Laminate Flooring in the Kitchen???

I have laminate I my kitchen/hall. Love it. It will only warp if you spill water and leave it. It cleans up well and looks nice. No regrets and it has been 8 years.

we are renting and my kitchen has tile and the rest of the house has laminate. I hate tile more than anything! It never looks clean. I can't clean the grout and I just think it's awful. No matter how hard I try, it is just so hard to clean it. We just bought a new construction house and will be going to the design center soon and the new house will have the living, dining, kitchen and family room with hard wood. No more tile!!!

We have laminate in every room except the kitchen and bathrooms. I wouldn't put it in those rooms. You can't even use a traditional mop on laminate. It can not withstand a lot of water and can warp.
I understand that your husband would like to maintain continuity. I'd pick another, more durable and appropriate material.

I would not use laminate in my house or purchase a house with laminate.

We had a laminate kitchen about 22 yrs ago and it was gross. We tore it out within 2 month of purchasing that house and replaced it with a nice tile.

In the first house we build we had tile and carpet.

Right now in this house we built 14 yrs ago.......We have ceramic 12 x 12 tile in in our kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. 16 x 16 travertine tile in foyer area throughout hallways. Hand scraped, hand nailed down wood in formal areas. Carpeted bedrooms and I hate carpet.

My husband thinks all laminate looks cheap, so he won't put it anywhere. I'm less picky, and it's probably easier to take care of than tile or wood. We have wood right now, in our old house we had slate. But we did have it professionally installed in a bathroom (it had carpet when we bought the house. Carpet - wall to wall - in the bathroom. Gross!) and not once did the installer advise us against it. Only after doing it did we find out you shouldn't use it in wet environments.

I wouldn't use laminate in a kitchen or bathroom. It doesn't hold up well if there is water spilling on it or in high traffic areas. It is a less expensive choice to hardwood but people can easily tell the difference by the look and sound (when walking).

I would stick to tile in the kitchen and laminate in the tv room.

I agree, it would look better. You could always buy some extra laminate of the same lot you're using in the rest of the house, do the kitchen and keep extra in the event some got ruined. Then you'd have some that matched without scrambling to find a color that matched what you have.

Laminate is something that is okay. It's not "high class" but it looks nice, really, it does.

In a kitchen or bathroom it's not going to work well. If you get a leaky pipe the floor has to be replaced too. If you drop an egg it goes inside the cracks and you can't get it out so it's ruined and those pieces have to be replaced. You can't just wipe up liquid spills, they go between the boards and soak in.

Do tile in the kitchen and TV room. It would be continuous and look so much more elegant.

I was recently in a house that a friend bought for several hundred thousand dollars. It's not an old house either.

When we went in to help my friend change some stuff we counted and there were 7 different types of flooring in that house.

1. The entry way had marble tiles laid into the concrete slab of the house. They were rough and dull and ugly. The home owners who built the house had the entryway put in permanently. There was no way to remove it without a jackhammer. There would also be damage to the slab and probably the walls. We tried several treatments and nothing worked to bring any sort of niceness to that floor area.

2. The carpets in the house were all one color but they were a light coffee color so they changed them out. Professionally done and they looked nice.

3. The kitchen had linoleum/tile squares. The kind you get in a square box and peel and stick. They had to stay for a while since they were in excellent condition. She eventually had them and all other non-carpet surfaces redone in the same flooring.

4. The den had fake brick square linoleum tiles. Dark red bricks, 2 horizontal and 2 vertical in each square. It was so much fun to use that tool that's like a spatula on the end. I spent hours scraping those crappy things off the slab.

5. Her bathroom had pink, yes...I did say pink, 18" tiles. The bathtub and shower also had pink tiles around them. Pretty pink too. A pearly light pink that could have been a wonderful accent color. It all went bye bye along with the pink double sink vanity and the pink sinks and the pink painted walls and the pink toilet and tub. I am seriously saying pink.

A pretty pink though, but still....pink.

6. The other bathroom had a generic linoleum in it. It was neutral city. Gone gone gone.

7. The laundry room and water closet/guest bathroom was all another color of linoleum.

Having a patchwork house is not pretty. I think that tile will last the life of your house. Laminate wood will last a couple of years and have to have major sections replaced.

If you plan to move in the next 10 years don't do laminate. Do tile.

If this was any other section of the house any flooring would be fine. But a room that's water based can't have laminate.

I guess I am the only one who likes good old vinyl. Low maintenance, durable, warm, soft and so many choices of patterns and styles. My vinyl in the entryway, bathrooms, and kitchen is a beautiful, natural looking fieldstone pattern. Often guests have to get down and touch it to know that it isn't real stone. I have real hardwood on the main floor of the house and laminate in the basement.

I don't do laminate. I had it in apartments and it's cheap and doesn't really wear well. I like real wood and grade 4 tile. Yes, the grout gets dirty, but if you stay dark, you don't notice it. Love our tile in the kitchen. It's textured and makes me feel like in I'm Paris. It's indestructible too, so no worries about water, things falling on it, scratches, etc. Laminate wears out, and you are right, water ruins it. I had thought I wanted wood in the kitchen, but my moms has horrible scratches and it isn't that old-it cost a lot too! I think tile is the way to go in a kitchen. It's the most durable stuff out there, and like I said, if you go dark, the grout looks fine.

