Adding wood floors to your kitchen can help create the open floor space of your dreams. Choosing the proper wooden floor for your kitchen can be complicated. Wood flooring typically does not go well with moisture however, the appropriate wood flooring can handle the humidity. Using the same flooring for your kitchen and living room will help tie all the areas of your home together, making it feel more open.
So, how do you choose the perfect flooring for your kitchen? Here’s how:
Tip #1: how to shop for wood flooring
Things to consider when shopping:
• Kitchen Traffic – the kitchen can be a high-traffic area in your home. The kitchen is used in open living spaces for eating and socializing. Floors are meant to be walked on; however, it’s essential to find the right one for such a high-traffic area. Premium quality flooring is designed to handle a high level of traffic.
• Typical wear and tear –making messes in the kitchen is to be expected. Choosing hard floors with texture could help prevent wear and tear. In addition, utilizing kitchen mats can protect the floors from potential spills.
• Finish – choosing a water-based finish for your wood floors offers better coverage and more consistent color. Oil finishes appear soft and more natural. Oil can make it easier for your flooring to receive scratches and stains. It’s much easier to maintain, but it may require you to care for it more often. Polyurethane is a more durable option against wear and tear. However, it may be harder to fix if you have a scratch on it. It’s common to have to replace a board or recoat a section of the floor.
• Satin or Gloss – wood flooring comes in multiple finishes, and people tend to choose satin over gloss. This is because it hides dirt on the floors more than gloss would.
• Species – there are many types of wood to choose from. The wood you decide to use for the flooring can significantly impact the room’s design. Different types of wood offer additional benefits. Some species of wood are more durable than others because they are harder. For example, Oakwood is stable and works well with different stains. Oak flooring is very common. Walnut wood is softer than oak and gives off a warm tone. Hickory and maple are harder than oak. There are also options such as Brazilian cherry, Bamboo, and Mahogany.
• Grain pattern – grain pattern is one of the most crucial factors in deciding what type of wood flooring to use. Depending on how the wood was cut, it will create a different pattern on the wood planks. Plain-sawn lumber is the most common and also most popular. It includes traditional wood grain with designs that are called cathedrals.
Tip #2: Installation
The first step to installing hardwood floors in your kitchen is to choose your installation method. For example, you could use the click-lock form or the nail-down installation method to glue the floorboards. Before installing the flooring, prep your baseboards. This can be done by leveling and smoothing out the subfloor, laying down a moisture inhibitor, and figuring out how you will have to lay out the floorboards. Installing the floor boards will depend on the method you choose.
Tip #3: Maintenance
Maintaining hardwood floors is simple. First, it’s important to sweep every day to avoid dirt build-up. Then, after vacuuming, follow up with a dust mop to pick up the remaining dirt and dust that the broom did not get. Next, clean the floors with a hardwood floor cleaner around once a month. You may also find it helpful to reapply the finish every three to five years and sand and refinish every ten years.
Hardwood floors in kitchens are trending. It’s a beautiful addition to your home and will help make your space look more open. Installing the wood floors and caring for them properly are crucial factors to the beauty of the hardwood floors in your home.
Thinking of installing hardwood floors in your home? Cameron the Sandman is the hardwood flooring company to call! Our hardwood flooring services are known and preferred throughout the metro Detroit area due to our quality work and product. We offer refinishing services as well as wood floor restoration and wood floor sales of every species of wood.
Customize your home with different widths, thickness and patterns that is unique to your design preference. Your wood floor installation will do more than impress! Call and speak to a sales associate about wood flooring for your home today.