Flooring choices for kitchens


7 Durable Options for Kitchen Flooring

By

Joseph Lewitin

Joseph Lewitin

Joseph Lewitin is a flooring expert who grew up in the industry. In his youth, he began working in his family's tile import business, learning every aspect of the flooring industry, from design and fabrication to maintenance and repair. He also owned a flooring materials store specializing in natural stone floors.

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Updated on 03/14/22

Reviewed by

Johnathan Brewer

Reviewed by Johnathan Brewer

Johnathan Brewer is a home improvement expert with over two decades of professional experience as a licensed general contractor specializing in kitchen and bath. He has been featured on HGTV’s “Super Scapes,” “Curb Appeal the Block,” “Elbow Room,” DIY Network's “House Crashers,” "This Old House," and OWN Network's Emmy award winning show, “Home Made Simple. ” Jonathan is also a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.

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Kitchen floors go through a lot of wear and tear. Between spills and drips, heat and dropped utensils, as well as the constant plod of feet, the flooring in this space needs to handle multiple hazards and look good while doing it. Not every material is well suited for this location, and some kitchen flooring options will last longer than others and with less maintenance. Balancing style, function, and comfort is the key to making the right choice.

Here are seven different kitchen flooring options to consider for one of the highest-traffic areas of your home.

Best Kitchen Flooring Options Of November – Forbes Home

Renovating a kitchen can be a complicated process. Unlike a bedroom or living room with few built-in components or complicated wiring outside of a TV or computer set-up, kitchens have a lot of considerations; appliances, plumbing, and electricity all have to come together to make the most of the space and ensure that it works safely.

When considering a kitchen remodel, don’t forget your flooring. Flooring should account for approximately 7% of the remodeling budget if you’re tackling the whole kitchen. It needs to be done earlier in the process, too; painting your kitchen walls may come first, but flooring and cabinets need to come before the countertops, backsplash and appliances. While you may be able to DIY some of these, it’s always a good idea to bring in a professional flooring installation company to ensure the job is done perfectly. Pros and cons of some of the most common and best flooring options for kitchens are below.

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1. Hardwood

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One of the most traditional options, hardwood is still a popular choice for kitchen flooring today. Although not waterproof, solid hardwoods with the correct finish are water-resistant. Spills should be cleaned up immediately to avoid damage.

Hardwood floors can be refinished to revamp their look, which can especially come in handy if you’re doing a smaller kitchen renovation and don’t want to overhaul the entire floor to make it match the new aesthetic. Like tile flooring, hardwood can be laid in different patterns for added interest. Lately, reclaimed, recycled and environmentally sustainable hardwood has been of particular interest.

Pros

Cons

2.

Tile

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Tile is a go-to option for areas with frequent exposure to water, like kitchens and bathrooms. Ceramic, porcelain and stone tile are all common choices for kitchen flooring options. Tile comes in many sizes and colors and can be laid out in a variety of patterns to suit just about any design theme.

Tile is incredibly long-lasting but in some instances, the grout needs to be resealed to keep it stain-resistant. A DIY approach is not recommended when installing tile flooring.

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are similar; ceramic tiles are even more durable than porcelain. Both are highly resistant to damage, although due to their hardness, dishes dropped on them will likely break, and because of their weight, they are not recommended for a second-story floor. Porcelain, in particular, is waterproof and easy to clean, but tile can be slippery and grout is prone to stains, so any messes should still be cleaned up right away.

Stone tile is more expensive and also requires more upkeep than ceramic or porcelain. With the proper care, it can be as tough as other types of tile and it’s also more likely to be non-slip because of its porous surface. Stone tile used in flooring includes travertine, marble, slate and granite.

Pros

Cons

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3. Vinyl

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Vinyl flooring has seen a resurgence in recent years because of the modern upgrades it’s received. Engineered vinyl flooring is now available in tiles and planks that mimic the look of hardwood and stone. It’s completely waterproof, has an almost springy feel underfoot, is incredibly easy to clean and is one of the best kitchen flooring options if you want to take the DIY route.

The biggest drawback of vinyl flooring is that it is softer than other options. Large appliances can dent or scratch it, so use caution when moving or upgrading things in the kitchen.

Pros

Cons

4. Laminate

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Laminate has long been a less expensive alternative to hardwood flooring. Like vinyl, it can mimic the look of hardwood for a lower cost; unlike vinyl, it is not always waterproof, but waterproof versions are now available as well. Also, like vinyl, laminate flooring is a great option for DIY installation because the planks can be attached to one another and glued down or “floated,” allowing them to be put over an uneven subfloor.

