Flooring Dilemma

12 years ago

Long time lurker on kitchen, bath, & home decorating forums. Cross posting this message in Home Decorating forum.

I need to make a decision about flooring NOW. Our house is a 1934 Spanish Revival. Hardwood floors were original to the house, but when we had them refinished about 15 years ago, we were told that they couldn't be redone again as the wood is too thin. Since that time we have gotten a yellow lab who has scratched the finish on the hardwood, but it is still in relatively good shape.Currently we have hardwood in the living room, dining room and hall, carpet in the family room, bedrooms, and office, and sheet vinyl in the kitchen and breakfast room.

We just had a flood in the closet of the family room and had to tear out the pad and carpeting,& expose the hardwood flooring...a fan is drying it out as I write this. This is the situation that is causing me to need to act soon.

I don't want to install new hardwood flooring throughout the house due to the cost and,in large part, because of the dog. The sheet vinyl has got to go (it is old and it looks awful); so does the carpet in the family room. I'm looking for a flooring solution for the three rooms that flow together: breakfast room & kitchen (open to each other by an archway), and family room (open to kitchen by a doorway).

I like the idea of vinyl planking, but the problem is that each of these rooms are connected to rooms with hardwood by openings with no doors, so that is probably out. I've avoided tile in the kitchen because it's not comfortable to stand on for long periods of time and I'm concerned about things breaking when I drop them...not to mention broken and chipped tile; I'm really not into tile flooring in the family room.

Really not sure what to do but have to make a good decision quickly. This is more than likely our forever home...we are just getting ready to retire so resale might not be as big a problem as it would be otherwise. Am I stuck with vinyl flooring of some kind in kitchen/breakfast room area and carpet in family room? What would you do?

Comments (3)

floorman67
12 years ago
I would install stone/ceramic tile and use throw/area/strip rugs/carpet for comfort in work areas you stand in for any period of time.

As for breaking something dropped on the tile ... do you want to break a $.50 glass or damage a $3000 floor?

My wife has dropped a 16" cast iron skillet on our tile floor and it didnt chip or break it, and even if it did break it, tile systems are modular, meaning each tile can be easily replaced if one does crack.

Alternately, you can go with a real linoleum flooring. Much better looking than vinyl in my opinion, a natural product, and easier on the feet, ankles, and calves than hard tile, but not as easy on the feet, ancles, and claves as a nice thick piece of carpet over that tile.

Just some food for thought.
floorman67
12 years ago
Other choices some like is a modular commercial carpet tile or rubber flooring. Both are quite expensive but give adequate protection against spills, liquids, and dropped items being broke or damaging the floor, and add a comfort level not found in hard tile.
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EABdesign
12 years ago
I'm certainly an advocate of modular commercial carpet, like what floorman67 said in his last post, but for a 1934 spanish home, I think something more traditional is appropriate. Don't be too concerned about the transitions through the doorways, just make sure the adjacent flooring don't look too similar, otherwise it'll seem like you tried to match it. Instead, let the contrast in materials help define the spaces.