For some, the kitchen is the most important and magical room in the home. Why not make it look that way?
The most recent flooring trend for kitchens is hardwood, and it’s been blowing up on home improvement sites such as Houzz.
So how can you use hardwood flooring to beautify your kitchen? We have the answer.
Why Install Wood Flooring in a Kitchen?
Yep, it’s true. Installing hardwood flooring in kitchens has become quite trendy over the past few years. Hardwood flooring is known as a classic and timeless material. There’s a lot of variety, styles and finishes to fit any need.
Typically, most people tend to shy away from installing hardwood floors in common moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. With the damages water can cause natural wood, it’s understandable.
If you know the right precautions, however, hardwood flooring can be a great choice for your kitchen. Here’s what you should keep in mind when looking for the best hardwood floor for kitchens:
- Make sure the material you purchase is durable. Aside from water damage, hardwood can scratch easily and may experience a little fading under constant sunlight.
- Will you be able to wipe up spills right away? You don’t want to let water or pet accidents sit on the wood for too long.
- Be sure you are working with a hardwood flooring installer that knows what they’re doing. Improper installation can lead to a nightmare.
Along with everything listed above, try to get a good cleaning routine put in place. This will help keep your hardwood kitchen floors in great shape.
Knowing your durability factors is important when making your selection as well. The aspects of durability can be broken down into these three parts:
- Traffic – Your kitchen is most likely a high-traffic area. After long periods of time, you may notice what some people call “cow paths”. These can be removed by getting your hardwood floors refinished.
- Scratches and Dents – As we said before, hardwood is known to scratch and dent easier than other flooring types. Consider using an area rug to reduce dents and add pads to the legs of your furniture.
- Sun Bleaching – This is common for floors that are under consistent sunlight. Using a rug may give it a discolored area, so be careful if your hardwood will experience a lot of sunlight. This is where you get the “raccoon eyes” effect. In the words of Lee Wallender from AboutHome, “If your kitchen receives strong sun and is stained dark, sun-bleaching outside of those protected areas will occur”.
Tom Silva of This Old House says that while hardwood in kitchens may be a little unusual, it can still work well with the right preparation and installation. Keeping the above factors in mind will help prevent any accidental damage to your floors.
Know your Hardwood Types
The different types of hardwood get broken down into the following four categories:
- Species – The term species determines the hardness, stability, color and graining of each hardwood type. Domestic species include options such as cherry, maple, walnut, hickory, and birch. For exotics, the species included consist of jatoba, teak, Tigerwood, and Brazilian cherry.
- Width – Hardwood planks can vary in different widths to offer multiple patterns and designs. For example, planks wider than three inches may offer a rustic look to a country kitchen. Sleeker strips can be a great addition to any contemporary space.
- Texture – Wood floors with an aged look give your room a sense of history and heritage. Notches, adze marks, and wormholes make for a great distressed look. It’s guaranteed to wow your visitors.
- Color – Natural hardwood has a wonderful variety of colors and stains that many homeowners adore. You’ll be able to explore from a light caramel and burgundy to a dark brown or black selection. Just remember that a light color may show spills more than darker shades.
With all of this in your mind, you come to the most important part — finding the perfect flooring installer.
Get your Dream Floor with The Carpet Guys
Hardwood has been considered the cream of the crop flooring, so a proper installation is needed for it to perform at its best. That’s why homeowners are turning to The Carpet Guys for their wood flooring needs.
Getting hardwood flooring in your kitchen will be easier than ever with us at your side. We have multiple styles to choose from, each coming with a unique look and design. You won’t find cheap knock-off flooring here. We sell flooring from the top manufacturers like Armstrong, and the prices are unbeatable.
Book a free hardwood estimate to see all of the options we have available for you. We guarantee you’ll find the perfect kitchen flooring with us.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
