Tile or laminate?

[cindi]

We are in the middle of a home remodeling project (way over due). Just got our granite kitcehen countertops in and that just shows how bad the rest looks.

Our main floor is completely open with the living, dining and kitchen all visable from all areas. The kitchen is kind of a U shape with a big seating peninsula that is the barrier to seperate the living areas.

My dillema is that since it is open I would love to carry laminate flooring throughout, but I am concerned about water damage having it in the kitchen. Not just from spills but from the dog. He is one messy water drinker! His food and water bowls are in the kitchen and he has even slopped enough water on the lower kitchen cabinet to lighten the finish on the bottom. Would it be cruel to make him get his water out of the toilet?

Tile holds up well in that situation, but I have read it is hard to stand on and also cold. Plus I had tile on our counters before and the grout got really, really disgusting! I don't want that same ugly grout problem with tile floors. Can you lay the tile so close together you don't need much, if any grout? Is it really that hard to stand on? And is it too slippery?

Anyone else dealt with this kind of choice?

I am open to any and all suggestions and comments. The main factor is that it has to hold up to a sloppy big bulldog.

 

[Htoo0]

They have a new tile which mimics wood. It has very thin grout lines. Wheeled chairs and things move on it just fine. It's a bit more costly. I would expect about $10 per square foot installed. Google interceramic for one brand or just wood style tile. (I think laminate is similar to tile as far as feeling cold.)

 

[hvacrsteve]

We are in the middle of a home remodeling project (way over due). Just got our granite kitcehen countertops in and that just shows how bad the rest looks.

Our main floor is completely open with the living, dining and kitchen all visable from all areas. The kitchen is kind of a U shape with a big seating peninsula that is the barrier to seperate the living areas.

My dillema is that since it is open I would love to carry laminate flooring throughout, but I am concerned about water damage having it in the kitchen. Not just from spills but from the dog. He is one messy water drinker! His food and water bowls are in the kitchen and he has even slopped enough water on the lower kitchen cabinet to lighten the finish on the bottom. Would it be cruel to make him get his water out of the toilet?

Tile holds up well in that situation, but I have read it is hard to stand on and also cold. Plus I had tile on our counters before and the grout got really, really disgusting! I don't want that same ugly grout problem with tile floors. Can you lay the tile so close together you don't need much, if any grout? Is it really that hard to stand on? And is it too slippery?

Anyone else dealt with this kind of choice?

I am open to any and all suggestions and comments. The main factor is that it has to hold up to a sloppy big bulldog.

I am not a laminate fan, I have seen where after just a few years is separating and looks terrible. It is not for heavy duty use.
We used 18 x 18 Italian Porcelian in our Kitchen, basement, and all baths.
We have radiant heat under all of it.
You can heat just a section where you actually stand.
It holds up well, especially if you have dogs.
There are many new grouts available that hold up well, but by using larger tile
there is less grout required.
You can use rectified tile, no grout required, but you still have a little space, plus the installer must be experience with using rectified tile in a rectified installation.
Anyway, I love our floors and wouldn't change anything.
You can also place a mat where you stand to cushion your feet.

 

[Passepartout]

We have hardwood in the kitchen. I put a placemat under the dog's dishes. It might take a baking sheet with low sides if she were real messy. The dog's dishes are on a framework that raises them above the floor to dog-height. Our mutt isn't smart enough to drink from the toilet or that's what she'd be doing.

I'm not a big fan of either laminate or tile, though given the choice, I'll take large tile. Annual sealing of the groutlines will keep them from getting funky.

There are gel-filled rubber runners in a myriad of colors to put in kitchen areas where standing is a pain-in-the-feet.

Jim Ricks

 

[vacationdoc]

I second the grout sealer. It is very easy to apply and yuckky grout lines will not happen.

 

[SherryS]

Do the grout sealer every year. It works!

 

[ScoopKona]

Use epoxy-based grout instead, and never have to worry about sealing.

Expensive? Yes, but worth it.

