Tile vs Hardwood in the Kitchen (Pros & Cons)

In this guide we discuss tile vs hardwood in the kitchen including pros & cons, major differences in durability, style and prices.Both tile and wood flooring can be beautiful choices for a kitchen design. The differences between the two will depend on your kitchen style, finishes and personal taste.

Tiles in the Kitchen Pros & Cons

Pros: Tile flooring is great especially in kitchens, some of the pros for choosing tile flooring is as follows. Tile Flooring is germ resistant, as well as easy to clean and maintain. With just an easy sweep and mop the floor is clean enough for kids to crawl on.

The hard surface makes it easy to clean and great for anyone that suffers from allergies as nothing gets caught in the impenetrable tile surface. There may be an occasional need to use a heavy cleaner if there are any large stains.

Tile flooring is also highly durable! It is resistant to crack and moisture. This type of flooring can even be glazed to add more protection to the tiles.

Additionally tile flooring has a wide variety of colors, styles, shapes and sizes. There are even wood look tile floors that can resemble real wood without all of its maintenance issues.

Cons: Unfortunately as great as tile flooring is, there are a few downsides to it. These can be fixed or worked around with the right price.

First off, tile flooring needs to be sealed for the best results. The durability and strength being one of its biggest pros, sealing is important and can greatly affect the longevity of the tile flooring.

Second, tile flooring is extremely hard. This can mean anything that is dropped on it is likely to break, and also standing on the flooring for extending periods of time can hurt.

The hardness can also lead to the flooring being a little cold to the touch, meaning chilly toes and the need for socks or slippers when on this type of flooring.

While some of this can be rectified by adding mats or not standing on the surface for long, that does mildly defeat the purpose of the flooring in general.

Hardwood in the Kitchen Pros & Cons

Pros: Hardwood flooring is an awesome chose of flooring in kitchens, some of the pros for choosing Hardwood flooring is as follows.

Hardwood Flooring is easy to clean and maintain. The flooring typically only needs a sweep and light wood cleanser to give optimal results.

Hardwood flooring is also highly durable. It can really stand up to the tests of time and can have a lifetime of more than 100 years.

Additionally the hardwood flooring option is compatible with pretty much any type of design you can imagine.

There are a wide assortment of species of woods to choose from as well as different stains that can be used on the flooring.

Cons: Unfortunately just like with the tile flooring, there are a few downsides to hardwood flooring. Some of the cons are as follows.

First off, Hardwood flooring is expensive. Material alone could cost up to $12 per square foot.

Second, hardwood flooring can scratch and scuff. Luckily enough they do have the ability to be refinished, but that can cost a pretty penny in maintenance. The scuffing and scratching can vary with the type of wood that is selected.

Third, hardwood flooring can be noisy, which, similar to the tile flooring, is a problem that can be rectified with a rug or less use of the flooring.

Finally, Hardwood flooring is not the best contender when it comes to coming in contact with water. You can have an occasional spill or a light mop over it, but it is better to avoid them if possible.

Water can seep into the wood and destroy the board. This can be a big concern for kitchens if there are possibilities of leaking.

Read more about wood flooring pros and cons here.

Tile vs Hardwood Price

Tile flooring prices: Tile flooring is a good price point when it comes to the durability that you get for the amount you pay. Tile flooring can also be done as a do it yourself project to eliminate the price of installation and save money on that front.

For the average tile flooring you should expect to pay about $5 to $8 per square foot for materials and installation. For a higher end tile flooring you should expect to pay about $10 to $12 per square foot for materials and installation.

This price can vary from location to location, it is best to check with your local supply stores and get quotes from the companies wanting to do the installation.

Hardwood flooring prices: Hardwood flooring is one of the most expensive flooring option that can be selected. That being said, the flooring has a ton of great qualities, including the best resale value. Hardwood flooring can also be done as a do it yourself project to eliminate the price of installation and save money on that front.

For the average hardwood flooring you should expect to pay about $6 to $11 per square foot for materials and installation. For a higher end hardwood flooring you should expect to pay about $12 to $23 per square foot for materials and installation.

This price can vary from location to location, it is best to check with your local supply stores and get quotes from the companies wanting to do the installation.

Tile vs Hardwood Q & A

Kitchen with hand scraped wood flooring

What flooring adds the most value?

Hardwood flooring is known to add the most value to home. This is because of the long life span of the flooring and the ability for the next homeowner to be able to resurface and re stain the flooring to the color of choice without having to get entirely new flooring.

The upfront cost of the hardwood flooring is high, but it pays off in the long run. Homes with hardwood flooring are typically sold faster than other flooring types. – interior designer Savannah.

Is it better to have tile or hardwood in the kitchen?

Tile flooring is going to be the better choice when it comes to kitchen flooring. This is mostly because of the reaction to water.

The kitchen is going to have a great deal of spilling and water based appliances that run the risk of overflowing or leaking. Kitchen tile flooring holds up a great deal better to these types of situations, making it a better contender for the kitchen flooring.

For more ideas visit our types of kitchen floors design gallery.