We’ve seen it done, several times, here in Washington DC, but hardwood flooring is not always the perfect choice for kitchens and bathrooms. Hardwood flooring simply doesn’t have the moisture resistance found inherently in other flooring types. Ceramic tile, rigid core vinyl, and many other types of flooring or inherently better resistant to exposure to environments where there may be moisture. Even if you don’t intend to mop or apply water directly to your kitchen or bathroom flooring, kitchen and bathrooms often have more water on the floor than other areas of the home. Cooking and the type of cleaning generally associated with cooking typically requires water to be used, both to do simple things like wash dishes but also in the food prep and cleaning process.
The picture below shows an example of a typical ceramic or natural stone floor used in a kitchen. This particular flooring happens to be a very light color that complements the white or light cabinetry and light color countertops.
The next picture below, as an alternative, in contrast to the picture above, shows a kitchen floor with hardwood flooring. The hardwood flooring stands in contrast to the tile flooring.
One of the few advantages of the hardwood flooring is that it is a warmer feel than ceramic tile or stone tile. It also feels real and natural. Also, unlike a ceramic tile or flooring that is limited just to a kitchen or bathroom, hardwood flooring can be continuous. Generally in Washington DC row homes, the layout will be relatively linear from room to room so a continuous floor might be of an advantage to allow an open floor plan to continue without an unnecessary or contrived type of transition. This continuity from room to room allows the general decorative style of the home to be thematically continued.
We also mentioned that hardwood feeling lowering can feel a bit warmer than denser floors like stone or tile, and it’s true, it has a warmer feel or vibe, but it’s also technically feels warmer to the touch. There’s a bit of a misnomer, people think that metals and stones are actually colder but it’s not that they’re actually technically colder, but they transfer that temperature difference faster to human skin so they have a feeling of being colder in the winter, for example. By comparison, wood materials have a higher degree of insulative properties and therefore that cold temperature doesn’t transfer as rapidly and it makes it feel a bit better.
A picture above, the flooring compliments the cabinets, there are almost the same, technically there’s a difference between the variation and the grain of the wood of the floor versus the cabinets, but they reflect each other in a way that repeats an overall thematic style.
In the next picture below, in contrast, the flooring finish and the cabinet finish are very different. The cabinets have a white lacquer applied to the surface and the flooring is a natural wood grain with a light color finish or stain. A panel is installed in front of the exhaust to compliment or reflect the wood pattern below, but even these two different types of wood finish and stain are very different. They work together in a way, to an extent, but they’re not the same. Here the contrast works, maybe, a bit, to add an element or character to the overall style of the kitchen.
Hardwood flooring encompasses a range of products derived from mostly deciduous tree species. The two primary categories are solid hardwood and engineered hardwood.
Solid Hardwood: Solid hardwood planks are milled from a single piece of timber. Common species include oak, maple, walnut, and cherry. The thickness typically ranges from 3/4 inch (to 5/16 inch but we generally advise against using products less than ¾” thick), with widths varying from 1-1/2 inches to 8 inches or more. The grain pattern and color variations are determined by the specific species and the cut of the wood (plain-sawn, quarter-sawn, or rift-sawn). products at the extremely wide end of the range, up to 8 in width or more are generally a little bit less stable when exposed to conditions of variety or variation in moisture or environmental stressors of the wood material.
Engineered Hardwood: Engineered hardwood consists of a multi-layer construction. The top layer is a hardwood veneer, typically 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch thick, bonded to multiple layers of plywood or high-density fiberboard (HDF). This construction method aims to reduce costs significantly and enhance dimensional stability to a degree and provide a bit more moisture resistance compared to solid hardwood.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project. If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
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