Experiences - using wood floor in kitchen

7 years ago

Hi,

we have nearly completed a full house renovation and now onto the flooring for downstairs. After six months of researching I have my heart set on using a reclaimed engineered wooden floor which is a very very light colour. I am thinking of having this in the hall and kitchen. My kitchen is a south facing kitchen with 5meter bifold doors.

I am receiving mixed advice on using the wood in the kitchen due to practicality reasons and it's starting to put me off. Some companies say it's no problem and others say to avoid. I am completely torn. Tiles is not an option due to children and no under floor heating and i don't like the feel of vinyl or laminate.

Has as anyone had any good experiences with using wooden floor in the kitchen ?

Thanks

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Comments (12)

PRO
Eternal Kitchen Ltd
7 years ago
I personally LOVE a nice wooden floor in the kitchen. Its true that wooden floors require more care and attention than a tile floor in the kitchen (spills need to be cleaned immediately, water splashes from washing up etc), but its the same debate as a wooden worktop. With a reclaimed floor you may need to ensure you put a new layer of protection on the floor to ensure it doesnt soak up and spills.
PRO
Bathroom + Kitchen Eleven
7 years ago
I have dark engineered wood throughout my house including the kitchen, It was laid 6 years ago and still looks fantastic. I have white high gloss units which the wood sets off superbly. In my experience I would recommend it and I will certainly refurbish any future kitchen with engineered flooring.

Hope this helps.

Shannon
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abs1822
7 years ago
I had the same debate over wooden worktops. I decided to go with it in the end and i'm really pleased that I did. It provides such a warmth to the room and the cleaning/maintaining has been a lot easier than I had anticipated. 4 years on and i'm still happy that I made the right choice.
acew1234
7 years ago
We have both wooden floors and work tops.
They are great just treat them kindly...you just need to wipe both down if anything spills and watch hot pots. No bother at all!
PRO
Room by Room (Midlands) Ltd
7 years ago
Hi. We have engineered wood throughout our open plan kitchen/diner/lounge and utility. It has been down for 2/3 years and still looks great. Regular hovering helps avoid scratching and osmo do a great cleaner for mopping. We have no direct sunlight so can not comment on discolouring. We opted for wood for warmth as well as for the look (pictures attached).

I understand your concerns. When you say you don't like vinyl have you considered Karndean flooring? Link below. The wood effect looks fantastic and if fitted with the 3mm strips in between the planks this really works to add extra authenticity to the look. The key bonus being that because you are south facing it won't fade. You can order samples direct from their website.

http://www.karndean.com/en-gb/floors/look/wood

All the best.
sandrasal
7 years ago
We have an engineered wood floor in our kitchen which has been down 4 years. With 2 adults, 2 kids and a dog it takes quite a hammering but still looks fab! Go for it!
AMB
7 years ago
Wood is fine! A coat or two of clear matt varnish will help the durability, and make sure you mop up wet spillages. I have a white engineered wood floor (cheap stuff from Wickes) with cork underneath for insulation (over the top of a freezing cold ceramic tiled solid floor - so I know what you are looking for) and it's fine. You just need to live with dirt being more obvious. I just vacuum my floor.
AMB
7 years ago
Also, to add, we flooded it last weekend and it's holding up well so far! :)
PRO
Woodpecker Flooring
7 years ago
Be assured that wood flooring is suitable for a kitchen environment. The same care tips apply here as in any other room: wipe up spills immediately, use floor mats to catch dirt at entrances and clean regularly to avoid grit settling on the floor.
PRO
The Wood Flooring Shop
7 years ago
Just a quick note regarding an earlier comment, if your wood floor is already pre-finished with oil rather than lacquer (varnish) then you should not apply lacquer on top of the oil.

Check to see what the finish is on the reclaimed wood before applying a layer of another type of product.
PRO
The Prestige Flooring Co.
6 years ago
We often specify wood flooring for kitchens, utility rooms and even bathrooms. Just remember to be speedy mopping up any spills, don't leave them for any length of time. Brushing and vacuuming is your best bet for everyday maintenance, and every so often use a specialist wood floor cleaning kit for a deeper clean.

Good luck with your project!

The Prestige Flooring Co.
PRO
Woodflooring Engineered Ltd
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Engineered wooden flooring is a very wise and popular choice for a kitchen. As everyone above has advised ...wipe up spills etc as soon as possible. But from my own personal experience (as well as professional ) I have a character oak UV oiled engineered floor fitted throughout the ground-floor of my home. I also have a dog and 3 x boys it still looks beautiful 5 years on, in this time it has encountered 3 washing machine leaks (youngest son had an obsession with pipes - argghh) and has not warped or moved.

My advice if you opt for an engineered wood floor is to have a large inset doormat fitted at entrances, to force people to wipe their feet , as the biggest threat to a wooden floor finish is grit (acts like sandpaper / or will scratch). Apart from this it is a very low maintenance floor that will last for years and years....

The floor below is currently our most popular floor White Stained Ash engineered flooring - the photo below is of one of 22 open-plan Mews Houses this floor was installed within , and makes for a bright, light, incredibly durable, floor.

One last thing your reclaimed engineered floor sounds beautiful...if it is naturally light in colour be aware that over time sunlight / UV will cause a goldening / darkening effect ...if it has been lightly stained then the timber will remain the same colour as stains act as a 'wood sunblock'.
https://woodflooringengineered.co.uk/