Looking for flooring recommendations - added questions

[Bensmom]

We have original 1965 wood floors that are in poor shape. The wood is not only unattractive, it has splinters and wide cracks filled with gunk that cannot be cleaned. We are ready to replace our floors, but I find shopping overwhelming. I really don't know what to look for in a flooring material. I think we would like something wood or that looks like wood, but it must be easy to clean and can withstand multiple pets. Because of pets, I am wondering if a high-quality laminate is better than wood? I want it to last a long time, so durability is very important.

 

What questions should I ask the salesman? Do you have a floor brand that you can recommend?

 

Editing to add questions. We have very light wood kitchen cabinets. They are a "blonde" stain. We have an open floor plan (kitchen, dining, living very open).

 

1. Should the kitchen flooring be the same as the living/dining?

2. Does the color of flooring need to be light to match the cabinets or would a countrasting dark

floor look better?

3. If you have wood or laminanate, do your bathrooms have a different floor or the same as the

rest of the house?

4. Has anyone recovered stairs to match new wood?

5. If your floors have beveled edges along each board, does dirt collect in the grooves? Will kitty

litter collect in them?

6. Would it be weird it lay the grain on a diagonal in the living area just for creating a more

interesting floor?

Edited March 26, 2017 by Bensmom

[Bambam]

I've never had kitchen flooring the same as the living/dining room. I don't think it would be weird, but I don't think it is necessary. It would be weird, I think, if you wanted carpet everywhere. Carpet in the kitchen is just a disaster waiting to happen.

 

2. I wouldn't match the flooring to my cabinets. That is too matchy-matchy for me, and I doubt I'd ever get it to match perfectly which would bother me.

I prefer middle range color for floors - preferably something that is a variety of tones of browns/tans/etc so it sorta matches the dirt outside (because it will come inside) and enough color variation that it is hard to tell if it is dirty. I have ceramic tile (long wearing, easy to clean, but breaks everything) and prefer darker grout (easier to keep looking clean).

 

3. Wood in living room/foyer/dining. Ceramic tile in kitchen and breakfast area, carpet in bedrooms, tile in bathrooms. 

 

4. No.

 

5. No, but I think that would collect a variety of dirt.

 

6. I think so. I think that would be a turnoff for me, at least, and I wouldn't buy your house. Resale may not bother you though. Every house I've ever seen - the flooring is parallel to one wall. 

 

Good luck!

[Liz CA]

1. Should the kitchen flooring be the same as the living/dining?

Whatever you prefer. I think I would like it to visually make the space bigger unless you want to have some sort of demarcation line between living / work space.

 

2. Does the color of flooring need to be light to match the cabinets or would a contrasting dark
floor look better?

I would always go for the lighter color because dust shows up on darker floors. Unless you are a daily "mopper" (I am obviously not) this could be a disadvantage.

 

3. If you have wood or laminanate, do your bathrooms have a different floor or the same as the
rest of the house?

Yes, we always had either tile or linoleum in bathrooms and kitchen.

 

4. Has anyone recovered stairs to match new wood?

I have not but why not?

 

 

5. If your floors have beveled edges along each board, does dirt collect in the grooves? Will kitty
litter collect in them?

Don't have experience with that.

 

 

6. Would it be weird it lay the grain on a diagonal in the living area just for creating a more
interesting floor?

A friend of mine did this and it looked fantastic. If you have an eye for layout, etc., it could add an interesting touch.

Edited March 26, 2017 by Liz CA

[Vintage81]

1. I think it depends on the layout. If there is a natural border, then you could do two different floorings. Otherwise, I'd do the same throughout.

 

2. I'd pick something that has variations of both lighter and darker tones. That way it contrasts the cabinets, but the lighter tones still go with the cabinets.

 

3. Our bathrooms have tile, bedrooms (and all of upstairs) have carpet.

 

4. We did laminate on the stairs in our old house. It looked nice, but it was slippery and expensive to install.

 

5. Not sure, but probably.

 

6. I'm not that adventurous when it comes to something so permanent, so I'd stick with a more traditional design. That's just me though.

[Plink]

 Because of pets, I am wondering if a high-quality laminate is better than wood? I want it to last a long time, so durability is very important.

Yes, laminate is more durable, and more water-proof.  Personally, we own a flooring store and could pick anything at all, but we chose to go with a commercial grade (extra durable) cork-laminate and it still looks lovely 10 years later.

What questions should I ask the salesman?

Ask anything, they are happy to help.  In particular pay attention to the quality of the finish or laminate.  That is what will keep your floor looking nice over the long-run.

 

Do you have a floor brand that you can recommend?
Just avoid big-box and discount flooring stores and you should be fine.  Each brand has multiple levels of product, and these stores only receive the lowest quality products.

1. Should the kitchen flooring be the same as the living/dining?

It can, but if you choose to do this you will want laminate.  Wood is very difficult to maintain in kitchens because of the constant presence of water.  

 

2. Does the color of flooring need to be light to match the cabinets or would a countrasting dark
floor look better?

Contrast is generally better, but some people can pull off the super-sleek minimalistic look nicely.  My home tends to be too cluttered to make the monochromatic scheme look intentional.  That said, extremely dark wood floors are a pain to maintain, so you may want to aim somewhere in the middle.

3. If you have wood or laminanate, do your bathrooms have a different floor or the same as the
rest of the house?

Yes our bathrooms have a different floor.  Anywhere that there is a door, archway, or corner, you can logically change flooring.

4. Has anyone recovered stairs to match new wood?

It can be done, but it is generally easier to match the floor to your treads, or add a stair runner.  Getting all of the finish off and re-staining the wood evenly, especially around balusters, is extremely difficult.

5. If your floors have beveled edges along each board, does dirt collect in the grooves? Will kitty
litter collect in them?

Those little groves exist to give any stray bits of sand a place to settle.  They are intentional.  Without them you will tend to have lots more scratches in your finish.  Regular vacuuming is all that is needed to keep them clean.  In our house we have micro-bevels upstairs, and regular bevels in the more heavily used areas. Not sure about kitty litter.

6. Would it be weird it lay the grain on a diagonal in the living area just for creating a more
interesting floor?

We have installed it in any pattern you can imagine.  Diamonds, chevron, herringbone (love this style), you name it.  Diagonal tends to work best in open-concept homes with lots of "bonus" spaces, but it can look nice anywhere.  If you plan to install it yourself, you will want to add a bit more product to your order to account for the occasional mistake with all those angle cuts.  One example from a customer's home for inspiration: