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You have questions, we have answers. Explore the most frequently asked questions about hardwood flooring below. Need assistance or want to know more? Contact Carlisle or call 800-595-9663 today to get all your inquiries answered.
For owners who prefer wood floors to other surfaces, hardwood floors can be an excellent option for a kitchen. Hardwood flooring adds beauty, warmth and visual appeal to any room. While moisture and mess can present some problems for hardwood kitchen floors, there are lots of options for ways to safely create stunning hardwood surfaces in a kitchen. Wood floors are warmer than tile and most homeowners find wood floors are preferable over tile when standing for a long time.
For homeowners with hardwood floors in other rooms, extending wood flooring to the kitchen creates a natural, uninterrupted flow throughout the house with no demarcation between the living room, dining room and kitchen spaces. Wood floors have a warmer feel than the coldness of stone or tile. And with a variety of wood species and stain colors, hardwood floors can easily fit into the needs of any interior design scheme.
Luxury vinyl and hardwood floors are very different surfaces and create very different aesthetics in your kitchen design. Hardwood is a natural surface with all the beauty and warmth of the timber it came from. Luxury vinyl is a photo recreation of wood where the grain patterns are repeated across the boards, lowering the natural appeal. However, for locations such as rental units where maintenance is a high priority, luxury vinyl can be a good choice as some products are waterproof.
Explore and select from our gallery of our most popular finishes, specially categorized by the personalities and traits of the floor designs.
ExploreHarder woods like Hickory or Maple are more resistant to scratches and wear, making them excellent options for hardwood kitchen floors. Some homeowners avoid hardwoods like Walnut or Cherry in the kitchen, as these softer species can be easily dented when a kitchen implement or jar of food is dropped. However, almost any species of hardwood can be used in the kitchen – the choice ultimately comes down to the personal preferences of the homeowner.
There is no standard design rule about the color of kitchen floors. The best choice for any homeowner largely depends on preference and the other colors present in the room. Lighter floors are a nice contrast to darker cabinets, and vice versa.
Keeping kitchen floors free of debris and food is the best way to protect the hardwood surface. Regularly sweeping and vacuuming can remove dust and dirt that can cause scratches and dents when stepped on. Any liquid spills should be cleaned up immediately. A protective mat or rug in the areas of highest traffic can help extend the life of a kitchen hardwood floor.
Wide plank floors use floorboards that are 5” to 20” wide. Compared to floors made with standard commercial floorboards that are only 2¼” or 3” wide, wide plank floors have a much more spacious and luxurious feel. Wide plank floors also allow the wood’s natural hues and the personality of the grain to be seen more fully. Wide plank floors are an excellent option for homeowners who want to make a strong visual statement with their kitchen design.
Engineered wood floors are an excellent option for kitchen flooring since engineered floorboards are more resistant to moisture and humidity. Engineered floorboards are made with a veneer of hardwood that’s glued to multiple layers of backing material to create a core that won’t expand or contract when exposed to higher levels of moisture and humidity. When considering engineered floors it is important to understand the thickness of the wear layer to determine the number of times a floor can be sanded and refinished.
Ordering a prefinished kitchen floor is an attractive option for homeowners who want to minimize the time required for installation as well as the mess and odor that are present when a floor is finished on site. Prefinished floors are sanded, stained and sealed in the manufacturer’s facility before the boards are shipped to the home for installation. Prefinishing a floor also enables the manufacturer to apply stronger stains and sealants to the floorboards, providing more protection against the higher levels of moisture and traffic in the kitchen.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors offers a wealth of options for kitchen hardwood flooring. With a wide choice of hardwood species and a virtually unlimited choice of stain colors, Carlisle makes it easy to design a one-of-a-kind kitchen floor that will be the centerpiece of any home.
