how durable are hardwood floors in a kitchen? What type is best?

11 years ago

I have dogs and have been told that water damage is inevitable if you have hardwood floors in the kitchen. I see so many photos that show these floors in Kitchens that l find it hard to believe that there isn't a type that is durable enough to withstand a kitchen. Any feedback/advice?

Featured Answer

PRO

Cancork Floor Inc.

11 years ago

Again, durability is not the question...solid hardwood = 60-80 years of "life". That's 2-4 times longer than your roof! The question becomes: "How long will they look absolutely perfect?" I've seen hardwoods age gracefully for 20 years when coupled with mindful owners and I've seen hardwoods get trashed inside of 10 years when less then thoughtful people take care of them.

Even then, the hardwood can be sanded down and refinished. To do this the cost is between $3-$5/sf. You cannot demolition/purchase/install another floor for that price. Dog owners can reduce the stress on the floors by keeping nails trimmed. In hardwood flooring circles we suggest 2-4 times per MONTH!!! Yep...once every 1-2 weeks.

If this is something you know in your heart you cannot maintain (I'll be honest it isn't something I would be able to keep up for 10-12 years of a dog's life) then a tile with the right "appearance" that "looks perfect" for years is the best option. Ensure you purchase 15% more than you need for repairs over the next 15-20 years.

The question of durability is not what people are asking. Solid hardwood is longer lived than most N. American men (mean life span of 73 years). The question has to do with "how pretty for how long". The answer: It depends on the homeowner.

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Comments (8)

PRO
Lampert Dias Architects, Inc.
11 years ago
I have had my oak floors in my kitchen for over 20 years and they have held up very well.
Hardwood floors need to refinished every once in a while, but a good oak floor lasts forever.
My floors have lived through kids growing up and many dogs and cats.........
National Construction Design thanked Lampert Dias Architects, Inc.
Ed
11 years ago
My previous wood floor in the kitchen lasted about 30 years: about 10 years from the previous owner, and 20 years for me. We just installed brand new maple hardwood floor throughout the kitchen and (continuously) to the dining and living areas.

I never had any water damage on the kitchen floor during the 20 years. With good care and caution, I don't expect any water damage on the new maple floor either.

I think it's mostly a conscious effort, a state of mind to keep water and moisture off the wood floor as much as possible.
National Construction Design thanked Ed
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feeny
11 years ago
Ours are 85 years old and going strong. White oak.
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PRO
Oak & Broad
11 years ago
This is a common daily question on Houzz. Hardwood floors are fine in the kitchen.
National Construction Design thanked Oak & Broad
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
11 years ago
Just make sure you get a very hard hardwood with the dogs as their nails do scratch but as far as in the kitchen no problem.
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PRO
National Construction Design
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for all the advice. Very helpful and good perspectives
PRO
Koeber's Interiors: Flooring, Furniture, Windows
10 years ago
We like to think of a hardwood flooring as a delicate piece of furniture. It will dent, scratch, ding, and scuff. That is the characteristic of a wood and it adds to the floor. The tougher woods are hickory, some bamboos, Brazilian cherry, maples are a little harder and so on. The hardness is all relative because ALL will scratch. Even the harder of the floors like a Mahogany will scratch and most of the time will show more than a softer wood with lots of variation and hand scraping to it. The more important thing when considering a hardwood in a higher traffic area is that if you have pets, kids, and know it could get scratched get a hand scraped maybe even already a little distressed look which will hide dents and scratches better.