 

[easyrider]

I am not a laminate fan, I have seen where after just a few years is separating and looks terrible. It is not for heavy duty use.
We used 18 x 18 Italian Porcelian in our Kitchen, basement, and all baths.
We have radiant heat under all of it.
You can heat just a section where you actually stand.
It holds up well, especially if you have dogs.
There are many new grouts available that hold up well, but by using larger tile
there is less grout required.
You can use rectified tile, no grout required, but you still have a little space, plus the installer must be experience with using rectified tile in a rectified installation.
Anyway, I love our floors and wouldn't change anything.
You can also place a mat where you stand to cushion your feet.

Yes indeed, lamanate flooring, even expensive brand names, look good at first but not as good later. The paterns are to manufactured because it is. The seams have problem with swelling in wet areas.

Ceramic tile looks nice and regular grout lasts a long time. Epoxy grout doesn't require sealing but has a higher material and installation cost and is overkill in most installation. Epoxy grout is good for small areas like a countertop.

Hard wood looks nice too.

 

[mo1950]

We remodeled our kitchen in June, 2008 and had laminate installed. It is beautiful and we have had many compliments on it. But DH and I regret having it. Some of the seams have swollen in front of our refrigerator due to grandkids spilling water and ice from the automatic dispensers.

It was recommended to us by our local flooring company because we have dogs, and the dogs' nails will not scratch the laminate. That has proven to be true. However, every single dog print shows up. And if one of the dogs happens to find a crumb under the kitchen table and licks it, a spot remains.

In short, I have to use the special mop and spray cleaner on the kitchen and dining area every day, and the spots reappear almost as fast as I can clean them up.

About once a week, I spend about 3 hours on my hands and knees wiping the floor spot free. This has turned out to be a very labor intensive.

Beautiful? Yes. Many of our friends and family think the floor is gorgeous. It is a brand new line from Armstrong that is hard to tell from real wood. Practical for us? No.

We ordered enough of the laminate to install in our large living area and hallway, but decided to take the hit on the restocking fee and return the rest of it.

My choice if I had it to do over? A very nice linoleium type floor that looks like tile. I saw that type of floor installed in several new houses in Arizona, including my daughter's, and it was hard to believe it was not actual tile.

 

[ScoopKona]

In short, I have to use the special mop and spray cleaner on the kitchen and dining area every day, and the spots reappear almost as fast as I can clean them up.

My mother in law's marble is the same way. Looks great, but a royal pain to get the water spots off...

We brought a spray bottle filled with tap water to the tile store. After we paired it down to three or four choices, we sprayed water on each, making sure there were plenty of little droplets.

Then we went out to eat, and returned when the tile was dry. One looked great, the others had unsightly spots.

 

[sushitex]

Three summers ago, we were facing the same dilemma: we needed to replace our old vinyl flooring and couldn't decide to go with ceramic tile or a nice laminate (that looked like tile!) Ultimately, we hired a private contractor who told us, since we had two small dogs (cairn terrier and a dachshund/lab mix) that we would be far more happy with tile floors. He had a deal going with one of the local tile stores; we chose the tile but we got it at a contractor's rate (something like that, it may have been a builder's rate.)

Anyway, it took several days and lots of dust removal, but in the end, I am so glad that we got our tile floors. Not only are they permanent, they still look good and there is no chance of the vinyl or linoleum coming up where it meets the wall or the doors, like our vinyl did. Also, our 16-year-old Cairn Terrier often forgot about being housebroken before she died, and it was much easier to mop than to have to try to clean up a wet carpet spot. That's all I do - sweep or vacuum, then mop the floor with something like Pine-sol or Mr. Clean. I don't worry too much about the grout (we do have big tiles), but I have some heavy-duty cleaner that I've used before to scrub the grout until it looks like new again.

On the other hand, my daughter and her husband just put in Pergo (?) floors that look like light brown wood slats - very pretty and durable. They have two dogs (one is a large puppy) and so far, so good.

