Choosing Flooring for a North Texas Home

Flooring is one of the first things people notice when they walk into a home, and one of the most expensive things to redo. Most of the advice you’ll find online is written for the whole country. Here in North Texas, two things change the answer: what our homes are built on, and where water tends to show up.

I’m working through this decision in my own kitchen right now. Some movement under the slab cracked my large-format tile, so I’m having the foundation checked before anything else. The rest of my house has white oak hardwood, and I’ve always hesitated to carry it into the kitchen because of water. Now I’m weighing that choice, along with a practical problem: the new floor could sit almost two inches higher than the tile, which matters for the dishwasher. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

What’s Under the Floor

Much of North Texas sits on the Blackland Prairie, where the soil is heavy clay. The Texas Water Development Board describes these clays as ones that shrink and swell sharply as their moisture changes. When the ground moves, the house moves with it, a little in wet seasons and a little in dry ones.

Most homes here are also built on a concrete slab. Concrete holds and releases moisture, so anything laid over it needs protection from below.

Those two facts explain a lot of cracked tile and cupped wood boards around the Metroplex. The right floor, installed the right way, can live with both.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is the classic choice, and it can be sanded and refinished many times over its life. On a slab, it can’t be nailed straight to the concrete. The National Wood Flooring Association calls for a plywood subfloor fastened to the slab, with a moisture barrier underneath.

That build-up raises the floor, which matters when solid wood meets tile or carpet in the next room, or slides under a dishwasher. Ask your installer how much height it will add.

The species matters too. White oak has natural cells that block its pores. That’s why it was prized for barrels that hold liquid, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Red oak doesn’t have them. Neither one is waterproof, but white oak handles the occasional spill better.

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood has a real wood top layer over a stable plywood core. The National Wood Flooring Association says it can go directly over concrete, and many manufacturers approve gluing it right to the slab.

That makes it a strong fit for slab homes. It’s thinner, so it keeps the floor height close to what you have now. It’s also less likely to shrink and swell with the seasons. Depending on the thickness of the top layer, it can usually be refinished at least once.

Before it goes down, the installer should test the slab for moisture. The manufacturer’s instructions list the acceptable readings, and a floor installed outside those limits may not be covered by the warranty.

Tile, Large and Small

Tile is a natural choice for wet areas, and big tiles with thin grout lines are very popular right now. Big tiles are also less forgiving. Tile industry standards call for a noticeably flatter floor once any edge of the tile reaches 15 inches. On a slab that shifts with the seasons, a large, rigid tile has a harder time riding out the movement.

Smaller tiles have more grout joints, which gives the floor more places to flex. No matter the size, two things protect tile on a North Texas slab:

• A crack-isolation or uncoupling membrane between the slab and the tile, so small cracks in the concrete are less likely to telegraph up through the floor.
• Movement joints, flexible joints at the edges of the room, at doorways and transitions, and over any joints in the slab. Ask your installer where they’ll go before the work starts.

For grout, epoxy costs more than standard cement grout, but it resists stains and doesn’t need sealing.

Luxury Vinyl Plank

Rigid-core luxury vinyl plank looks like wood, holds up to spills, and costs less than hardwood or tile. Most of it floats over the subfloor instead of being glued or nailed down, so it tolerates a little movement.

A few things to know before you choose it:

• Waterproof means the plank, not the house. Water that gets around the edges or under the floor can still reach the slab and walls. At least one manufacturer’s instructions say outright that the plank isn’t a moisture barrier.
• It still needs a flat floor. Manufacturers set flatness limits, and dips or humps can cause the joints to separate.
• It can’t be refinished. When the top layer wears through, the plank has to be replaced.

Kitchens and Baths

People often worry about spills, but a spill you wipe up is rarely the problem. Most water damage comes from slow, hidden leaks: a dishwasher line, the refrigerator’s ice maker connection, or the supply lines under a sink. Wood can work in a kitchen if you protect against those:

• Braided steel supply lines on the sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator
• A leak sensor, or an automatic shutoff valve that closes the water main when it detects a leak
• A washable rug in front of the sink

In bathrooms, especially around the shower and toilet, tile is still the safer choice.

One more kitchen detail: a new floor can change the floor height. Before you commit, measure the opening under the countertop to make sure the dishwasher can still slide in and out.

How to Check for Yourself

• Read the manufacturer’s installation instructions before you buy. They list approved subfloors, moisture limits, and flatness requirements, and following them protects your warranty.
• Ask the installer to test the slab for moisture and to tell you the results.
• Ask how the new floor will meet the floors next to it, and how much height it will add.
• For tile, ask about the membrane and movement joints.
• If you’re seeing new cracks or uneven floors, have the foundation checked before the new floor goes in. A new floor won’t fix movement underneath it.

If you have questions about buying or selling in North Texas, I’m happy to help.