If it’s time to upgrade your kitchen, you’ve probably been saving inspirational images of cabinets, hardware, backsplashes, and even appliances for some time. But before you even get to those decisions, you may want to make a flooring choice first. Not only will your flooring choice affect all other kitchen design decisions, but it will also need to flow with the flooring in the rest of the home.
Fortunately, there is not a shortage of options. On the contrary, from wood to tile or stone, there are many beautiful kitchen flooring options available to suit all design aesthetics.
Here are some of the most popular choices to consider for your kitchen:
Hardwood Flooring
In any kitchen, hardwood flooring provides a traditional feeling of warmth and comfort. Hardwood floors are known for their beauty and prestige, as well as their durability and cleanability. Options such as oak is a popular choice because it comes in neutral colors and provides durability. Other options could include walnut, ash, cherry or maple.
Hardwood floors are available in two types: solid and engineered. Solid floors are created from single pieces of wood and are carved into various shapes. Options include strip flooring that is attached to the sub-floor, plank flooring that has larger boards, and parquet flooring that is available in a square or geometric pattern to create different designs.
Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP Flooring) is a type of flooring that is made to look like real wood. It is one of the most popular types of flooring on the market because it is so versatile and durable. LVP Flooring comes in a variety of colors and styles, making it easy to find the perfect match for your home décor. Plus, LVP Flooring is easy to install and care for, making it a great option for busy families.
LVP Flooring is extremely durable. It can withstand heavy foot traffic and furniture without showing wear and tear. Plus, it is waterproof, making it the perfect choice for rooms that see a lot of moisture.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is an ideal kitchen option because it is aesthetically pleasing and affordable. It shares many of the advantages of laminate flooring including the ability to mimic the beautiful texture of stone, marble, or wood flooring.
Vinyl is also durable, moisture resistant, and easy to maintain, so it’s also popular in busy living rooms and bedrooms. A simple dust mop is usually all that is required for cleaning and maintenance.
Marble Flooring
Marbleflooringboatsnaturalbeautyandisknownforitssuperior durability. It’s available in a variety of colors, and whether it is pure white marble, deep green marble, brown marble or gray marbles, marble is beautiful almost anywhere.
Choosing marble for your kitchen floor may be challenging due to the slippery properties of marble surfaces. Tumbled and honed finishes are recommended because they can help create traction on your floor.
In addition to the maintenance required to ensure marble flooring lasts a long time, marble is susceptible to stains from household liquids. A sealant should be applied to protect marble from liquids, such as soaps and detergents.
Ceramic Tile Flooring
Ceramic tile flooring is extremely popular in the United States because it is one of the most durable and long-lasting flooring materials available. It’s is especially well suited to install in high traffic areas with constant exposure to water or dirt, such as hallways and entryways.
Ceramic tile is available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, and finishes and range in size from a quarter-inch square to a 12” x 12” square. Shapes include square, rectangles, diamonds, hexagons, octagon, triangular, round, and others and they are available in an endless range of colors, including black and white and everything in-between with finishes that range from glazed to matte.
In addition to its strength, durability, and low maintenance requirements, ceramic tile is an attractive and durable alternative to many flooring materials.
Tile Flooring
Natural stone tile flooring has a strong and durable look and comes in many textures and colors. It can resemble rustic and traditional décor or be contemporary and elegant. Although stone tiles are expensive, they have a long service life.
Floors with stone tile are generally easy to maintain, usually requiring just a mop to clean. For extra durability and maintenance, stone should be sealed periodically given that kitchens often require constant cleaning, stone tiles should be moisture-resistant and stain-resistant.
For kitchen flooring, granite tile flooring is the best option because it is denser than other stone options. Granite is still vulnerable to stains, so it should be sealed and resealed periodically to preserve its shine.
With so many options to choose from, keep durability, functionality, and style in mind when choosing flooring for your kitchen.
