddy out, but I''ll be eternally grateful to you for saving my butt, knees etc.

My ugly foyer is a testament to white grout turning black!! It was my (stupid) choice in the first place believing every word the installer said about the sealant preserving its initial etheral look. I fell for it hook, line and sinker, but what''s worse is that I was considering doing a light floor tile yet again!!

I dislike the darker tones in flooring, so now ceramic, porcelain, wood (matchy problem) and grouted Congolium are all out!!!! What''s left? Non-grouted Congoleum $$$, sheet vinyl $ but without the re-sale pizazz, cork $$ (I''ve seen it and all colours look like a huge number of wine bottle corks, squished and dyed!), peel and strip??? It has to look great in the foyer as well as the kitchen and powder room....always re-sale at the back of my mind. Slate? Too dark with matching dark grout.

What''s a fussy old girl to do??

Thank you so much DKS 1 You were so kind to respond in your fumed-induced wooziness.

 

[door knob solitaire]

You know Isabel...no one can ever suggest you aren''t grateful to address your replies. You are such a sweetie!

Oh drats...I didn''t mean to convince you no flooring! Have you considered stained and scored concrete?

I know the light colors are so attractive. If only we could walk on our ceilings. What I learned was grout will remain white...if I practice proper cleaning tactics. I am not suggested anyone is not a great house keeper, and not implying that to you. What I mean is we so often choose a sponge mop or that new swiffer thing...when floor pros say to use a string mop, ringer and keep the detergent on long enough to bond with he dirt before we mop it away. That way the dirt isn''t'' just pushed into the grout...(AS IT WAS IN MY INEXPERIENCED SITUATION) it is actually removed with the mop and mop water.

I was trying to express the thought that my white grout may still be white had I practiced better skills in floor hygeine. Oh and another floor expert said, yes you can seal the grout. Spend more to get the best quality sealant there is. And make two applications.

I get sent all sort of flooring samples. There are so many ceramics available that are mind blowing. My sil just installed wood floors...but wait...they aren''t actually wood at all! They are ceramic! You would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Grout lines not noticable at all...just all wood look. Available in many light shades and hues. Let me see what links I can come up for you of suggestions. If you are installing anew...you have so many options that me and my unicorn don''t.

What style...in both decoration and architecturally would best describe your home?

 

[isaku5]

DKS, you''re a doll, and I enjoy reading your posts!

After reading your post yesterday, long-suffering DH and I went out looking for darker tiles. We actually saw a few that looked passable in the store lighting and brought three home to see how they''d look in our light. Two words - gawd awful!! I told DH, I''d rather walk on the sub-floor than have any of those even if they were free! DH got the point.

I''m relieved to see another post from you offering light at the end of the tunnel. The key seems to be an excellent grout sealant applied twice, and cleaning with a string mop with wringer allowing the detergent to float before wiping up with ??? It can''t be the string mop because in wiping with that you''d rub it back in. Maybe I need two string mops??

How do describe our decor? The upstairs (finished part) is tradional/comtemporary while the untouched downstairs could only be described as "gypsy on crack let loose with leftover wallpaper and paint." What''s worse is that we''re the ones who decorated it too long ago! That must have been during our"colourful" period.

You were kidding about the patterned concrete, weren''t you?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

My cousin did stained, stamped concrete in her house and it is VERY cool looking. The only problem is it is cold to walk on but easy to take care of. She had the score "grout lines" so it looks like huge 4''x 4'' pieces.

 

[movie zombie]

forgot to come back here and check what decision had been made!

re grout: there is a special grout formula that our installer used that resists stains and discoloring....and it works. also, go with a grout color that blends in with your actual tile.

you could also seal the grout but i think if you do that you have to redo it again at some point.

we don''t have kids but do have 5 cats...aging cats at that. given the hairballs and other forms of vomiting that has occured [sorry to be so gross] its amazing that our grout looks like new and this after almost 4 years. admittedly, at the kitchen sink i can see its darker but i really have to look at it because it blends so much with the tile it just doesn''t show.

i hope you love the tile as much as i do! right now at this very minute the roomba is cleaning it!

movie zombie

 

[door knob solitaire]

the roomba is cleaning it-MZombie

You pampered Queen! The roomba is the next best thing to a maid isn''t it? Cat vomit must be very accostic...and nothing penetrating? See Isabel...there must be a product out there to allow you to have grout!

Well, once again I am posting at a resting period. Using Phosphoric Acid right now as we speak. I am getting WHITE grout...and no more unicorns. But I do have a headache...And butt...back...and knee..(movie zombie just snickers while she is eating her bon bons).

Yes....they say the same mop is fine. I will let you know how it works...but I am sure you will have made a decision by then. I was serious about the concrete. My next build will have nothing but. With radiant heat enclosed. The floor is calling me...I hear a braying Jack A** oh no that is me!

 

[isaku5]

Date: 2/24/2008 6:11:27 PM
Author: movie zombie
forgot to come back here and check what decision had been made!

re grout: there is a special grout formula that our installer used that resists stains and discoloring....and it works. also, go with a grout color that blends in with your actual tile.

you could also seal the grout but i think if you do that you have to redo it again at some point.

we don''t have kids but do have 5 cats...aging cats at that. given the hairballs and other forms of vomiting that has occured [sorry to be so gross] its amazing that our grout looks like new and this after almost 4 years. admittedly, at the kitchen sink i can see its darker but i really have to look at it because it blends so much with the tile it just doesn''t show.

i hope you love the tile as much as i do! right now at this very minute the roomba is cleaning it!

movie zombie

Thanks so much for checking back, movie zombie

Is there any way you could find out what that grout formula is?? That would be a great help.

Don''t worry about grossing me out with the cat vomit issue as our Sammy upchucks fairly often too. The vet told us he was fine, but advised feeding small portions more often. We do that faithfully, but he gobbles his food so quickly that he often upchucks especially at his first feeding in the morning. He''ll be 9 years old in April, but is our extra-special ( and only) furbaby.

 

[isaku5]

Thanks again, DKS. I love the infloor heating!! We have it under the ceramic tile in our upstairs bath.

I shouldn''t have passed judgment on anything I haven''t seen, so apologies to Tacori and DKS. I''ll look into that as well.

As for this updating/redecorating/ remodelling: There are so many options for every aspect., it seems. Since this will be our first and last in this house, we''ve tried to research as much as we can, but sometimes it becomes information overload, and we go with our gut (which is usually the most expensive way).

I know, we should have started on the main floor where everyone could see the finished results. It was just an old cleaning method I have used for a long time: Clean the upstairs first. (My mother''s suggestion after we got married and had our first house). Still good advice.