Finally, if our house is ever flooded due to heavy rains (from a hurricane or just regular storms), I have a feeling that the tile floors would fare better than the three bedrooms that still have carpeting. Just a guess, but within the first year that we lived here, the second bathroom's toilet overflowed because of heavy rains and went straight into one of the carpeted bedrooms. It never did smell good again in that room until we finally got the tile floor in there.

Hope this helps!

 

[Linda74]

Definitely tile....I have tile in my kitchen and bathrooms....but real hardwood throughout the house....have a new dog....and was thinking I wish the whole house was tiled....so easy to care for....never has felt too hard on my feet....

 

[cindi]

Wow. Seems like tile is definitely the front runner!

I posted the question and then went to one of our local Floor to Ceiling stores. The sales guy told me if I bought Wilsonite ??, which I think is the most expensive laminate (big surprise there) that the water problem would be considerably less and only a problem around the edges. I am getting the picture from you all that this is not true.

Damn! Now I am back to thinking tile in the kitchen and I was almost settled on a particular laminate.

Problem is that it is all one open space on that level. Would it look stupid to put tile in the kitchen and then go with laminate over the dining area and living area and up the stairs and hallway?

I absolutely love the look of hardwood but I am pretty sure our 85lb English bull dog would destroy that easily. I want to get away from carpet for obvious reasons. And in ND tile all over the house isn't the way to go. I do love the look in Florida though.

I am glad to hear there are grout products that are much more durable and resist the staining. I don't even care if it costs that much more if it works. I gotta tell you, that grout on the kitchen counters was REALLY gross. And I tried everything to get it clean, even scraping it out and regrouting. Never want that kind of problem again.

I will have to check into the rectified tile and also the interceramic tile.

 

[Htoo0]

I believe there are waterproof glues available with which laminate can be assembled. I've heard this can seal the surface as water damage from spills as it's the moisture getting into the joints that causes damage. (Doesn't help if water comes from underneath or at the edges though.) You could ask your flooring guy to confirm this as I haven't done it.

 

[cindi]

Maybe that is what he was trying to tell me when he said I only had to worry about the outside edges with water getting under those. But I thought he said the one I was looking at was so tight it didn't get under the planks themselves. I guess I need to ask him more specifically. Gotta go back on Monday to return the samples anyway.

 

[jberndt10]

I couldn't wait for laminate and now I would never do it again because of dog and kids.

 

[mamiecarter]

Drop something on tile and it breaks

I agree tile is more durable but I hate the way things shatter, like anything glass when dropped on tile. Anyone tried wood?

 

[Passepartout]

Anyone tried wood?

See my post, #4..... Jim

 

[JudyH]

I put this product down 30 years ago in the kitchen and eating area.

http://products.construction.com/Manufacturer/Metropolitan-Ceramics-by-Ironrock--NST1133/overview

The only problem I ever had with it was that it was a matte finish ( which I didn't know at the time of purchase cause the advertised piece was finished), and I have had trouble keeping a polish on it. However, due to dogs and kids, I haven't tried to polish it again in 20 years, waiting now for the dog to pass on. I know there are better polishes on the market now from what we used.

Even so, I never regretted putting it down. You learn not to drop stuff :rofl:

It doesn't hurt to stand on it. The grout is dark and sealed, no problem with it.

I wish I had done my family room with it, which is now another nightmare. The cement floor of the family room was probably never moisture sealed 30 years ago. The Bruce hardwood flooring we glued down (on the advice of Bruce) is now a mess. What a pain that will be to get it all up, and I still don't know what to put down next. It needs a moisture sealer, and I thought laminate, now really don't know. Maybe just finish the concrete with a fancy finish and put down nice area rugs. No more dogs I hope, but always cats. Course there's grandkids and granddogs.

 

[cindi]

So it is probably going to be tile in the kitchen. I like the idea of some kind of gel pad to stand on. But then again I don't cook much anyway.

Another big switch for us is we may be going with hardwood flooring instead of laminate in the remaining rooms. I sure hope that isn't a mistake as well, but the look of hardwood is just so beautiful.