Pros

Cons

5. Cork

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Cork is a relatively new addition to the kitchen flooring market, and it’s another budget-friendly DIY option. Cork flooring can be purchased as peel-and-stick, glue-down or snap-together assembly to look like tiles or planks. Unlike many other flooring options, cork won’t feel cold to the touch, and it has a soft, even springy feel, which makes it a good option for absorbing sound.

Made from ground-up cork combined with resins, cork flooring is available in a variety of gray and brown shades. It resists stains but isn’t waterproof; spills should be cleaned up before they can soak in. However, if it does get stained, cork flooring can be sanded down and then retouched with stain and sealer.

The floor can be dented from heavy appliances, but it has the ability to spring back given time. It can also fade in direct sunlight, so closing the curtains during the brightest time of day is recommended.

Pros

Cons

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6. Concrete

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Concrete flooring might sound too harsh for a homey area of the house, but it’s actually a very durable option for the kitchen. Stained concrete can be styled to look like wood, stone or even tile, and it can be sealed to be almost completely waterproof—although mats are still recommended near areas of excessive moisture, like in front of the sink or dishwasher.

One of the biggest perks of concrete is its price; it is a much cheaper flooring option, and since it can be designed to look like something else, it doesn’t have to look inexpensive.

Pros

Cons

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Kitchen Flooring, Which Floor to Choose for the Kitchen

Kitchen flooring can cause a lot of trouble during operation or quietly serve faithfully for many years. It all depends on the chosen material and the quality of laying the floor. A bad example of is laminate on HDF board without waterproof treatment: after 1-2 years of regular changes in humidity levels, the fiberboard will begin to dry out, the floorboards will creak, and the parted seams will quickly fill with dirt, blacken, and become moldy.

As for the design value, almost all modern coatings - porcelain stoneware, PVC tiles, cork flooring, parquet boards, waterproof laminate, linoleum - are represented by a wide variety of collections with decors for wood, natural stone, matting, with patterns and classic ornaments, and also with thematic drawings. Thanks to this, there is always a suitable decor, it remains only to figure out which floor is better to choose for the kitchen according to technical characteristics and cost.

Basic requirements for kitchen flooring

Best Choice: Kitchen Floor Coverings

Quartz Vinyl Tile

Quartz Vinyl or PVC Tile - not perfect, but probably the closest floor covering: absorption of dyes, compatibility with underfloor heating (effective heat transfer, but there is also a limitation on surface heating - 26-28 ° C).

Under the vinyl floor you will need a perfectly even base, especially under adhesive PVC tiles, the thickness of which is only 2-3 mm, and all screed defects will be displayed on the finish surface.

✔ Details about the pros and cons of quartz vinyl tiles.

The Polov catalog presents a chic assortment of lock and adhesive vinyl tiles with wood and natural stone decors. In addition, we offer the latest SPC laminate, "pressed stone": flooring on a rigid PVC composite board and a mineral filler, usually calcium carbonate. Due to the rigid base (not inferior in density to porcelain stoneware), base defects are allowed, as well as the use of a warm floor with increased heating - up to 40 ° C. The shortcomings of quartz vinyl tiles have been eliminated without increasing the cost.

Porcelain stoneware

Ceramic tiles are a classic for kitchen floors. With all the obvious advantages - water resistance, strength, wear resistance, a variety of decors, practicality - porcelain stoneware has a number of significant disadvantages: expensive and complex installation (with the involvement of a tiler), difficult cutting, slippery and cold surface, blackening of seams. However, all the flaws are offset by the low cost of porcelain stoneware.

Cork floor

Cork is the choice for connoisseurs of natural finishing materials. Cork flooring is quite expensive (the price is comparable to a solid board or oak parquet), but very practical flooring for the kitchen: elastic, but durable structure, 100% natural material, wear-resistant varnish, a variety of decors (natural veneer or wood or stone photo printing) ), moisture resistance and water resistance, additional sound and heat insulation. At the same time, the floor surface is warm without heating due to the very low thermal conductivity.

All of the above advantages apply only to a glued cork floor: the interlocking variant with HDF in the structure does not tolerate moisture changes and does not blend well with the operating conditions in the kitchen. For laying the adhesive cork, as well as for PVC tiles, a perfectly even screed is required.

Natural wood flooring

Wood flooring is not the best, but it is possible for the kitchen. Three-layer parquet board is resistant to moisture, but only with moderate drops. As for massive parquet, the water resistance is even less due to the natural property of wood to absorb and give off excess moisture. Wood is a pleasure to walk barefoot on: a chic choice for a bedroom or living room, but a more practical material is needed for the kitchen.

