Hardwood Floors in the Kitchen: Solid vs. Engineered, Species and Finishes

Wood is the kitchen floor people choose with their eyes and then worry about. The worry is reasonable: wood dents, scratches and reacts to water. It is also the only kitchen floor that can be sanded back to new, and in an open plan it is often the only choice that looks right. Getting it to last is a matter of four decisions: construction, species, finish and moisture control. If you are still deciding between wood and other materials, read hardwood versus LVP versus tile first.

Solid versus engineered

The where-it-can-go row follows the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) installation guidelines. The practical upshot: over a crawl space with a plywood subfloor, either works. Over a slab, or with wide planks, engineered is usually the right call. Judge engineered products by the thickness of the top layer, which is what you walk on and what can be sanded, and by what the core is made of.

Species and hardness

Hardness is measured by the Janka side hardness test. These figures are from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's Wood Handbook, for wood at 12 percent moisture content.

Two cautions on reading the table. First, Janka predicts dents, not scratches. Scratches happen in the finish, and every species scratches. Second, grain hides damage. A strongly figured oak conceals dents and wear that would stand out on smooth maple, which is one reason oak remains the common choice for kitchens.

Cut: plainsawn, quartersawn and rift

How a board is cut from the log changes its look and its stability. Plainsawn boards show the familiar arched "cathedral" grain. Quartersawn and rift-sawn boards show straight, tight grain, and quartersawn oak adds flecks of ray figure. The NWFA notes that quartersawn flooring is more dimensionally stable in width than plainsawn. In a kitchen, where humidity swings most, that stability is worth paying for if you want wider boards. It sits in a higher cost tier because the cut yields less flooring from each log.

Site-finished versus prefinished

For a kitchen, the sealed surface of a site-finished floor is a real advantage, because spills sit on top of a continuous film instead of finding a joint. Prefinished flooring wins on schedule and on finish toughness.

Sheen and color: hiding wear

A kitchen floor gets more grit and more traffic in one path than any other room. Three choices decide how soon that shows:

• Sheen. Matte and satin finishes scatter light and hide scratches and footprints. Semi-gloss and gloss show every one.
• Color. Mid-tones and natural wood hide dust, crumbs and scratches. Very dark floors show dust and pale scratches; very light floors show dark debris.
• Texture. Wire-brushed or lightly distressed surfaces disguise new wear. A flat, flawless surface advertises it.

Finish type matters as well. Film finishes such as waterborne and oil-modified polyurethane sit on the surface and protect well, and are recoated as a whole floor. Penetrating oil and hardwax oil finishes soak in, look more natural and can be spot repaired, and need more regular care. Color and undertone, including whether floors should match wood cabinets, are covered in kitchen floor colors and mixing wood tones.

Matching and lacing into existing floors

When the kitchen opens to rooms with existing hardwood, the cleanest result is to extend the same floor. A flooring contractor identifies the species, grade, width and thickness, then "laces" or weaves new boards into the old by removing staggered boards at the join so there is no straight seam. The whole connected area is then sanded and finished together, because new finish beside old never matches.

The NWFA advises that an existing wood floor and new wood flooring should be within 2 percent moisture content of each other for plank flooring 3 inches and wider, and within 4 percent for narrower strip flooring. That check, made with a moisture meter, is what keeps the patch from gapping or cupping later.

Humidity and wood movement

Wood takes on moisture from humid air and swells, then gives it up in dry air and shrinks. The NWFA's general rule for solid wood flooring, which it notes has geographic exceptions, is an indoor relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent and a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, held year-round. Factory-finished and engineered products follow their maker's stated range.

Water at the sink, dishwasher and refrigerator

Everyday spills do not ruin a finished wood floor. Unnoticed water does. Practical defenses:

• A leak sensor under the sink, behind the refrigerator and beside the dishwasher.
• A braided supply line and an accessible shutoff for the refrigerator and dishwasher, discussed in kitchen sinks, faucets and plumbing.
• A washable mat at the sink, lifted to dry so moisture is not trapped under it.
• Damp mopping only. No steam mops and no standing water.

What to check before you buy

• Species, grade and cut, seen in several boards and not a single sample.
• For engineered: top layer thickness, core material, and whether the maker allows refinishing.
• The maker's stated humidity range, and whether your house can hold it.
• Approved installation methods for your subfloor (plywood over crawl space, or slab).
• Whether the product is approved over radiant heat, if you plan it. See heated kitchen floors.
• Finish type and sheen, and how it is repaired and recoated.
• Who measures moisture in the flooring and the subfloor before installation, and where the readings are recorded.

Who should choose which

• Open plan with existing oak: solid oak, laced in and site-finished across the whole area.
• Slab foundation or wide planks: engineered wood with a thick top layer.
• Busy household, dogs, back door into the kitchen: white or red oak in a matte finish, mid-tone color, with some texture.
• A quiet kitchen where looks lead: walnut or cherry, accepting that it will mark.
• History of leaks, or you want to mop freely: a different material.

JDI Construction's published planning range for a hardwood flooring add-on is $5,000-$12,000 before sales tax, which is a planning range and not a quote. More reading is in our flooring articles, and to plan a floor as part of a kitchen project, see our Vancouver kitchen remodeling page.