Nearly everyone loves the appearance of wooden floors, but some people have concerns about mixing wood and water. As kitchens are primarily about cooking and eating, water is an essential element that doesn’t always get along brilliantly with wood. However some types of wooden floors are better suited for kitchens than others.

Two Main Types

Flooring is an important part of the overall look of your kitchen, particularly if you spend time and money refurbishing it. The floor needs to look just right, and be practical too. There are two main varieties of quality timber floors: solid wood and engineered wood flooring. Solid wood is simply planks of timber, while engineered wood is constructed of many layers of plywood that are bonded extremely strongly to create a very durable, stable and tough core material, with a layer on the top of solid wood.

Natural Response to Moisture

Wood is a natural substance that is affected by water. It can contract and expand as temperatures and levels of moisture rise and fall. Kitchens heat up, there is steam, and water may be sprayed around when washing food or crockery. For this reason, solid wood is not always the best choice for the kitchen floor, while an engineered wood floor is less reactive in these conditions and does not contract and expand in the same way. For more details about the many styles of wood floors, take a look at this report from The Guardian.

If you’re looking for options in engineered wood flooring for your kitchen, it’s a good idea to consult experts in the field such as http://www.woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk/engineered-wood-flooring.html who can give you advice.

Even with an engineered wood floor, you still need to take care of it. If water or liquids are spilled, then it is recommended to mop up the mess as soon as possible. Before installing your new floor, it is also a good idea to have your plumbing checked and repair any possible sources of leaking. If you have a washing machine or a dishwasher in your kitchen, have them checked to make sure they are water tight. Another advantage of engineered flooring is that it is quite easy to plan the floor to accommodate the plumbing and allow points to inspect pipes and fittings that are easy to access.