Flooring for Kitchens

The flooring material should be chosen in such a way that it should possess the qualities like style, stain resistance, and durability. If comfort factor is the top-most priority, one should start with cushiony options such as carpet, linoleum, vinyl, etc. If one has pets and kids toiling around, it’s better to go for polyurethane-coated wood, laminate, etc. as these materials would help a great deal in providing durability. If one has grandparents staying or frequently visiting, waxed wood and marble flooring should be strictly avoided, as they would cause leg slipping. Thus, the pulse of the kitchen design is in the hands of flooring.

One may never know when he may end up spilling something on the new floor. No matter who the culprit might be one would be able to wipe it off as early as possible if the flooring consists of linoleum, laminate, or vinyl. Other materials like concrete, wood, or stone flooring would need special sealants for getting an easy cleanup. If one has an environment-friendly nature, he is advised to go for linoleum only, as it is manufactured out of natural materials.

Out of all the above choices, carpet is the least suitable. Thus, practically, use of carpet makes no sense. Though its raw material consists of Berber (which is very durable), it is subject to constant spilling. If at all one wishes to have carpet as kitchen flooring, he should keep it away from the major work area. Decorating with area rugs would be a better solution if something soft and warm underfoot is desired. Concrete, tile, and stone are best suited for radiant heat system.

It should be made sure that new flooring doesn’t have so much of height. This is required because the appliances need to be prevented from getting rolled out. This would then make the replacement or repairing of the appliances difficult. The better option would be installing the flooring below removable appliances. Let the most widely used flooring material, vinyl be studied.

Vinyl flooring is better known as ‘resilient flooring’ due to its capacity of bouncing back to shape. It comes in tile or sheet form. There are two types of vinyl available-Inlaid and standard. In the first one, pattern and color go through core material. In the second one, a process called ‘rotogravure process’ is used, wherein the pattern and color get printed on a sheet which is layered between clear, thick, upper surface (known as wear layer) and a vinyl core (foamy). Inlaid vinyl is believed to be more durable and dense. Both these types possess a coating of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The only disadvantage is that this flooring requires, frequent cleaning, as it is not stain-proof.