Everything you need to know about wooden flooring for your kitchen

There are several different wooden flooring types you can choose from, for your kitchen:

• Solid wood flooring: Made from a single piece of wood, it has a classic look and feel. However, the main disadvantage is that it has a tendency to shrink in dry conditions, and swell in damp ones.
• Engineered wood flooring: This type of wooden flooring is made from three layers of wood, which are glued together to make a plank. It’s more stable when compared to solid wood flooring, and is often cheaper too.
• Reclaimed wood flooring: This is made from recycled timber that would have once been used in another property. It has a great rustic feel to it – great for country-style and vintage kitchens.
• Parquet flooring: This is created from short blocks of wood, which are typically arranged in a herringbone pattern – but it can be quite difficult to install yourself.

Kitchen flooring in most households has to withstand a lot of wear and tear. While tile and vinyl are certainly easy to clean, wood flooring is highly durable.

One of the main benefits of a fully wooden floor, as opposed to laminate, is that it can be re-sanded and oiled numerous times in its lifetime to bring it back to its original condition time and time again.

As carpet is out of the question in a stylish and practical kitchen, wood can be the next best option in regards to comfort – warmer on toes than cold marble or tiles. But you could also cover part of the flooring with a rug to add warmth, colour and texture, perhaps within a dining or social area.

Light, dark, white, black or natural – wooden flooring comes in a choice of colours to perfectly match your kitchen design.

In addition to colour, there are a variety of finishes – from old and distressed for a traditional country kitchen to sleek dark wood for the more contemporary kitchen. Choose from ash, oak, bamboo or walnut. It could even complement your cabinets.

Opting for light wood in an all-white kitchen will make a style statement while black wood looks stunning in a kitchen that has enough natural light to pull off the look.

The secret to keeping wood flooring in your kitchen looking great for longer is to make sure it is regularly cleaned. Aside from re-sanding and re-finishing your floor every few years, if you’re wondering how to clean wooden floors, regular mopping and sweeping will keep it in tip-top condition.

The initial installation of your flooring is also crucial – it's advisable to use a professional floor fitter who will use the correct methods to ensure your floor won't move out of place in the future.

If you take good care of your wood floor, it should look its best for years to come.

Laminate wooden-style flooring is a less expensive option that's easy to maintain and hardwearing. It's made up of compressed fiberboard planks, covered by images of wood and finished with a protective overlay.

Click-lock designs make laminate flooring simple to install. It won't look or feel exactly like the real thing, but it's certainly a solid wood alternative worth considering given its practicality and affordability.Traditional or modern, rustic or retro, wooden flooring comes in a range of colours and styles to complement the design of your kitchen. If installed to a high standard, both solid wood and laminate flooring add an appealing finishing touch to any kitchen.