Flooring dilemma- Wood, tile, or both?

last year

last modified: last year

We desperately need to replace the flooring on our main floor 1990s home. It's currently a mix of 6 types of flooring. 4 different types of carpet in the family room, office, formal living room, and sunroom, oak hardwood in the entry, hallway, powder room, and dining room, and tile in the kitchen. We cannot figure out the best configuration for the flooring. LVP is not an option so hardwood, solid or engineered, and tile is what we have narrowed it down to. We have a dog and the best way in/out of the house is through the front door so there is a lot of traffic in the entry and through the kitchen, so even though I would prefer a continuous wide plank, light white oak wood floor, I'm really hesitant because of all of the wet traffic. We have decided we want tile in the sunroom because we want to keep plants in there, so that is easy. It's all of the other spaces we can't figure out. I don't want it as disjointed as it is right now. I would welcome any suggestions and perspectives. We have been paralyzed with indecision for years!

Featured Answer

chispa

last year

We've had hardwood floors throughout every house we have owned, with tile in mudroom, laundry and bathrooms. Also with kids and dogs.

When we built in 2021, I did one thing different. We have a long back hall that leads from the main garage to the kitchen, it also includes the mudroom and laundry. I did tile in that hallway, because that is where we leave our dogs when we are gone for several hours. One of the big dogs had a diarrhea accident and pee accident, and I'm glad it was on tile and not the hardwood floors. The guest bedrooms off this hallway have the same wood floor as the rest of the house and we close those doors when we are gone. I was very deliberate in the tile I chose for that area and it drove many of the other design decisions.

So same flooring throughout, unless you have a specific design layout that allows for a tile and wood pairing that makes sense.

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Comments (10)

millworkman
last year
Context is key. Post up pics of your home. Barring that ONE flooring throughout. I would go with hardwood.
kcbluvzu thanked millworkman
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
Hardwood throughout. Either site finished or engineered (with pets engineered is probably easier for you )
kcbluvzu thanked HALLETT & Co.
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
Hardwood everywhere except the sun room and a really good entry rug , washable and water proof underpad and a really good out door mat before you even enter the house . I do not think engineered makes any difference with dogs but that is your decision . I see no point in site finished since this is all new flooring
kcbluvzu thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
I just meant with engineered it’s pre finished so you can do half the house, move the furniture, do the other half. No dog fur stuck in wet poly…
Kendrah
last year
All hardwood or all engineered. I have a big dog, front entry only, plants, and an active kitchen. Never had a problem. Get an LL Bean water hog mat for outside and one for entry hall that closely matches your floor stain. They are a dream. Do you currently have a lot if water on your sunroom floor?
kcbluvzu thanked Kendrah
kcbluvzu
Original Author
last year
@Kendrah Thank you for your comment. Not a lot of water in the sunroom but some leakage from pots and dirt. It's mostly a lot of temperature fluctuation as we don't always heat/cool the area.
dan1888
last year
The oak you'll see with engineered is European Oak. It's flat cut because the species used does not have an open grain. You can get 11 to near 12 inch widths that show off the structure of the planks more so than 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 inch NorthAmerican solid Oak. Hekwood, DuChateau, Monarch Plank, and many others are bringing product in from Europe and Asia.
Lyn Nielson
last year
there are easier ways to manage plant drainage and entry way weather.

Unless you are putting in a floor drain in the sunroom.

The same flooring throughout, less the bathrooms and kitchen, although it should coordinate.
ladybug A 9a Houston area
last year
Where are you located?