Station

I want to pull up the linolum in my kitchen and put hardwood floors in. Only option I have in town is Lowe's.

I know nothing about hardwood floors. Can I do the install myself? What type/brand should I go with?

Bill

There are many types of hardwood floors. Some are DYI and some are difficult. A trip to a good supply store and a couple hours of picking their brains is a first step.

FirTrader

I would not call genuine hardwood a real great choice for most kitchens. Anything dropped will mar it, you'll have to refinish it every couple of years for the wear, god help you if you manage to spill wine in a crack.... Tile, laminate, or lino are far more popular in kitchens for a reason.

Pre-finished hardwood you can never get clean between the boards, and site-finished is difficult to do unless you are really expert, even if you rent the right tools.

floorman

I work in the new construction market and am seeing hardwood going in kitchens more and more.For whatever reason it is becoming more and more popular.
Now back to the talk,for all reasons of practicality wood does not belong in an area where it can get wet.Wood and water do not mix,but people are willing to take that chance i guess.
The finishes on the wood now are quite strong and will withstand alot of abuse without having to refinish every other year,so maybe that is why people are putting it in more.
If you want a job finish floor then do what was reccommended earlir in this thread and hire someone to do it.
You should get alot of enjoyment out of it for along time providing you have no acts of god to flood you out or something of that sort.
Just remember that you rolling the dice and may end up eating that in the future.
Tile IMO is still the best route to go in an area where the possiblity exists that it may get wet

__________________
Floorman,
Floorlayers union local 1310

FirTrader

Especially with the underlays available, tile is a better and better option. It's not hard for the DIY crowd to do a creditable job, and it is more easily repairable than hardwood. Combined with in floor heat, it's a great choice for a lot of hard-use spaces.