Hardwood flooring in the kitchen – what really matters

In earlier times, the living room was the centre of an apartment. In many households today, the kitchen takes up this part. Not only are meals prepared and food stored here, but the kitchen has become a cosy meeting place for the whole family.

If it is an eat-in kitchen, it is also eaten together. And not only that. The whole family meets in the kitchen. Just to talk to each other, to sit together or, for example, to play. It is not for nothing that the trend in this respect continues towards “American cuisine”, where the kitchen, dining room and living room are no longer divided by rigid partitionwalls.

Parquet as preferred kitchen floor: chic, cozy and robust

It is more than logical that the ambience in such an important room for family life should be functional as well as atmospheric and comfortable.

Especially the floor and the decision as to which flooring is the most suitable solution is a central issue. Because the kitchen floor should not only look chic, but above all also functionally aligned. After all, there are times when spills occur in a kitchen while cooking or eating, or when liquids are spilt.

Misfortunes of this kind cannot be prevented. That is why the floor must always be extremely robust, hard-wearing and resistant. In the past, tiles and vinyl flooring were usually the first choice in this respect.

In the meantime, however, parquet has become a popular floor covering in the kitchen. laying floorboards in the kitchen is very much in vogue.

The optimal kitchen floor endures a lot

And that’s not by chance. It is obvious that hardwood flooring in the kitchen alone can score visually and atmospherically against vinyl or, for example, tiles.

It creates a much warmer and more comfortable atmosphere than any other floor covering. However, a floor covering in the kitchen must also always be robust and resistant in order to avoid the corresponding dangers.

In the kitchen, unlike other living areas, a lot can happen. You should be aware of this when you buy parquet.

These are the typical danger swells for parquet in the kitchen:

  • objects fall to the ground.
  • Drinks are knocked over and liquids spill out, causing water stains on the hardwood flooring.
  • the refrigerator is not de-iced properly and water runs out.
  • when opening or clearing the dishwasher, water drips out.
  • when frying, grease squirts from the pan onto the floor.
  • the soil is subjected to a high level of stress at certain points, resulting in increased abrasion.

Parquet in the kitchen is less sensitive with good care

A robust natural material – such as solid wood parquet – is a good choice here.

The parquet prices vary according to quality. Parquet in the kitchen stands for an attractive and decorative look on the one hand, but also offers functional properties that are particularly in demand in the kitchen.

High-quality parquet insulates the heat and at the same time indirectly regulates moisture. Moreover, parquet is far less sensitive for the kitchen than many people still think.

If you lay hardwood flooring, the only thing that always matters is the correct maintenance. If you regularly oil your parquet floor in the kitchen oil and in due course comprehensively sand and reseal , you will enjoy hardwood flooring in the kitchen and co. for a long time. In addition, a floor glued with parquet adhesive is usually more robust than a floating floor.

The coating of the parquet is an essential criterion

But watch out:

Not all parquet types are ideally suited for use as flooring in the kitchen.

Basically you have to differentiate between parquet variants with different coatings.

For example, parquet, which has been sealed with a coating of paint, is not the optimal choice. This is due to the finish, i.e. the surface refinement.

This is because the lacquer forms a layer on the parquet, which, for example, prevents liquids from penetrating the parquet.

However, the longer the liquid remains on the parquet, the greater the risk that it will be drawn into the wood through the joints.

This can result in unsightly stains directly under the parquet sealant, which you cannot easily remove.

Parquet in kitchen – oiled versions are better than painted versions

Better suited than varnish are in this respect oiled parquet floors. There are two clear reasons for this. Firstly, the oil does not form an impenetrable barrier, which means that you have quick access to stains and can remove them immediately.

On the other hand, you can repair or renovate an oiled parquet floor completely without sanding repair.

In many cases it is sufficient to carry out an explicit basic cleaning with the help of a single disc machine and apply new oil to the parquet.

So if you decide on hardwood flooring in the kitchen, you should make sure that you actually buy the oiled version.

This version protects your kitchen floor with its special surface finish.

Just keep in mind that you refresh the oil layer at the right time and otherwise treat your parquet regularly with a care oil. In this way, the soil remains durable and resistant in the long term.

You too can protect your parquet in the kitchen sustainably

However, you can also protect the parquet floor in the kitchen yourself by taking minor measures.

For example, it is important that you always remove liquids or other treats immediately. Care should also be taken when opening and emptying the dishwasher.

If you do this too hastily, water may drip onto the floor at any time. Simply place a carpet in front of the dishwasher and the problem is virtually solved by itself.

The same applies to defrosting your fridge. Even if modern devices do this fully automatically, you should keep an eye on the process. If something is wrong with the functionality, a lot of liquid can leak out. In combination with careful care of the parquet, you prevent in this way lasting damage or unsightly spots on the parquet.

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