I woke up at 4am and was up cleaning out cupboards this morning, because all I could think of was all the choices. Trying to select tile for the backsplash, kitchen cabinets (refacing only) tile for kitchen and flooring for the rest.

And I feel like I am going in circles, since everything ties in with each other and I don't know where to start.

 

[thheath]

Tile for sure; granite and laminate floor can't be used in the same sentance in my opinion.

 

[Rose Pink]

And I feel like I am going in circles, since everything ties in with each other and I don't know where to start.

I know that feeling! We've been in an on-going remodeling project for 17 years. The last year and a half were a mess with tear out and reconstruction and putting in new hardwood floors to match the existing 55 year old ones. The dust is cleaned up now but the rooms are not put back together because the fireplace wall still needs to be finished. Now, DH does not want to put the venetian plaster on the walls until we remodel the kitchen so he can do it all at one time. However, the kitchen remodel is at least two years away (we refuse to borrow any more money) and I don't want to live this way. I can't invite anyone over because I have no place for them to sit--just four kitchen chairs around our little table.

We are going to eventually continue the hardwood into the kitchen. Part of it already has hardwood albeit in very bad shape. We will tear that out and redo it all. If you go with a light finish, scratches don't show as much. Dark finishes, although beautifully dramatic, show more dust, lint and scratching. Our floor is not floating. It is nailed. DH did most of the work and I helped. We started with unfinished wood, laid it, sanded it and sealed it. It was a lot of work and a huge dusty mess but it is gorgeous and it is difficult to see where the old stuff ends and the new begins.

I went around and around in my head trying to decide wood or tile or wood or tile or wood or tile. Each has its own pros and cons. In the end, I decided I wanted a seamless flow from room to room and not a patchwork of floors.

Finishes are better than they used to be and we don't have the kids at home and no more pets. However, we are trying to get my FIL to move in with us and he commented that it would be a good house for him to get an electric scooter. I can just seem him now making the loop around the entry, hall, kitchen, dining room, living room and back to the entry. Oh well, at least he'd be entertained for awhile.

 

[Rose Pink]

....The cement floor of the family room was probably never moisture sealed 30 years ago. The Bruce hardwood flooring we glued down (on the advice of Bruce) is now a mess. What a pain that will be to get it all up, and I still don't know what to put down next. It needs a moisture sealer, and I thought laminate, now really don't know. Maybe just finish the concrete with a fancy finish and put down nice area rugs. No more dogs I hope, but always cats. Course there's grandkids and granddogs.

I have seen some gorgeous stained concrete floors that rival real stone in looks. If it were me, I'd hire a professional to stain the concrete floor to resemble stone--maybe a warm sandstone. It won't be cheap.

Alternatively, you can just roll an opaque stain on it or even paint in squares or floor mats. I've seen that done in magazines but I don't know if I'd want that in a large living area.

The hardest part is going to get the concrete smooth and free of glue. You may need to sand it. Concrete dust is horrid so take precautions to seal off the adjoining rooms and the vents as well. Keep that stuff out of your furnace. If you are going to go with a stained look, it will need to be etched anyway so the sanding would be a good thing.

 

[Kal]

We laid traditional 3/4" T&G white oak hardwood throughout the kitchen many years ago. It had an extremely durable swedish finish. Over time it became dimpled and scratched with high heels and dog toenails. Then we had a floor contractor sand it down and refinish the surface with a 3-coat swedish product. Last time the cost was about $500 for the kitchen and hallway. He did a fantastic job with dust control although we had to vacate the house overnight due to the toxic polyurethane vapors. As I recall the time between refinishings runs about 6-7 years (maybe longer). It looks fantastic and is very comfortable on the feet.

 

[PigsDad]

I prefer hardwood over tile for a kitchen. Hardwood floors are much warmer to the feet, and in Bismarck, that would be a big factor for me. They are also easier on the body for standing a long time. Other advantages include not having to deal with grout (cleaning, sealing, etc.) and items don't break so easily when dropped on wood.

Just more food for thought.

Kurt