Dining Room Flooring

The ideal floor for a dining room will be attractive, easy to clean, and durable. Chair and table legs can damage cheap flooring, leaving scratches and marks, so a high quality floor is needed. Many modern homes have dining rooms that play out directly from the kitchen; in these cases using the same flooring option for the entire area provides an easy transition from one room to the next. Formal dining rooms in older homes or luxury class new construction are candidates for independent floor covering, as they are a separate room entirely.

What Types of Flooring Work Well for Dining Rooms?

Hardwood flooring is a favorite in older homes, and a well polished and sealed floor made of ¾ inch solid wood can be sanded and refinished up to seven times, lengthening floor life by a healthy margin compared to other options. Linoleum is probably the next best choice; this environmentally sound material is not the same as vinyl or other petrochemical products, being made primarily of linseed oil, pine rosin and cork. Other possibilities include engineered wood flooring, some of the stronger laminates, and ceramic tile; the latter choice is popular in homes with a large kitchen and adjoining dining nook.

Carpet is used in some formal dining rooms, but is a poor choice for the average family simply because food and beverage spills can cause unsightly stains. Chairs are also harder to move in and out on carpet, and can sink in over time and leave permanent indentations in carpet. One way around this is to use a flat, short pile Berber carpet, and to use a large, dark colored or patterned area rug under the table and chairs to provide a smoother surface and protect the carpet surface.

Things to Consider When Purchasing Dining Room Flooring

The layout of your home and degree of formality desired will have a lot to do with what flooring option you decide on for your dining room. Ideal Floor has an experienced team of flooring and interior design experts to help you select the perfect dining room floor.