<p>Certainly if you put an UNFINISHED wood floor in any room, you will have stain worries. If you use an oil finish, you will have stain worries. However, if you use a clear polyurethane finish…more than one coat…the floor will not absorb stains. At least OURS hasn’t…and we’ve spilled things like spaghetti sauce and balsamic vinegar on ours. Sometimes not mopped up immediately.</p>
<p>We got hardwood floors for our main living areas (kitchen, dining room, and TV room) in 2008. They are maple and still look wonderful - we get lots of compliments. That’s with three teenagers and a big collie! I’m so happy we invested the money to do it. Our old vinyl flooring looked horrid.</p>
<p>^I love the look of maple floors.</p>
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I don’t consider this an advertisement for wood floors in a kitchen! I’ve had wood floors in my entire house for 12 years and haven’t refinished them ever. I like stone or tile in kitchen, though I am rather tempted by cork - but it’s the refinishing issue that I don’t like. I like tile or stone in bathrooms, and don’t understand the current fad for wood.</p>
<p>LOVE the oak floors in my kitchen. 15 years, had them ‘screened’ once. Much prefer wood to tile because it’s so unforgiving–back troubles abound at my house. Tile is also very cold…Some of it depends upon location.</p>
<p>Our oak floors were put in in 1994. They will be refinished this summer for the first time. </p>
<p>We DOmhave a rug in front of the sink but we had that in our tile kitchen too. I will add…people leave their crummy, dirty shoes in the mushroom at this house. Still…I say…it is all in the finish. A good finish will last many years on wood floors even in a kitchen.</p>
<p>Tile floors are very durable IF installed properly. Installing tile over wood can be an issue because wood flexes … and tiles don’t. </p>
<p>The secret to preventing ucky grout is to seal the grout with three coats of sealer.</p>