Floor coverings for "enthusiastic" cooks?

[herbgeek]

I am what I like to call an enthusiastic cook. My hubby calls me a messy cook. I often spill stuff on the floor or drop things.

My kitchen floor currently is made from vinyl planks that are made to look like large stone tiles. The floor is starting to "fail", there are dings in it that look like black marks from a few feet away. I will need to be replacing this within the year.

I have too many different types of flooring on the first floor of my small house. I would like to replace the hallway tile, the dining room "country plank" flooring that originally came with the house, and the bedroom we use as an office that has Pergo with the prefinished hardwood we have in the living room to create a more seamless and unified look. It would look better if I extended this hardwood to the kitchen too , I know the current trend is hardwood in the kitchen, but I'm concerned about how it will hold up given my messy tendencies.

What are your experiences with hardwood in the kitchen? Would you recommend something else? What about combining hardwood with some tile in the high traffic (spill) areas of the kitchen? Has anyone used cork?

[Tussiemussies]

I haven't used cork but was just thinking about that, wondering if it would be good in your situation.

The neatest flooring I recently saw was where someone painstakingly covered their floor with pennies, all on the same side and butted up to each other. Now there is a floor that could hold up to your cooking! It was coated but not sure with what. It really looked beautiful in the kitchen it was in. Must have taken quite a long time to complete. Don't know how they set it in...

[lmerullo]

We have hardwood in our vacation home kitchen. It seems to hold up quite well, no complaints yet... One thing, though, is that sun exposure has already (less than three years) caused some change in color. We make sure to clean and seal the floor VERY often, too. Not sure how it would hold up with daily use year- round.

That being said, placing rugs on the floor likely will not be a good solution if you go with hardwood. I find there is often a little dirt / grit that seeps through the rugs and then sort of grinds on the finish of the floor.

Our "regular" home has porcelain tile. Previously we had ceramic - and being through a couple of growing, careless kids and me with a tendency to fumble things often, the floor was chipped in a few places. The ceramic was losing its glaze and didn't seem to be a quality product. I was constantly trying to keep it clean, and once the glaze eroded, it always seemed to be dirty. Porcelain is supposed to be tougher and less likely to chip or crack. I know that it is two years later, and still looks brand new, so I am very happy with porcelain!

[citrine]

We have 12x12 terracotta colored tile with a "spanish" design on it.....perfect for spills! I am also a messy cook and clumsy to boot and it has been almost a year and it looks awesome!

[razz]

Just a thought. Don't place any value on warranties according to some floor making company reps. First, you complain to the installer, takes time, next the finisher, takes time, next the flooring manufacturer, takes time, next the veneer company, takes time, next the fine lumber company, takes time, etc. All this takes money as we well.
When I replace my kitchen floor, it will be a good quality vinyl that can be mopped with ease and has any number of wonderful effects in colour and pattern. If I drop any glass or similar, it usually bounces without breaking and does not sprinkle glass bits all over the place.

[rosarugosa]

When we remodel our kitchen (which is long-overdue for it), we plan to do prefinished hardwood, which we have in every other room but our bathroom. I also plan to get one of those nice cushioned vinyl gel mats for in front of the sink/stove area. I think it will be good for DH's bad back, and should also be a more easily cleanable surface in the area most prone to get splashed and splattered.

[Mrs-M]

Be-it as old-fashioned and unpopular as it is, I swear by good-ol' vinyl flooring! Simple smooth pattern, easy wipe/clean.

[IshbelRobertson]

We've got large slate tiles. I love them!

[Miss Cellane]

I'd do hardwood everywhere except the kitchen. For the kitchen, I'd do vinyl or linoleum or cork. For the kitchen, I'd go for function first, then form.

You need something that will stand up to water and spills and if accident should strike, a leaking dishwasher or kitchen sink. You want something that is comfortable to stand on and that won't make your knees hurt after a long session of cooking and baking. You want something that will give a dropped glass or jar or plate a fighting chance at surviving the fall. And you want something that can survive a dropped can or heavy pot. Friends of mine installed a beautiful terra cotta tile floor in their kitchen. One month later, someone dropped a can of soup and cracked a tile right in the middle of the floor.

[IshbelRobertson]

We bought the slate on one of our visits to Cornwall. Went to the quarry. Chose the tiles and then had them transported to our house.
I love slate. I have replaced a couple of the hearths in rooms with polished slate plinths. Love it! It is forgiving. Spills of oil and water are soon removed and the surface is very forgiving.

We had old, terracotta tiles which were the original in our kitchen. The slight orange tinge was not my favourite and when we had the Aga removed and the kitchen remodelled, slate was my first choice.