Our SIL installed them on their house and if water sits for any amount of time it will cause bubbles in the laminate and it will not go back to normal.If you can afford it tile is GREAT in the kitchen

I had laminate wide plank dark put in my house including the kitchen. The contractor leveled the solid foundation floors with a foam padding. Footsteps don't sound hollow on it. I haven't noticed any movement or any gaps at all at the joints. It's not a floating install. I had one spot that felt like it gave a little when stepped on and the contractor fixed that. It is scratch proof and water resistant according to the warranty. I mop it with cleaner at least twice a week and no problem. Ceramic tile is a good choice but very hard on dropped dishes. LOL

I am a fan of hardwood floors. It has been 20 years and, yes it is scuffed. I just need to have it resanded and recoated, but it has been 20 years with 4 children and constant use. If you have animals, it will need to be resanded and recoated much earlier. They advised us to have it refinished in 5 years...haven't done it yet. We put in oak....not the substitute wood so that we could refinish it when necessary.

I am in the kitchen constantly....I LOVE to bake and have to cook due to DH's food allergies. Ceramic tile is VERY hard on your legs....lived with that for 9 months while we built and HATED IT. It is cold and glass will shatter if dropped on it...but most important...so hard on your feet and legs. My legs just ached all of the time.

We have vinyl planking in our studio, my bathroom and bedroom (easier to clean dog hair). It's easy to install, cuts with utility knife and is waterproof. Just be sure to follow the installation instructions and be sure that the planks are clicked together. The click together planks are better than the ones with the glue strip, especially for a kitchen.

I have laminate in the kitchen and family room. It is noisy and when the sun shines on it you can see every water spot. I have tile in a bathroom and hallway. Keeping the grout clean is a nightmare. It is also noisy and don't ever drop anything on it. I have Armstrong inlaid vinyl that looks like a rustic tile in the two upstairs bathrooms. It is a breeze to clean and looks like real tile. If I could afford to rip out the tile and laminate I'd put the Armstrong vinyl in it's place.

They have tile that looks like wood now also.hadwood can be refinished as can pre finished wood. Pella is a laminate, so keep that in mind.

thanks everyone. there are so many varying opinions. i am still undecided.

Once you start pricing your options, that may help you decide.

I thought that i would share my floor with you. It was installed this past summer.
Good luck with your decision!
Sandy

thanks that lookes lovely. so is your helper. blends in with floor.

We have a concrete base and have laminate in our den and like it, color is good and cleans up easy and don't experience any noise. In the kitchen and dining room we have sheet vinyl in a stone pattern and love it. Friends suggested tiles or stones as they are more high end and better resale value for our home. While they are nice looking I do not like walking on them, they are cold and my feet always seem to slide on them, probably because I walk barefoot in the house. We've been here 52 years and aren't planning on moving any time soon so we need to please ourselves and not some unknown people who might buy our home after we're gone. May in Jersey