Hello everyone,
hoping someone here can help:
We are building our dream house in September: the entrance area, hallway, living and dining areas, as well as the kitchen, are designed to be very open. Due to the layout, and for aesthetic reasons, we should use the same flooring throughout (except maybe in the entrance area, where a different floor could fit reasonably well).
So far, we have fallen in love with bamboo. The company Bambus Concepts offers either a 10mm (0.4 inch) two-layer floorboard (with bamboo as both the core and surface layers) or a 15mm (0.6 inch) solid parquet (3-layer, all layers bamboo). Both options are offered at a very good price for us.
The finishes available are oiled, sanded for self-maintenance (self-waxing/self-oiling). Lacquered is not an option for us, as scratches are harder to repair. So it comes down to either oiled or waxed...
The question now is: oil or wax?
We can protect the entrance area from the worst with a sufficiently large dirt trap. The living and dining areas don’t face heavy traffic either. But the kitchen is a concern.
I have researched already, but opinions vary widely. Here are a few questions to discuss:
Best regards,
Alex
hoping someone here can help:
We are building our dream house in September: the entrance area, hallway, living and dining areas, as well as the kitchen, are designed to be very open. Due to the layout, and for aesthetic reasons, we should use the same flooring throughout (except maybe in the entrance area, where a different floor could fit reasonably well).
So far, we have fallen in love with bamboo. The company Bambus Concepts offers either a 10mm (0.4 inch) two-layer floorboard (with bamboo as both the core and surface layers) or a 15mm (0.6 inch) solid parquet (3-layer, all layers bamboo). Both options are offered at a very good price for us.
The finishes available are oiled, sanded for self-maintenance (self-waxing/self-oiling). Lacquered is not an option for us, as scratches are harder to repair. So it comes down to either oiled or waxed...
The question now is: oil or wax?
We can protect the entrance area from the worst with a sufficiently large dirt trap. The living and dining areas don’t face heavy traffic either. But the kitchen is a concern.
I have researched already, but opinions vary widely. Here are a few questions to discuss:
- Is it worth choosing pre-oiled parquet? Apparently, you have to re-oil regularly anyway...
- Which lasts longer before the next maintenance: oil or wax?
- Is it true that oiled bamboo flooring tends to show water stains more than waxed?
- From a technical perspective, which is easier to maintain: oil or wax?
- Does anyone have bamboo parquet in their kitchen and can share pictures?
- How about bamboo flooring in the bathroom? Is that okay or not recommended?
Best regards,
Alex
Hmm, unfortunately, I can hardly provide the answers you need... but some encouragement... we decided to go with the 10mm from the same company. We have several samples here (including from other suppliers), and now we are using the lacquered ones since we will only install it in a guest/office room.
A tip: try searching for wooden countertops for kitchens. How are they treated?
My old wooden table was oiled. Unfortunately, drink stains kept soaking in. If you didn’t take care of it in time, sanding was necessary. That was a bit tedious (we are red wine drinkers ).
That’s why we are now choosing the lacquered version!
A tip: try searching for wooden countertops for kitchens. How are they treated?
My old wooden table was oiled. Unfortunately, drink stains kept soaking in. If you didn’t take care of it in time, sanding was necessary. That was a bit tedious (we are red wine drinkers ).
That’s why we are now choosing the lacquered version!
I would avoid using wood in the kitchen, unless it’s very rustic plank flooring. But if you drop a pot or a knife, the wax layer won’t help anymore... then you’ll have a hole. And bamboo isn’t as hard as it’s often claimed to be, as we unfortunately experienced firsthand. Even before moving in, small stones pressed into the parquet flooring where it had been taped off. Dust and small stones always find their way in.
I’m still not completely convinced about having wood flooring in the kitchen either. But your “pots falling down” argument can easily be countered:
We have very heavy pots with thick, solid bottoms. If one of them drops, it makes a pretty deep dent in the hardwood floor. But if it falls on tiles, I either get a crack in the tile or even a chipped piece. So in that sense, wood is actually more practical because it can be repaired to some extent. A tile, on the other hand, is just broken when something that heavy falls on it.
I can live with scratches in the wood—that’s kind of part of its character. What concerns me, and what I haven’t encountered much positive or negative feedback on, is that due to the higher wear and tear (compared to living areas), stains and unsightly spots may develop, which can only be managed with either very intensive maintenance or by sanding down/refinishing/oiling or waxing the floor.
Bottom line: I’m looking for experience reports (and pictures) of oiled/waxed hardwood flooring in kitchens regarding stains and unsightly spots… just so I can get a clearer idea myself.
We have very heavy pots with thick, solid bottoms. If one of them drops, it makes a pretty deep dent in the hardwood floor. But if it falls on tiles, I either get a crack in the tile or even a chipped piece. So in that sense, wood is actually more practical because it can be repaired to some extent. A tile, on the other hand, is just broken when something that heavy falls on it.
I can live with scratches in the wood—that’s kind of part of its character. What concerns me, and what I haven’t encountered much positive or negative feedback on, is that due to the higher wear and tear (compared to living areas), stains and unsightly spots may develop, which can only be managed with either very intensive maintenance or by sanding down/refinishing/oiling or waxing the floor.
Bottom line: I’m looking for experience reports (and pictures) of oiled/waxed hardwood flooring in kitchens regarding stains and unsightly spots… just so I can get a clearer idea myself.
Bamboo is not wood and is much, much harder. It is a completely different building material and must be treated and processed accordingly.
Tiles in the kitchen and heavy pots also present certain challenges; instead of dents, there will be cracks.
The flooring material is mainly a matter of personal preference. With bamboo, however, there are great opportunities for design and texture.
Tiles in the kitchen and heavy pots also present certain challenges; instead of dents, there will be cracks.
The flooring material is mainly a matter of personal preference. With bamboo, however, there are great opportunities for design and texture.
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