<p>Speaking of flooring, does anyone have experience with Marmoleum? </p>
<p>Does anyone know what kitchen flooring wears best with sharp dog toenails (I can tell you fir floors are NOT the way to go)?</p>
<p>Oh you resourceful CC parents…we are just now undertaking the removal of a galley fifties kitchen in a pretty basic ranch house on a good lot with Blue Ridge parkway views.<br>
I am so confused, but I have made a word document of this chat. </p>
<p>However, may I pose this question today? Has anyone installed a new kitchen in a fifties ranch? If so, can you comment on what style you think would be appropriate re “look”…obviously Tuscan is not appropriate. I don’t live in California, so I can’t copy that style exactly either. We live in Virginia in a very traditional neighborhood of more colonial homes where buyers are unforgiving if faced with modern edgy kitchens. This part of VA is relentlessly old fashioned.
Buyers like traditional looks here, which I have to keep in mind…although we like a more modern look.
So I will be doing a more transitional kitchen, sleek but not too contemporary but something that goes with a mixed decor of modern art and some antiques around. I do have an architect…plans aren’t done though.<br>
Anyone here put in a kitchen in a one level home built in the fifties. LOVE to hear some rambles on that. Thanks folks.</p>
<p>^^^Faline, we were able to remove a wall and open the kitchen of our 1950s rancher up to a small family room. It made all the difference to have that open space, rather than small, chopped up rooms! We removed carpet in the FR, finding pristine hardwood flooring (another trend of that era–cover hardwood with carpet!), and linoleum in the K. Our floor guy was able to match the wood flooring and we’ve been really happy with it. He advised us not to go with the current trend of a high gloss wood, rather one with a more natural shine, but not really glossy. The current trand of high gloss flooring is finished in the factory and was too glossy for our needs. Our’s is the old fashioned (!) wood that was stained and varnished after it was installed. Think that’s one reason why he was able to match the wood so well–great to have a seamless floor from FR to K.</p>
<p>Didn’t think I’d like a wood floor in my K, but have found that I really enjoy it. It’s easy to clean and wears well, but does show some scratches over the years from our aging lab’s toenails. Maybe its just rationalization, but I’ve decided the scratches contribute nicely to the character and charm of the house. I don’t really mind the scratches maybe because I love the dog!~! Nice rugs in front of the kitchen sink and another in front of the cooktop break up the wood and offer a bit of cushion. I wanted to put a big rug in the middle room but, with my galley floor plan, it doesn’t really work.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Beil, I have a question about your kitchen wood floor. How long have you had it? If wood warps, how would that work if you have a flood from the dishwasher or something? If the floor gets a bit wet from time to time, how does this effect your floor? Do have some type of coating on it, for easy cleaning, or how do you clean your kitchen floor? Thanks.</p>
<p>Im thinking of getting bamboo for the kitchen/hall/bathroom.
I like linoleum for the kitchen, but I also like all the same flooring in our small house. We have fir floors and in the bedrooms they look nice, but bamboo is supposed to wear well and be easy to care for.</p>
<p>( I have no idea what is the original floor in the kitchen- there are layers of lino and subflooring- I like the fir, cause it is original and in good shape, but it was a lot of work in the bedrooms)</p>
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<p>thanks Beil…opening up our house could get tricky…plus we brilliantly waited till the boys were both heading for college. I also like wood kitchen floors. NEMom…we have wood parquet which will be removed. But it is a mess when your frig icemaker leaks as it does warp…otherwise…I really like my wood floors and don’t find it an issue…nice to stand on…we just vacuum and occasionally mop with some vinegar water damp mop.</p>
<p>I’ve had a wood floor in my kitchen for 10 years now - oak and finished on-site to match the rest of the first floor. I found that it’s necessary to have a runner in front of your sink/dishwasher area. Left exposed, the area in front of your dishwasher will become pitted and worn very quickly. I had to have the floor redone after just a few years because of this, but since then, a 6’ runner has protected the floor well. An occasional vacuum and damp mop keeps it looking good.</p>
<p>hmmm, Thanks. I wonder if bamboo flooring wears well in the kitchen. I put a floor into my kitchen which is a disaster. It is one of those floating floors. We had a leak in our kitchen, and it warped. This caused chipping of the surface in one area. It also does not clean well at all, but that is another story. We won’t replace it now, but I can’t wait to find some extra money to put in a new one. I am thinking about tile. I did not put tile in before because it cracks (ie: if you need to put in a new appliance, and are rolling the old and new heavy appliances on your tile floor it could crack), there might be grout issues, and it tile is a cold and hard material. Frankly, I like the old fashioned linoleum best. I don’t think that they sell it rolls too much any more. My problem with it is that our floor is uneven in one spot, so that will show with a roll out linoleum anyway.</p>
<p>My parents have re-done every room in our house and the only thing left is the kitchen floor. I’ve just been wondering how much it would cost if I got them a new floor for Christmas or something like that. Maybe that’s a silly idea. My grandfather has done that kind of stuff for a job his whole life so I know he’d be more than happy to help put it down. My parents did the bathroom by themselves a year or so ago. Of course it couldn’t be a suprise because they would have to pick out the flooring, so I’m sure they would help with putting it in too. My idea will probably wind up not going anywhere when I see the price tag on it, but it can’t hurt to ask. :)</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure we can’t do tile because my mom can’t go a day without dropping something in the kitchen. The tiles would be broken by the end of the month.</p>
<p>I have a wood floor in my kitchen. It is 11 years old and shows no wear in the kitchen even at the sink and dishwasher. My floor is solid oak and came prefinished from the factory with a slightly shiny finish. I would have liked a waxed wood floor but knew that would be a mistake. We were nervous about the wood floor but it has been hassle free. We are not meticulous and we have 3 kids who are not careful so it has been put to the test.