Laminate on HDF board

Unless waterproof treatment of HDF base is provided, the laminate is not suitable for the kitchen. Fibreboard is stable only in rooms with moderate humidity: with regular drops, ordinary laminate slowly delaminates, the edges swell, blacken, mold. Even a waterproof laminate, for all its practicality, will not last more than 3-5 years in the kitchen.

Linoleum

PVC linoleum is a budget choice for kitchen flooring. Rolled floor covering is durable, wear-resistant, water-resistant, unpretentious in maintenance, unbeatable in price. However, linoleum is too popular and competitive material: there are many cheap and dangerous fakes on the market. Choosing a more expensive option, it is appropriate to consider quartz vinyl tiles.

We invite you to Polov showrooms in Moscow and Odintsovo: look at samples of kitchen floor coverings, ask related questions to managers, order inexpensive delivery!

How to choose the right kitchen flooring

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Contents
1. Ceramic tiles
2. Linoleum for the kitchen
3. Moisture resistant laminate
4. Quartz vinyl tiles
5. PVC tile (vinyl tile)
6. Output

Choosing flooring for your kitchen is never easy. After all, the main task of the homeowner is not only to provide the premises with an aesthetic appearance. Floor material must meet a number of requirements. And in this case, the price is a significant, but not the only factor influencing the purchase decision. What to choose for the kitchen? Ceramic tile, laminate or linoleum? Or maybe there are other options? These are the questions we are trying to figure out now.


Ceramic tiles

Ceramic tile is one of the most popular materials for arranging floors in the kitchen. This is a strong, durable cladding with a number of positive characteristics. She has a pretty good presentation. Ceramics resistant to moisture, aggressive effects of fat, steam, household chemicals. This material does not conduct electricity. Indeed - a classic design of the floor in the kitchen.


Almost everyone knows about the advantages of ceramic tiles. Only few people pay attention to the shortcomings of this coating. And he has weaknesses. And they also need to be taken into account.

  1. Price. Karmic tiles are almost always more expensive. This applies to both the purchase of the cladding itself, and installation. For its installation, it is required to buy additional adhesive solutions, a tool for installation, and order the services of craftsmen.
  1. Difficult to install. The process of installing tiles requires the involvement of professionals. This is a complete repair with mixing solutions, splashes on the walls, dust. The curing process of the adhesive solution is quite long. The result is not always "perfect".
  1. Cold surface. Ceramic has excellent thermal conductivity. In this case, the absorbed heat passes below - to the rough screed. The tile itself always remains cold. There is, of course, a solution to the thermal problem. You can organize a floor heating system. But the cost of such repairs will increase significantly. In addition, energy bills also do not decrease.
  1. Slippery. The tile slides and that's a fact. This property, when the surface is moistened, only increases. Even if the tile has a matte surface, it still does not have sufficient anti-slip properties when wet. Therefore, it cannot be attributed to an absolutely safe coating.
  1. High surface hardness. Due to the high hardness of the surface, any drop of glass, porcelain, ceramic dishes is likely to be damaged. It also causes an increased risk of injury to humans.
  1. Low maintainability. If a tile is accidentally damaged, it is almost impossible to restore it. You need to change the fragment to a new one. This is accompanied by a complex process of dismantling the damaged element and preparing the site for a new one. If you don’t have a “replacement” left in stock, then finding exactly the same tile is often very difficult.


Ceramic tiles do have many advantages, but also many disadvantages. Therefore, you should always consider other, alternative flooring options for the kitchen before buying.

Kitchen linoleum

In the list of competitors of PVC floor tiles, linoleum takes first place. This is an objectively high quality suitable flooring that has the most affordable price. Easy to install even by non-professionals. Such material forms a seamless coating with high presentability. Manufacturers offer linoleum for the kitchen with an assortment of patterns, which allows you to decorate the floor in any design style.


The advantages of linoleum stand out:


Among the shortcomings can be identified not so high durability. The service life of household linoleum is usually 8-10 years. But during this time, you yourself may want to “refresh” your kitchen with new flooring.

Moisture resistant laminate

Moisture resistant laminate consists of several layers. The basis is high-density chipboard or HDF. The property of resistance to moisture is given to the laminate by pasting with special resinous paper and applying wax to the surface. The material not only resists moisture absorption, but repels moisture. It demonstrates excellent performance and provides an elite appearance. In the kitchen, this flooring will look simply gorgeous.


Moisture resistant laminate is a floor material that: