Kitchen Flooring

Homeowners must be careful when selecting a type of flooring material for the kitchen as they typically host a great deal of traffic, and moisture is also frequently present. When you’re ready to shop for a kitchen floor, you’ll find that there are several choices. Here are some great choices to consider, along with some of the pros and cons of each.

Sheet vinyl flooring is one of the most common choices for a kitchen floor because it is very resistant to spills, grease and dirt as well as water. This type of flooring is easy to clean and comes in a huge variety of patterns, styles and colors to choose from. It’s also one of the less expensive flooring options. The sheets are available in 6-foot or 12-foot rolls and therefore show very few or no seams after installation. This also makes it very easy to change floors if you renovate your kitchen.

Some disadvantages to vinyl sheets are the wear and tear that it is prone to over time and from a resale value, it may lack the appeal of some of the more expensive floor options.

 

Kitchen renovation done by KHI

Vinyl tiles have similar qualities to sheet vinyl but are individual tiles. They are water resistant, easy to clean and inexpensive. A great advantage to having vinyl tiles is that if damage occurs you can easily change the tile without replacing the entire floor.

 

One thing to keep in mind with vinyl tiles is the dirt-catching seams you end up with. Also, from a resale standpoint vinyl tiles have one of the lowest overall appeals.

Ceramic tiles are one of the best choices for a kitchen floor. In addition to being completely waterproof, they are very durable and will stand up to all sorts of abuse. Ceramic tile comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors and pattern choices. You can also mix different types or colors of tile to form patterns, borders or even pictures. Quality ceramic tile floors are very popular and will add to a home’s resale value.

 

Mixing different types and/or colors of tile
to form patterns adds style your kitchen.

Though ceramic tiles do have some downsides, the downsides seem to be a matter of personal preference. For example, tile is the hardest and coldest of the floors to walk on. This can be offset to some degree by adding an area rug and if you want to really warm up the floor, you can have radiant heating installed underneath
the tiles (for more informa-tion on electric radiant heating contact Kruse Home Improvement). The other issue that some people may have with ceramic tiles is the grout lines, which are a little harder to clean than the tiles themselves. This can be minimized by using larger tiles with small grout spaces between them, and by making sure that the grout is sealed after installation.

Laminate floors have become more popular in the kitchen. There are dozens of patterns and colors and they are usually designed to closely resemble other popular flooring materials such as wood, tile or stone. The floor has a “spring” to it which makes it one of the softer and more comfortable floors to stand on. A well-selected and well-installed laminate floor can add to resale value.

 

One thing to keep in mind if choosing laminate is that if there is a lot of traffic in your kitchen and chairs or bar stools are present, the laminate can be prone to scratching. Laminate also requires specific cleaning products for best results and longest life, and may not stand up to a lot of water over time.

Hardwood floors have become a popular
choice for kitchens.

Hardwood floors have found their way into the kitchen due to the recent advances in the quality of polyurethane finishes that wood has. Although some people are still a little leery of hardwood floors in the kitchen, the floor is beautiful, durable and compliments pretty much any style of kitchen. Hardwood floors can also add to the resale value of your home.

Hardwood flooring requires proper sanding and finishing to look good and to hold up in the kitchen and therefore is typically not a do-it-yourself project. It also has some of the same drawbacks as laminate, requiring special cleaners as opposed to simple damp mopping, and is prone to scratching and damage from excessive water.

For questions on kitchen flooring call Kruse Home Improvement
at 860-877-0775.