Not sure of how it wears, but I've heard good things about using cork in the kitchen. Apparently it is renewable, not terribly expensive, easy on the feet and joint, and easy on the eyes.

Best,
F. B.

We've had laminate in our kitchen for probably 10 years now, and it's like new. Dogs, grandkids--not a problem. The only thing I'd do differently is choose a color that's a little darker (we chose a very light wood), because it shows every spot. On the other hand, a swish with some warm water or Bona and it's clean in no time. We used to have that dimple linoleum ("no wax"--brother!), and the only way to get that stuff clean was with a scrub brush and lots of elbow grease.
I wouldn't want tile in my kitchen. It's hard on the back, and dishes break much more easily if/when you drop them.
A final note--be sure to have it installed by someone who knows what they are doing. A couple of years ago, they installed laminate in the gym I attend, and it buckled within a couple of weeks because whoever put it in didn't know enough to use spacers!

I have an open floor plan and have laminate throughout the kitchen, dining and living room. We installed it maybe 7 years ago and it still looks great. I try to not let water sit on top of it, but the dishwasher has leaked and still no problems. This is the laminate we installed and I do think quality makes a difference in the wear-ability of it: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Brazilian-Merbau-Lam...

I had laminate in my kitchen in our previous house and LOVED it (we had carpet in all the other rooms). It was great with the traffic from kids, dogs, cats.. you get the idea! It is NOT a catastrophe to spill water on it; spills clean up easily (and won't get in between the seams unless it was installed improperly). If you have a "flood", ie the dishwasher leaks or a pipe bursts and water stands on the flooring for a lengthy time, yes, it will warp and damage-- so will hardwood. As in any product -- you get what you pay for! Get a cheap laminate and it won't hold up very long; however, there are good-quality laminates that should last many, many years. Laminates also come in a variety if patterns these days, you can get a laminate that looks like tile.
In the house I own now, I have tile, everywhere but the bedroom, and I LOVE it. I'm now an empty-nester, but still have cats and dogs. Tile is much cooler on the feet, but I'm in Vegas and it's great most of the year. If you are in a colder climate, the cooler temp of the tile could be an issue (or pay the extra to put the heated floor in).
Basically there are pros and cons with every kind of flooring; discuss the issues with the "experts" you are buying from, develop a budget, decide what you like, and go with what is most appropriate for you and your family. Enjoy whatever you choose.

I have laminate in my kitchen and I like it. I think tile would be too cold. I've had mine for 10 years now and it still looks great. I can't think of anything else I would want in the kitchen.

I wouldn't want laminate anywhere around water.

Go with tile in both rooms. There are numerous choices in all manner of shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and finishes (there are some that even look like wood planks). In one of our upstairs baths, we just recently installed beautiful 12" x 24" glazed porcelain tiles that have a grey stone finish, so I'm very familiar with all of the various options after researching for months.

Don't let anyone talk you into marble. We have 24'' x 24'' marble in our kitchen (also in entryway, family room, powder room, laundry room). It's beautiful, but it's a pain. It can stain if you don't notice splashes right away, and certain acidic things like orange juice or vinegar can eat away the seal and etch it. It has to be professionally polished and sealed. It is also very slippery when wet or even when dry in stocking feet. We have had a few slipping episodes, so it's not particularly safe for small children or elderly family members.

We have hardwood in the formal living room and dining room, and I can tell you, hardwood can still warp if it gets wet. How do I know this??? We had a huge flood last December. My husband's toilet (upstairs) had a leak. It went from his toilet room into his closet, and then down through the walls. Came home one night to water pouring onto my hardwood floors in the living room and dining room. The entire floor in both rooms had to be ripped out and replaced. We still replaced with hardwoods, because normally, these rooms do not have any water episodes, and we've fixed the plumbing problem. But just know if you are going to put hardwood (or laminate) in a kitchen, there is always a chance of some kind of leak from dishwashers, sinks, refrigerator lines, R/O systems etc. that may go undetected until the damage is done.

There are so many gorgeous tiles available now that you can get any look you want in a tile. Go to a few flooring showrooms and look at the options. Ask the salespeople about care and cleaning. If you do this, it will really help with your decision.

Good luck and have fun with your search!

ETA: After reading the other responses, regarding the grout lines, there are numerous options for laying the tiles, particularly porcelain tiles, where joints can be set to minimize the width of grout lines. There are also epoxy-based color sealants that permanently fix the color of the grout. Any professional installer can describe these methods to you.

J. F.

My soster lives abroad where most people have laminate or hardwood in the kitchen. And now a days laminate has wonderful choices and is far more durable. My friends in new million dollar model homes have laminate throughout that looks like wood and is modern which looks great. No problems unless flooding or a major leak for days. Love the flow and look between the rooms. I have never had any issues with laminate or hardwood in my kitchens. Good luck with whatever you do.