what is the best flooring for a kitchen

If you are looking for the best flooring for kitchens, there are many options. The period of choice and abundance is now, and this includes the selection for your kitchen floor. While each flooring option comes with a wide array of different patterns, you must first decide on the type of material. After choosing the perfect material for your purposes, it’s time to consider the design.

Choosing flooring options can be exciting but exhausting, especially if you don’t know what you need. So, what is the best flooring for a kitchen? Read this guide to help you discover the best material and style for your home!

Why Is Kitchen Flooring Important?

modern kitchen flooring

These days, our kitchens are not only places for your practical cooking but also for entertainment and socialisation. Kitchens are a centrepiece of the home and can sometimes be the most used room in the house. Most new homes also have a kitchen and living room open-plan layout, so you need to ensure that your flooring will withstand all this movement and traffic. Invest well in your floor, and you won’t regret it.

Your kitchen flooring needs to be extremely durable to withstand all the foot traffic and the potential of dropped pots and pans or spilt water, sauces or food. So this means you should look for scratch-resistant and hard-wearing flooring. The floor also needs to be durable because the kitchen is where most temperature fluctuations in the home happen – cooking increases the room’s temperature quite quickly!

Since you will probably clean the kitchen flooring often, you need a floor to cope with heavy-duty cleaning solutions and regular maintenance.

Choosing the Best Flooring for Kitchens

Below, we have put together a list of the best kitchen flooring options, including floors of popular choice, low-maintenance tiles for easy upkeep, traditional options and modern, cost-effective options, etc. The huge range has much to offer you and your kitchen environment.

Vinyl Flooring

Floorings such as bamboo, vinyl and rubber, which are softer underfoot, are increasingly becoming on-trend in the last few years for kitchen flooring. They are often cheaper than the more traditional options, such as real wood and poured concrete. That is not to say, though, that vinyl flooring, similar to lino flooring for kitchens and other materials, are less durable. Vinyl is a very hard-wearing material. Not only this, but vinyl flooring is water-resistant, which is great for kitchens where liquids can easily be split onto the floor.

You should also be aware that vinyl or sheet vinyl is easy to lay down yourself. If you enjoy DIY in the home and are good at it, why not try laying the vinyl floor yourself? This would decrease costs, too, which is great for your budget.

You might even want to invest in luxury vinyl tile, as this will decrease your chances of having to replace the floor. The vinyl itself is very easy to maintain and often only needs a wipe clean, and it is also stain-resistant.

Vinyl comes in a range of patterns, and you could even purchase vinyl tiles that look like traditional materials, including wood grains, smooth stone, and so on. This material is great for exploring your options of style within busy kitchens.

Laminate Flooring

A man installing new vinyl

Laminate floors are ideal for achieving the same look as hardwood floors. Choosing laminate will give your kitchen flooring a modern look. It will also be durable and have cost-effective benefits.

What’s more, if you choose waterproof laminate flooring for kitchens, any spillages on this surface won’t cause as many problems as solid hardwoods. Since it is completely waterproof, this will reduce your costs in the long run for your laminate floor.

However, you should watch out for cheap laminate because this is more likely to warp or peel. You should invest in higher-end laminate flooring, as this will serve you better in the long run. To ensure the longevity of laminate flooring, we recommend that you clean it with a damp cloth. If you use a wet mop, this could potentially allow the water to soak under the laminate and cause warping.

Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles

You might be on the hunt for real stone tiles such as slate, but you might also be interested in porcelain and ceramic tiles, which are popular choices for kitchen floors. These types of floorings have been used for many years, but they have become increasingly expensive. If you have the budget for this type of tile, you might very well be interested. Tile sizes can be up to you.

You will most definitely need to get a professional to lay any natural stone tile because it will be very heavy, and you don’t want to risk damaging yourself or the tiles by dropping them due to the expense. Once laid down, stone tile is very durable and what’s better is that it is stain-resistant.

When you clean natural stone or manufactured stone tile, it can become very slippery. The floor tiles should be trodden on with caution, which makes them slightly less ideal for family homes. You might want to ensure you’ve got footwear with a good grip – including your slippers!

Some top tips for cleaning these types of floor tiles are the following: with porcelain or ceramic tile, you can use detergent, but on natural stones such as slate and granite, you should use warm water instead.

Wood Flooring

When it comes to real wood flooring, there are some things you should be cautious about. Now, kitchen wooden flooring has that glamorous and timeless aesthetic that looks fantastic in any kitchen, but it can also be high-maintenance and susceptible to damage. If you are up for the challenge, then wood flooring may be your choice.

You may want to avoid solid wood flooring, as this is the type of material most inclined to warp, especially under the temperature changes in the kitchen, which brings excessive moisture. Solid hardwood flooring also dents and marks very easily.

Instead, you should opt for specially engineered wood flooring, as this is made to be more durable and moisture-resistant. Engineered wood will expand and contract in keeping with the temperature and so is better equipped to handle the kitchen.

You can easily replicate hardwood floors with either vinyl or laminate flooring but have the extra low maintenance perk. The aesthetic of wood is very much always on-trend, so it might benefit you to look for options that will last longer without getting damaged. However, if you are experienced with real wood, you can always give it a go. Apply linseed oil to keep the wood looking polished and healthy.

Other Alternatives

There are more options for what is the best flooring for a kitchen, which is not often chosen, but one of them may appeal to you!

Rubber tiles can be great for you if you are on a tight budget, they are usually hard-wearing, and wet areas will cause less damage than water damage on wood. However, rubber can be scratched, so you may need to implement a wear layer to protect the floor.

Bamboo is a great eco-friendly option. It is very easy to maintain, much like rubber and is very water-resistant. You can simply wipe it clean.

installing new rubber tiles

Cork flooring is also great for kitchen flooring. It is soft underfoot, so research has found it is good for your joints and the sole of the feet.

Concrete flooring is another option but can only be used on ground floors. Stained concrete or polished concrete tiles will add a luxurious style to your kitchen floor tiles. Polished concrete is very strong and can withstand most things. However, the drawback is that it is costly.

Underfloor Heating

If you want to install underfloor heating, the best kitchen flooring to use is stone. You can also use laminate flooring, but you must consider the limits. Laminate tile heating should not exceed 27 degrees Celsius, as this will lead to damage. On the other hand, the stone is equipped to deal with higher temperatures and even retains the heat well. You should be aware that cork is not compatible with underfloor heating as it will warp.

Best Kitchen Flooring for Your Home

What is the best flooring for a kitchen, then? The answer certainly depends on your needs and preferences. Now that you are more aware of kitchen flooring options, why not look up kitchen flooring ideas?

This could help you decide which style and material will be best for your project. An added interest might be whether you can find the floor in the pattern you want!

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