Introduction For many people the kitchen is the heart of a home. It is where the food is cooked and where guests gather to chat. However, the kitchen is also one of the most demanding rooms in a home often experiencing spillages, temperature changes and high footfall. Such a demanding room requires a special floor, which begs the question “What is the best floor for a kitchen?”. A question that this article aims to answer. Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles Ceramic and porcelain tiles offer that traditional, classic kitchen look. Whether you go for a black and white checkered pattern or warm terracotta tiles, you will struggle to go wrong with these tiles in your kitchen. Apart from design, another advantage of ceramic and porcelain tiles is their immense durability. They can easily withstand the footfall demand of a kitchen and any accidentally dropped items will struggle to damage this robust floor. Another advantage is their water-resistant nature, temperature resistant nature and ease of maintenance. Spilled liquids, blasts of heat from the oven and stains are nothing that this floorcovering cannot handle with ease. The main disadvantage of ceramic and porcelain tiles lie in the cold and hard nature of the tile. These tiles are cold underfoot and hard on joints, especially considering that most people stand for extended periods of time in their kitchens. Also, if you are a bit clumsy and prone to knocking things over then cups, glasses and bowls will easily smash to pieces on this type of floor. All things considered though, ceramic and porcelain tiles would make an excellent floorcovering for a kitchen. Luxury Vinyl Tiles Luxury vinyl tiles come in a range of designs, but two common designs for kitchen include wood finish and stone finish LVTs. Luxury vinyl tiles are considered a hard floor covering, but they are not as hard as ceramic or porcelain tiles making them a bit more forgiving on joints and knocked over items. Whilst LVTs have water-resistant and temperature-resistant properties, these are not as strong as porcelain or ceramic tiles. However, two significant advantages that luxury vinyl tiles have over ceramic and porcelain tiles are the cost of the tiles themselves and the cost of installation. LVTs come in cheaper per square metre and are DIY-friendly if you are looking to save some money on installation. In terms of maintenance, both ceramic and porcelain tiles and LVT are easy – with a regular sweeping and mopping routine these tiles will look good as new for years to come. Also, any spills can easily be spot cleaned and no stain will occur as a result. Another advantage that luxury vinyl tiles have over ceramic and porcelain tiles is that they are warmer underfoot. Overall, luxury vinyl tiles make for a more affordable and warmer kitchen alternative than porcelain and ceramic tiles, and still boasts many of the other advantages. Laminate Laminate is another hard flooring option for kitchens. One advantage is that laminate is cost effective coming in cheaper than both ceramic and porcelain tiles and LVT per square metre. However, there are some noticeable disadvantages. Laminate’s wooden core means it is not moisture resistant, which means that the humidity and spillages that occur in a kitchen could damage laminate floors. Furthermore, this lack of stability is also affected by temperature fluctuations meaning that your laminate floor could warp over time. Maintenance is fairly similar for all these hard floor options with a regular sweeping and mopping routine being desirable. However, with laminate flooring you have to be a lot faster when spot cleaning spills to avoid damage and stains. Whilst laminate is definitely affordable, you may want to consider paying more for a more stable floor for your kitchen. Real Wood Nothing beats real wood flooring in terms of feel and style. However, traditional real wood flooring would have been deemed unsuitable for a kitchen due to its inability to resist moisture and temperature changes. That being said, advancements in flooring manufacture means that engineered real wood floors exist, which are more stable. Do expect to pay significantly more for a real wood floor per square metre. Also, be aware that real wood floors do get scratched, so dropped pots and pans could cause significant damage and real wood floors may require sanding and resealing periodically, which is an added expense to consider. A beautiful choice for your kitchen, but definitely an expensive choice. Carpet I do not think that I have ever seen a carpeted kitchen… but maybe you want to be the first one? Carpets tend to hold stains and moisture in their fibres making them a bad choice for a spillage prone kitchen. Also, when cooking with flames having flammable fibres nearby seems like a bad idea... However, if you really have your heart set on a carpeted kitchen, consider using carpet tiles ahead of sheet carpet, as damaged tiles are easier to replace than damaged sheets. Also, consider a synthetic fibre that has a short and dense pile. If you have a carpeted kitchen, send us a photo – we would love to see it! Conclusion Kitchens are a demanding room. They vary in temperature when cooking, they are prone to spill and scratches, and they endure a high footfall. Arguably the best floorcovering for kitchens are the tiles. Whether you choose ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles or luxury vinyl tiles, you will be making a good choice. If you are a bit out there, you could try carpet tiles, though we would not recommend a soft floorcovering in a kitchen. At Flooring Hut, we offer a range of luxury vinyl tiles that we think are excellent for kitchens. We also offer a supply and fit service allowing you to choose a local and professional floor fitter to give your kitchen a good foundational start. We hope you enjoy many happy memories in your kitchen with your lovely kitchen floor.
