Are Hardwood Floors A Good Idea For Your Kitchen?

Hardwood floors continue to be a popular choice for many home owners, and one of the main reasons is that they have a long lifespan. If you look after your hardwood floor, it can last decades. However, there are things to consider if you’re thinking of installing hardwood flooring in your kitchen.

The kitchen is the busiest room in the house and it’s the heart of the home. Delicious meals and lots of conversation happen in this room, and the type of flooring you choose is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. You want something that’s easy to clean and maintain, and that will look good even when the kitchen is in a mess and the kids are running around.

Your kitchen flooring choice also plays a role when you want to sell your home. A report by the National Association of Home Builders found that home buyers look for appearance and quality when considering elements such as floors, kitchen countertops and cabinets. The great news is that hardwood floors offer both. To make the most of them and see if they’re right for your lifestyle, consider these pros and cons.

Pros

1. Hardwood Floors Are Easy To Look After

One of the most appealing things about hardwood flooring is that it’s a cinch to take care of it. Wood is naturally resistant to dirt and stains, and mopping the floor regularly, as well as a bit of a vacuum, is all you need to keep it looking brand new.

2.  There Are Many Styles To Choose From

Current hardwood flooring trends feature a variety of different style options to suit your needs. For example, there’s dark-stained wood floors, blonde wood, and even gray-stained wood that works well in a minimalist space. This means you can find the right wooden flooring style for your kitchen’s design and your personal tastes.

By choosing hardwood in your kitchen and throughout your home, you can create a beautiful, seamless appearance that is especially attractive in an open-plan design.

3. It’s Soft To The Touch

Hardwood floors feel great under your feet, and are much more comfortable than tiles which can be freezing during the winter. They also have the benefit of being kinder to your items. If you drop a glass bowl onto a hardwood floor, it won’t break as easily as if it fell on concrete, because wood is softer than other materials. This is especially good to note if you have kids.

Cons

1. Hardwood Flooring Can Suffer Water Damage

If you spill liquid onto a wooden floor, you have to be diligent to clean it up fast as it can seep into the wood and cause damage, such as warping. It’s a good idea to use rugs in kitchen areas where water is being used, such as by the sink, to absorb spills your eye misses.

2. It Gets Easily Scratched

With so much traffic moving through the kitchen on a daily basis, hardwood floors can easily get scratched or dented. Be careful of pets and moving furniture around, and always make sure you choose vacuums that don’t scratch wooden floors. When buying hardwood floors, the type of wood makes a big difference in how susceptible they will be to damage. Maple or oak are much tougher than cherry or pine.

You should also choose a hardwood floor with a lacquered finish, such as one that’s UV-cured with diamond dust, as this protects the wood and makes it more durable.

3. It Can Get Bleached By The Sun

Another good reason to protect your hardwood floor with rugs is because of sun damage. If your kitchen is washed in lots of sunshine every day, this can be bad news for hardwood floors. Over time, the sun will damage the wood, leaving it looking paler and less attractive, which could cause you to have to replace some of its panels.

Hardwood floors are always in style and they add a feeling of warmth to your kitchen. However, it’s important to know their pros and cons before going ahead with installation. This doesn’t mean you should be put off hardwood floors. By knowing how to take care of them, you can work past their cons and keep your kitchen looking beautiful for many years to come.