Picking out the best flooring for your kitchen is a very important decision when it comes to making this space functional and attractive. Since the kitchen is the main gathering area for family and friends and the most dynamic space in every home, the floor needs to withstand a lot of wear and tear. From regular staining to hot water spills, pets and kids running around and other factors, your floor can easily get damaged and that is why you need to find one that ticks all the boxes. Here’s a guide that will take you through many different options in order to help you to find the most comfortable, modern and durable flooring that will last for many years to come.
Vinyl Flooring
For many years, porcelain and ceramic tiles were by default the first choice for kitchen flooring. But since the 1960s when vinyl flooring gained its popularity, it became one of the most used types of flooring among homeowners.
It’s no secret that vinyl flooring can boost your cooking comfort (). It offers a variety of styles and colours and is available in either sheets, tiles or planks. So, depending on your budget, needs and taste, you can easily find the one that can suit your space best. But no matter what kind of vinyl you are about to choose for your kitchen, you won’t make a mistake because they all are long-lasting, water and stain-resistant, economical and attractive.
Still, if you want to be sure that the flooring you are buying is really worth investing in, it is advisable to look for a company with long years of experience offering the best quality vinyl kitchen floor solutions.
One of the biggest advantages of vinyl flooring for kitchen is that it has a water-resistant protective coating, so it can easily handle frequent spills and exposure to humidity. Furthermore, besides being water-resistant, good quality vinyl flooring can easily withstand any dropped objects and accidental spills. So, you don’t need to worry if a sharp knife falls edge-down, or you accidentally spill a glass of wine or juice.
Vinyl flooring is also non-slip, which means that it has a specific texture that can prevent many different accidents. It requires minimal maintenance and doesn’t need special cleaning solutions. As for the installation, although vinyl flooring is very easy to install, before doing that, you should pay attention that the floors are thoroughly swept because even the smallest pieces of debris may show through it.
Another advantage of vinyl flooring is that it is versatile and does a great job mimicking wood-grains, ceramic tile or stone. In other words, you can have flooring that looks exactly like hardwood, porcelain tiles or stone, for more affordable prices. So, if you want to have flooring in your kitchen that looks like expensive hardwood but at a lower cost, vinyl sheets are the right choice. Moreover, they come in hundreds of different designs, so they can perfectly fit in everyone’s home décor.
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tile is one of the most durable and long-lasting kitchen flooring. It is versatile and comes in many different shapes and sizes. Usually, ceramic tiles are glazed, but you can also find them unglazed. However, it is better to purchase glazed tile because it resists stains and can be easily cleaned with all common household cleaners, making it spill-friendly as well as pet-friendly. Ceramic tiles are also fire and water-resistant. Also, because of their density, if you accidentally drop a glass, there is no chance that it won’t break.
Even though they are considered the most durable options, they come with a few downsides. Ceramic tiles are usually cold and hard and walking on them with bare feet can be uncomfortable. Moreover, when tiles get wet, they get slippery.
Anyway, ceramic tiles can be quite visually appealing and can be custom-made into all types of colours and textures, giving homeowners many options to choose from. So, depending on your budget and style you can choose tiles that can suit your needs the best.
Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are known to provide both function and style. They are considered to be very similar to ceramic tiles, but with greater quality. Thanks to their less porous, denser properties, they are capable of resisting liquid penetration, which makes them highly resistant. If you want to purchase porcelain tile of great quality, make sure that its water absorption rate is less than 0.5%. This tile can withstand moisture quite well, and water or any other spills are not able to seep through it.
Another advantage of porcelain tile is that it tends to have a “through body colour”, which means that if by any chance, porcelain gets damaged, the colour beneath the flooring will remain the same. In other words, if a glass dropped on the ground chips the porcelain tile, it will be very hard to spot the damaged area due to the “through-body colour” property. Porcelain tiles may provide more quality and sturdiness than other tiles, but they can be a lot more expensive as well. Also, when purchasing porcelain tiles, have in mind that they are not easy to install and that you will need to get professionals to do that.
Hardwood
Hardwood is considered a timeless flooring option that brings warmth and beauty to any kitchen. From dark tones to reclaimed wood, this flooring can suit different styles and needs. Also, if you have an open floor plan and want a single type of flooring that extends beyond your kitchen, this is your perfect choice.
Wood flooring comes as either solid wood or engineered wood planks and since the kitchen is always exposed to a lot of moisture, you should be very careful which one you are going to choose. That being said, when choosing between engineered wood flooring and a solid wood flooring, it is advisable to opt for the first one because it has a durable top layer and it is much more resistant to warping and movement than solid wood. However, even if hardwood requires low-maintenance, spills should be wiped out immediately, otherwise, the wood will absorb liquids and cause stains.