Kitchen Engineered Wood Flooring

Why engineered rather than solid wood in a kitchen?

Kitchens have steam from cooking, heat from ovens, cold air from back doors and often underfloor heating. Solid boards expand and shrink with every change, which can open gaps or cause cupping. Engineered boards have a cross-laid core that resists movement, so they stay flat and tight. They can be floated over an underlay or glued to a concrete floor, and many are approved for underfloor heating.

Choosing a kitchen finish

Lacquer: a sealed layer that keeps spills on the surface and needs little maintenance; the most practical choice for busy family kitchens. Matt lacquers look natural and hide scratches better than gloss. Hardwax oil: a natural look that can be spot-repaired; maintain it regularly with maintenance oil, especially near the sink and hob. Avoid unfinished or lightly oiled boards in a kitchen.

Choosing a grade and colour

Natural and rustic grades hide crumbs, dents from dropped pans and fine scratches. Mid oak tones show the least everyday mess. Very pale and very dark floors show more; smoked oak hides light scratches well.

Where the risks are, and how to manage them

• The sink and dishwasher: a washable mat catches drips; check the dishwasher seal and hoses regularly.
• The fridge: ice makers and water lines can leak; check connections.
• The hob and oven: wipe up oil and food quickly; use a mat where you stand most.
• The back door: a good mat traps grit and water from the garden.
• Chairs and stools: felt pads, replaced when worn.

Fitting engineered wood in a kitchen

Lay the floor before the kitchen where possible, or fit it up to the plinths, never trapped under heavy fixed units in a way that stops a floating floor moving. Glued floors can often run under units; check with the maker. Leave the expansion gap the maker asks for, and seal it at plinths and the back door with a flexible, colour-matched silicone, so spills cannot run under the floor. On concrete, use an underlay with a damp proof membrane, or a wood floor adhesive. Our installation guides explain each method.

Kitchen-diners and open-plan spaces

One engineered oak floor through the kitchen, dining and living areas looks calm and spacious. Choose the floor and finish for the kitchen end, where it works hardest, and add rugs in the living area.

Cleaning a kitchen wood floor

Sweep or vacuum daily, and clean with a well-wrung mop and a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner. Never use a steam mop or a soaking wet mop. Re-coat or re-oil when the finish wears in walkways.

Comparing samples at home

Order free samples of two or three options and put them on the floor of the room where they will be laid. Look at them in daylight and in the evening under your own lamps, next to the walls, skirting, units and furniture they will sit with. Colours and textures look different in every room and on every screen, so a few minutes with real samples is the best way to avoid a costly mistake. Stand back as well as looking close up: a floor is mostly seen from standing height and from the doorway.

For a kitchen, also leave a few drops of water and cooking oil on a sample for ten minutes, then wipe them off, to see how the finish copes.

Common mistakes

• Solid wood in a kitchen with underfloor heating.
• Kitchen units fixed through a floating floor.
• An unsealed expansion gap at the plinths.