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rberesh73

Flooring Advice

3 years ago

Whew so I have huge project and would like advice. I will be getting a new kitchen and also replace all the flooring on the main level as well as upstairs with 1 type of flooring (I’ll be using engineered hardwood)

First question. There is currently tile that goes from the entrance, down the hall, into the bathroom, laundry room and into the kitchen.
Would you replace with new tile or replace with
hardwood

Second. Which hardwood colour do you feel fits my style of home.

Some photos

Comments (34)

  • 3 years ago

    These were some samples I grabbed

  • 3 years ago

    Nearly everyone will recommend one flooring throughout, rather than tile in one area and a wood product elsewhere. Our home’s flooring is similar to yours, and we started by remodeling our kitchen. I replaced the old tile there with 12x24 porcelain tile and LOVE it. The rest will eventually all be engineered hardwood when we get to that next year. I decided to stick with tile in the kitchen because we are hard on our finishes so I wanted something hearty. I also went with medium-dark base cabinets so I wanted a lighter flooring material there than the flooring we’ll likely have elsewhere. We’re staying here for a while, so I’m remodeling to my taste, not a buyer’s. To your question, it probably depends on your kitchen space and whether the flooring you’re considering will work with the cabinets, countertop, and lighting there. You may want to post pics of samples of your cabinets and countertops as well.

  • 3 years ago

    Thanks for writing. Yes we will be using the exact same flooring through the house. The dilemma would be to use wood in the main floor kitchen, entrance,half bath and laundry or rip out the current ceramic tile and do something newer. Here is the kitchen I’m currently considering of having installed

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    If you deal with a lot of snow or sand, tile in the entry is pretty nice. Otherwise I'd do the same throughout (or at least the same on each level) with exceptions for laundry, bathrooms, and sometimes kitchen if desired.

    Your home is quite traditional and formal (it's very pretty, too). I'd stick with traditional flooring with more neutral stains, and nothing rustic, beachy, or weathered like your samples. Narrower boards would probably fit in better than the wide planks your samples have, too.

    The color in your bedroom is pretty good although I can't see details--traditional without looking frumpy.

  • 3 years ago

    Thank you for writing! Just want to show some pics of the ceramic I currently have and how it runs through the Center of my main floor. Again not sure whether to just replace it with modern ceramic or just do hardwood everywhere. I do get snow here during the winter months.

    The laminate in the upstairs pics will be replaced with the same hardwood choice I do on the main floor. Sooo many are doing that light wood but I’m just not sure that it would go with a house style like mine

  • 3 years ago

    hardwood, for sure, throughout. It is durable for all climates and conditions.

    keep the flooring mid tone to light, dark shows dust quickly.


  • 3 years ago

    Just wondering. Lots of calls for hardwood everywhere. No concerns for the entrance, kitchen, bathroom or laundry room? I’m new to engineered hardwood. Also just wondering why no one is for ceramic replacement

  • 3 years ago

    We did 12x24 porcelain tile in our kitchen, replacing old 12x12 ceramic tile. The old tile in the entry & formal dining room, and the carpet elsewhere, will all be replaced by engineered hardwood eventually. If you prefer tile in the kitchen, it can be a great choice but look around for photos to see what the tiles look like now and what layout you prefer before deciding. I wanted a light-colored stone look. If a photo helps, here’s our renovated kitchen with the tile flooring. If we’d been redoing our laundry room, I’d have done this tile in there too. But most will suggest the same flooring throughout to tie it all together.

  • 3 years ago

    As far as the flooring samples that you've shown, I like the middle sample. Because that sort of light natural wood look appeals to me, but also because the greys (#1 and #3) I fear will look dated very quickly. I understand why you want to replace that tile, it's pretty fussy, could imagine you replacing it with a modern tile, or slate or brick, but just at the entry then wood flooring from then on out.

  • 3 years ago

    Thanks for writing everyone.

    Carrie- your kitchen looks like what I’m aiming for in my upgrade. Also it sounds like our main floors are similar. I have tile that runs from the entrance to the back out the house (kitchen). Off the kitchen (on the right) is a dining room/living room with rug. Left of the kitchen is a step down family room also with rug. Are you thinking when you do your updates that in addition to taking out the rug you’ll also take out the ceramic in the kitchen?

    Jenny- I actually liked the other colours (1,3) but like you I fear they will be dated. I’m not keen on number 2 though as it seems awfully yellow

  • 3 years ago

    rberesh73, I agree, no to the yellow. I don't know if the material around the sample is influencing its color. I would try putting a white sheet down then putting the flooring sample against the wall to help get a truer impression of the flooring.

  • 3 years ago

    Good thinking! I will try that and post pics!

  • 3 years ago

    @rberesh73 My spouse would contemplate murder if I took out our new tile, hah. It was so expensive to have tile floors redone in that space! No the new tile will remain, and we’ll do engineered wood everywhere else (well except the laundry and adjacent powder room). We may have a similar layout to yours, as we also have a step down into our living room the the kitchen opens into. I just made the decision that I wanted tile in the bathroom, and we went with that, despite knowing the preference for the same flooring throughout. We also were not ready to redo floors elsewhere yet, so that made the decision easier. I also really liked the look of the tile available now to what we had before - I have some good examples in my kitchen Ideabook.

