Can wood flooring be installed in a kitchen or bath?
No. Even though a large majority of hardwood, as well as laminate and engineered flooring can resist water, wood floors should be kept moisture free. However, you may choose to use laminate flooring in your kitchen or bathroom. Extra precaution should be taken near sinks and bathtubs, where water could spill. A good idea would be to put a rug in those areas, and wiping the floor immediately after a spill has occurred.
Yes hardwoods can be installed in kitchens or bathrooms, however, there are certain caveats. Woods do not stand up well to water. In general this will not be a problem in a kitchen unless the dishwasher seals fail and you have a catastrophic leak. The same can be said for the bathrooms. Hardwoods can also sustain marks from women’s high heals and dog’s claws.
Having said that, at Innova Kitchens and Baths, we do not recommend hardwood in bathrooms unless perhaps it is a powder room which does not have a shower or tub and it is integral to a more open concept home where there is hardwood that will be going throughout the rest of the space.
For kitchens and bathrooms, porcelain tile or stone tile products are more resilient in general and do not suffer from being exposed to water. However, in many open concept homes where there will be hardwood in the living space it is often preferable to have the same flooring flow into the kitchen in which case it can be hardwood. The homeowner just has to ensure proper maintenance and changeout of appliances such as dish washers, washers and dryers in these areas to avoid flooding situations.
Innova Kitchens and Baths,
www.innovakitchens.com
