Remodeling my kitchen - contemplating wood floors

[Wreckem]

My kitchen floors are hardwood. I don't like it...spills are inevitable in a kitchen situation, and wood just isn't the right choice in a damp environment.

If I were remodeling, I'd go with sealed and stained concrete, like this. Cheap, durable, impervious.

The house I am looking at building has stained concrete(post tension slab) throughout the main floor, engineered wood on second and third floors, and tile in the second/third floor bathrooms.

Concrete floors can help with energy efficiency depending on house design.

 

[RagingBITCH]

My kitchen floors are hardwood. I don't like it...spills are inevitable in a kitchen situation, and wood just isn't the right choice in a damp environment.

If I were remodeling, I'd go with sealed and stained concrete, like this. Cheap, durable, impervious.

We did that in our main living room. We love it, but it's cold and hard. Few of our friends have done it in larger areas of the house than just a room or two, but can't say I'd want it as our main flooring surface.

Blah, have no idea how to actually post photos so I'll just link to it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100155837517605&l=8eb8d23de9

 

[shabby]

The house I am looking at building has stained concrete(post tension slab) throughout the main floor, engineered wood on second and third floors, and tile in the second/third floor bathrooms.

Concrete floors can help with energy efficiency depending on house design.

How thick are those concrete floors? Is there a basement below? Wouldn't it have a tendency to crack if the joists settle?

 

[Greenman]

How thick are those concrete floors? Is there a basement below? Wouldn't it have a tendency to crack if the joists settle?

I've seen them 2" thick. I don't know if that's the standard or not. One of my clients did concrete floors with radiant heat throughout a 1300 foot addition. I don't care for it, but they really seem to like it.
Their floor has cracked at just about every door, with some hairline cracking throughout the building. Concrete slabs don't like movement.

 

[skyking]

One of my friends has armstrong vero stone tiles. It is a vinyl tile product that really looked great IMO. He paid a little less that $4 a foot for it. It is warm underfoot, looks like tile but is flexible, so you need not shore up a floor with a little flex in it.
http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/luxury-vinyl/verostone/floors-31732.asp