  • 3 years ago

    We do not live in an area where tile floors are desirable. . Our natural white ash hardwwod had been down for 37 years, and run through the entire first floor except for tile in one bathroom. I would not consider any alternative.

  • 3 years ago

    Carrie- haha definitely don’t want to cause trouble between you and your spouse. Quick question. Hypothetically….if you could snap your fingers would keep tile in those areas or would you switch everything to hardwood flooring?

  • 3 years ago

    Grapefruit- kind of a mixed bag where I live. Tile is not uncommon here. However I’m totally open to any ideas

  • 3 years ago

    Hardwood throughout, but I may consider tile in laundry room if you have any concern about washing machine overflow. It should be absolutely fine in kitchen and powder room. If you have concerns about the entry in winter, just get a large area rug.

  • 3 years ago

    Thank you Susie! Your tile and kitchen looks great by the way!

    My preference would be hardwood throughout. I think it’s the advice of others saying how much damage can occur on hardwood that has made me leery

  • 3 years ago

    @rberesh73 I actually don’t think I’d put hardwood in our kitchen only because I want a lighter floor in the kitchen, but not throughout the house. I’d like a medium wood tone for the rest of the house’s flooring.

  • 3 years ago

    I currently have ceramic that runs from the kitchen to the entrance. Does anyone think replacing it with a newer ceramic is a as or dated idea?

  • 3 years ago

    Went to a couple flooring stores. Seems like most run hardwood or vinyl throughout. One did suggest that the half bath and laundry room could go with ceramic

  • 3 years ago

    Boy I"m so torn on this flooring choice. As I wanted to go with the same flooring on the main floor and upstairs vinyl would definitely be the safest option. I have to admit though that I"m a bit old school and would love engineered hard wood floors.

    My concern though is that on the main floor 2 areas get a beating. The family room off the patio and the kitchen all the way to the entrance. I could save the family room from a beating with a huge area rug but the kitchen all the way to the entrance wouldn't be protected from my dog, the elements and people. The only other thing I can think of would be to replace all that ceramic tile with an newer updated tile (even though the majority it seems favor the same flooring throughout). ughhh decisions.

  • 3 years ago

    We have engineered hardwood everywhere except out bathrooms and laundry room. The engineered hardwood in the kitchen is holding up well. We built our house in 2016 and are located in a humid area.

    rberesh73 thanked Gina Gilgo
  • 3 years ago

    Oh, I forgot we have slate looking tile in our entry way

    rberesh73 thanked Gina Gilgo
  • 3 years ago

    Thanks Gina. I'd love to see how you made your entry way. I've heard of people doing tile at the entry. I think the guy at the flooring store said that he'd suggest doing the same as you....putting tile in our main floor half bath and also in the laundry room. The 'kitchen' reno guy seemed to suggest that I could run whatever I choose (hardwood/vinyl) in both areas if I wanted as it was only a half bath.

    That's encouraging to hear about your hardwood holding up. If you had to do it all over again would you have gone with vinyl or perhaps run slate tile through your kitchen or would you still stick with the hardwood. Do you have any pets (1 dog) or children (2 boys)? I have multi seasonal weather here....snow, rain, humidity.

  • 3 years ago

    No need to be trendy here...these floors are going to outlast trends. You don't need the same floors everywhere if it doesn't make sense.


    My experience with hardwood (not engineered but close enough?) is that it's durable and nice in the kitchen. Stuff you drop doesn't always break and you can put down a rug in high traffic spots if you like. Tile is sturdier, of course.


    I don't really worry about leaky appliances. (I was gonna say "how often does that really happen" and remembered my leaky dishwasher recently...always have extra flooring material stashed somewhere, no matter what it is, unless it's site-finished solid wood.) (My floor was fine, by the way. Small leak, detected early, and tile floor.)


    In the dining areas, it's best to have a rug under chairs unless you can really keep up on pads to prevent chair scraping the wood.


    The dog will be fine unless he runs and makes sharp turns, but it varies for every animal. Paw/claw geometry makes a difference as well as general behavior.


    I have hardwood in most of my house because it was there when I moved in. It's around 70 years old. I have slate tile in my laundry, kitchen/greatroom, and powder room replacing sheet vinyl after a remodel/addition. It is easier to take care of than wood, especially under chairs and messy houseplants.


    It's fine to mix wood and tile if they play nice. ( Also, if you get real slate, be sure you get good slate. Test a sample. Some slate material is flaky and porous and not really great for floors. Some slates are nice and solid and perfect. )

  • 3 years ago

    I would not change anything! We have two cats, but no children. I can’t seem to add a photo!

  • 3 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I probably should have done a poll or something to get even more feedback. I wonder if anyone would be in favour of replacing old tile with new tile and doing the surrounding area with the same flooring OR is everyone thinking just use same flooring.
    It’s good to hear feedback from people with hardwood. If I wasn’t so concerned about the likelihood of it scratching this wouldn’t even be a debate in my mind

  • 2 years ago

    One way or the other I’ll definitely be taking that tile out. I did have someone look at it. I believe they said replacing it with a more modern tile would be easier. I think because of potential subfloor replacement that would need to be done

  • 2 years ago

    Would need to be done if hardwood was installed

  • 2 years ago

    Part of me would like to see what others think of a kitchen expansion into the dining room but ha I think I know the answer

  • 2 years ago

    Still at a standstill…sigh

  • 2 years ago

    I guess another option would be porcelain tile that looks like wood