It took only a few months with a new baby in a high chair to realize that the previous owner’s choice of white carpet under our dining room table was not going to work with a growing family. If you’re in the same boat, or thinking ahead before your next big family holiday meal (you know, with everyone gathered around the Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dinner), choosing the right flooring for your dining room is more than just bringing home the right sample that looks good with your wall color.
The right dining room floor can handle everything life can throw at it: water, food, foot traffic, pets begging at the diners’ feet. After all that, the dining room floor needs to be easy-to-clean from food and drink spills, and resilient enough so you aren’t still seeing the stains from an accidental spill. The good news is that there are several dining room flooring options that meet the criteria.
Wood
Solid wood flooring and engineered hardwood floors are both ideal for dining rooms. They’re beautiful, easy to clean, and incredibly durable—as long as you clean up any water spills as soon as possible. If you want a soft feel under your feet while you eat, get a custom-made, spill-proof rug to go under your table. A custom-made rug gives you the option of choosing the right pattern and size that fits perfectly around your table. Talk to the professionals at your local flooring shop for options and any precautions you need to take to keep your wood floor in great shape (i.e. protection under the rug, etc.)
Laminate
kitchen and dining room with island, table, and laminate floorsLaminate floors have come a long way over the years; today’s laminate flooring is so realistic many people can’t tell the difference between laminate and real wood flooring. Laminate floors come with the same disclaimer as wood floors; you do need to clean up water spills as soon as possible to prevent damage, but they are durable enough to handle heavy foot and pet traffic and easy-to-clean in case of accidental spills. Laminate floors are a floating floor, meaning they can be tackled as a homeowner do-it-yourself project.
Tile
We’ve wrote about the benefits of porcelain tile in the past: it’s durable, water resistant, and easy-to clean. Today’s tiles also come in long, rectangular slats that are stunning; some porcelain tile products even have the look of wood. The one disadvantage of tile is t820_vp02_00-1000x731the cool feel under your feet when the temperature drops. This problem can be resolved with radiant heating, which can be naturally conducted through porcelain tile.
Luxury vinyl
Luxury vinyl is one of the newest products on the market, and for good reason. New luxury vinyl products have the look of wood or tile, are incredibly durable, and some products that come in slats can be an easy DIY home project. For more information about luxury vinyl, stop in at your local flooring store (or send them a message) to find out more about this dining room flooring option.