Where I have noticed wear is on the wood cabinets below the sink and the cabinet face doors that we put on the dishwasher.</p>
<p>Faline, my MIL that I mentioned earlier, remodeled a 60s rancher. They removed the top half of the wall between the kitchen and dining room, making a small pass through/eating bar. They only use it for eating when the whole family is in. They had to leave a vertical supporting “post” at the doorway between the 2 rooms. The contractor boxed ithe post in with a little molding and it looks fine. Not as open as if they had removed the whole wall, but definitely an improvement, and quite economical.
Her cabinets are very simple maple, without hardware. She has small grooves inthe door to open, and that looks sleek, but not overly “modern”. They are simple raised panel, which blends the traditional with the more modern “blond” wood and lack of hardware. Her floors are tile, which she loves, but I think wood or a very simple all over pattern linoleum/vinyl would actually blend better with the style of the house.
Split brick is very popular here, and is commonly used on floors in rancher remodels here. It fits the style very well, the only drawback is that is slightly uneven on the dining areas.</p>
<p>Oh, and the tile floor in my kitchen is the absolute best thing I did. I love it. It is a dark reddish-brown and hides all dirt.</p>
<p>I vote NO on bamboo flooring. We just bought a one-year-old beach house with bamboo floors in the living room and master bedroom. I hate them. They are hard to clean and have a sort of static cling thing going on that holds dust and dog hair. The guest bedroom has an oak parquet floor and it is so much nicer.</p>
<p>I have the same kind as mom60 also and it still looks really good after 10 years. I have an icemaker in refrigerator door and had to put a small rug under that because sometimes the cubes jump out and land on the floor, making little dents.</p>
<p>Another icemaker warning, when I was working out of town quite a bit, DH was in charge of cleaning and I guess no one noticed when the extra ice cubes would pop out and sit on the rug, melting. The next time I cleaned hte floor I actually moved the rigs :eek: and noticed gray water marks where ice had melted and filtered through the rug into the wood floor. Of course, it is always covered by a rug anyway so not a huge disaster, but annoying. We’ve also had a couple of houseplants drip over unnoticed and leave minor water damage. The critical thing is not so much that water never touch the floor, but rather that it is noticed and cleaned up ASAP.</p>
<p>I agree that doggie nails add character to the floors.</p>
<p>NEMom, My floor is oak with a poly finish. I do not notice that ice cubes ‘dent’ the floor, but suppose there are lots of variables associated with that potential problem. I clean it with plain water and a mop. Every couple of months, I add a splash of white vinegar to the bucket and then rinse. NOt sure what the vinegar does, but that’s what the gentlemen told me to do and I have been very obedient! I was cautioned not to use any soap product on it as that can cause a buildup. We put the floor in about 10 years ago and had it refinished last year. My floor ‘expert’ encouraged me to have it refinished before the finish was worn down to the bare wood. I probably had it done before it was necessary, but I didn’t want to take chances. As to warpage, I suppose if you water sat on the wood for extended periods, you’d have problems, but I am not obsessive about wiping up small drips, ice chips, etc. I especially like the fact that it wipes up so easily–snow boots, dog prints, spills, whatever. Pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect to like it so much.</p>
<p>Beil, and others with wooden floors thanks.</p>
<p>We put in a wood (oak) floor when we redid our kitchen a few years back. So far we’ve been pretty happy with it. I also liked the Pergo that was there before.</p>
<p>Our kitchen is THE main entry into our house. With 4 kids and esp. the 3 dogs, I thought we’d be too rough on a polyurethane finish, so decided on a product called Osmo Hardwax Oil, which can be found at “green” buildling and flooring supply places-- I think we ordered it from EHC out in Washington. It’s a finish that soaks into the wood rather than sealing the top of it. It’s been about five years now, and I’ve done almost nothing to maintain the floor. We do have a large braided rug for people to wipe their feet on when they come in from the outdoors. The only consistent area of wear seems to be here, made by the chair legs in front of the computer (surprise!)-- a problem since resolved by getting a chair with rollers. The oil finish is very easy to maintain and repair-- once or twice a year I just scrub the wax/oil onto the worn area with a 3M scrubber and it blends in just fine. I was even able to repair a large water stain when the dishwasher leaked. You’d never know it happened.</p>
<p>We used only the clear hardwax oil, which darkened the wood enough that it goes well with our cherry-colored cabinets. Using their stain underneath would obviously make maintenance more complicated.</p>
<p>If I had it to do over, I would probably choose it again. My husband might say otherwise. He’s used to it now, but at first missed the more finished/shiny look of polyurethane. I’d say this is more of a satin matte finish, and I like it more now than when I first did it. It has developed a nice “patina.” I couldn’t find any floor contractors willing to try it originally, so ended up doing it myself. A buffer would work, though I ended up doing it by hand. It was manageable.</p>
<p>We have the same floor finish and I also really like it. It stands up to dog wear.</p>
<p>Doggie nail marks from a MANIC lab puppy = “character” in my book!</p>
<p>My oak kitchen floor has a great deal of character. I love the dog. I love the floor.</p>