Kitchen flooring
Finding the right floor for your kitchen
Kitchen flooring options are nearly endless, so shopping for kitchen flooring can be an overwhelming task. Appearance and functionality are often the first factors that people consider when searching for the right kitchen floor. Depending on your personal style, you probably want a kitchen floor that complements the fixtures or adds a bold accent to the room.
Most kitchen floors receive an occasional spill, so it’s important to keep water and stain-resistance in mind when you’re hunting for the perfect fit. Tile and vinyl flooring repel water and grease, making them a popular choice for modern kitchens. With tile, you may have to reseal grout lines occasionally to prevent discoloration. Hardwood and stone flooring are more durable, but stone may stain if not properly sealed. Vinyl flooring is water-resistant, but has a tendency to absorb oil stains.
Why is hardwood becoming so popular for kitchens?
While there is a wide array of options for kitchen flooring – tile/natural stone, hardwood, vinyl, laminate, luxury vinyl, linoleum, cork – I’d have to say over the last few years hardwood flooring is probably the most popular. Many customers find this surprising, but there are several reasons for this:
1. It’s featured in most of the fashionable home magazines
2. It’s easier on your feet – if you spend a lot of time cooking, this is a huge benefit
3. It’s warmer – both in look and feel on your feet
4. It’s usually less expensive than tile (when factoring in materials + labor)
5. If you have wood in the rooms next to the kitchen, it can give the whole home a larger and more continuous look.
Hardwood for the kitchen is NOT for everyone. If you have a busy kitchen and pets and are concerned about spills, it may not be the best option. If often find that people that grew up with hardwood kitchen prefer hardwood; likewise, those that grew up with tile, often prefer tile.
An important consideration when choosing the floor for the kitchen is looking at your kitchen holistically. What color are the cabinets? How about the countertops? You usually want to have a contrast between the floor and the cabinets. If you choose light, white or dark cabinets, it’s generally pretty easy to find a hardwood that looks beautiful. If, however, you choose a mid-toned wood cabinet, it’s often very challenging to find a hardwood floor that has enough of a contrast (unless you want to go very dark on the floors). In these instances, usually a light colored tile floor works better.
Budget is another important factor in choosing kitchen flooring. Vinyl and linoleum tend to be inexpensive, though exact prices vary. Tile usually falls somewhere in the middle of the cost spectrum. If you can afford to splurge on your kitchen flooring, you may want to consider stone floors such as granite, slate or marble.
No matter what your budget and your style needs, Floor Coverings International can help you find the right kitchen flooring for you. We also have people that can help with the rest of the kitchen - cabinets, countertops, electrians, etc.
You may also be interested in learning more on the following:
- Backsplashes
- Hardwood flooring
- Bamboo flooring
- Cork flooring
- Tile/natural stone flooring
- Vinyl Flooring
- Linoleum flooring
Learn more about radiant heat flooring
And, check out our new flooring selector - choose your own floor
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