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Becky Parker
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| Posted: June 17 2013 at 7:01am | IP Logged
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As we finally get to the point of remodeling this kitchen (this planning stage has lasted a very long time and I'm getting a bit tired of it), we are down to the question of flooring.
Sigh.
We decided to spend the bulk of our budget on the cabinets and counters, hoping they will last a very very long time.
Now for the floor... Wood is my first choice but it is too expensive. I really don't want tile for several reasons including the fact that we are continuing the flooring of the kitchen into a sunroom that is connected on one end and through the entry way up to the front door on the other end. Tile would give the entry way a very formal appearance and we are not formal. Plus, with little kids still running around I just think it would be too hard of a surface.
So that leaves us with expensive laminates, linoleums and Vinyls or cheaper laminates, linoleums and vinyls. 
I think we want to go cheaper because, in about 12-15 years we will hopefully have enough money saved to put in a nicer floor, plus all the kids will be older.
But I'm not sure what to choose. We have had a Pergo floor for about 15 years and it is definitely showing it's age. But, I think, even though people can tell it's not really wood, it has looked nice and been very practical for us. My thoughts are to go with that again.
We also talked about linoleum but I don't think I want that in the sunroom and up to the front door.
Any other suggestions? Any great flooring options we haven't thought of? (We currently have carpet in the sunroom and up to the front door, but we want to have a harder surface in both of these high traffic rooms.)
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Becky
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myheaven1967
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| Posted: June 17 2013 at 7:40am | IP Logged
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I think the pergo is the best choice. We have been talking about it for our home too.
We bought linoleum tiles and did our kitchen floor 4 years ago, they looked great for a little while but are now cracking and peeling and a few have already had to be replaced. 
So with that experience behind us we have learned.
We also have 4 young ones and the floors do take a beating!
Let us know what you choose.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 17 2013 at 8:47am | IP Logged
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I went with a vinyl stick down tile. I put it over really old original linoleum that was there after we'd pulled up two other layers of floor/subfloor, but I think you can put it on a plain subfloor if you prime/seal first. It can be grouted with a special grout so it looks like regular tile (though, we haven't done that yet--I do OWN the grout, lol).
I ended up installing it myself, and when I was looking for advice on how to do it, I came across a forum with lots of professionals. The professionals scoff at it a lot, and one of them disparaged it saying, "you might get 7-10 years out of it tops." And I went, "Woohoo! You mean I might get 10 years out of it???"
Because, really, I DO want to replace it with something nicer some day (maybe sooner rather than later since we really need to refinish the surrounding wood floors), but I needed something fast and easy, and the nice thing is that it will be much easier to remove and replace than a "real" tile. We had a lovely porcelain tile in our old home that we put in ourselves. It will last FOREVER, but if a dish even looked at it hard, the dish shattered  So, I really don't think that "real" tile is better simply because it lasts longer. For one thing, people's tastes change. It is also very hard to stand on for hours at a time.
And, I've considered the stick-down tiles for the family room, which is in desperate need of a new floor and has knotty pine walls, so a hardwood floor could be overkill.
I went with this slate, and it doesn't feel too formal (our spaces are not), though, it is just in the small kitchen footprint and not the foyer or dining rooms that border. The depths worked out well that the floor is level where it meets the hardwood in those doorways.
I think that if you like the pergo and can afford it, it makes sense to go with that again. I needed something that wasn't "wood" since I was bordering the real thing, so I never really investigated that as an option.
I know it is not very "traditional" today, but I've also looked at higher-end linoleums like Marmoleum as an option. I also live in a 1950s home, so, it would "fit" in my house.
They also make a vinyl tile that looks like wood as do many other companies. Home centers have a wide selection of this now. Depending on the type of abuse you expect most (water, spills, and mud VS scrapes and scratches), it is possible that vinyl planks might be a better "imitation wood" option than the laminate? I haven't researched it, but it could be worth considering. The cost seems comparable.
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Lindsay
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: June 17 2013 at 9:25am | IP Logged
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If it was my floor I would go with the laminates just because we have lived in our house for 13 years with vinyl (cheap) and have already replaced the floor and the new isn't holding up either. Scratches everywhere, fading by the door, and holes next to the frig where frozen items have fallen out of the freezer and took off the top layer of flooring (about the size of half a whole punch-but they are seen-they are black and our flooring is blonde wood). I currently have vinyl planks that look like wood floor (it fooled the carpet installers and a few wood floor owners when just glancing!) and I got it dirt cheap. It still looks better than the original flooring and I would recommend it to those that don't have the money but must do something. That was our case! Yet, it was a lot of work to install and would have been better to save up another year and install something better.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 17 2013 at 9:39am | IP Logged
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I would definately go with a higher end sheet vinyl (linoleum).. get one that looks good.. like tiles or whatever (and there are some nice ones) in a kitchen where water gets on the floor and such I really really like LESS seams rather than more (which you get with any tile vinyl or otherwise)plus you don't have grout that needs cleaning seperate from the flooring and such like that as well. The 3 contractors and the flooring places I've spoken to here all seem to agree that for bath and kitchen and entry that it's a very good option (we get snow so you will get water tracked in)
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: kitchen remodel question
