A kitchen is a special place in the home.
It is a natural gathering place where groceries are put away, meals are prepared, and it is the scene of many family conversations. With the amount of foot traffic in and out of the kitchen, and because almost any preparation of food is likely to involve spills and crumbs falling from countertops, the kitchen floor can get messy in a hurry.
With this in mind, choosing the best flooring to fit both your needs and kitchen theme can be a bit of a process. Here are a few tips to consider before you take the leap of installing new floors.
1. Cleaning and Maintenance
It shouldn’t be surprising that this is at the top of the list. The amount of activity that takes place in the kitchen, combined with the potential for accidents from the handling of food and beverages, the question as to how easy it is to keep kitchen floors clean is essential.
2. Personal Style
After considering how easy a kitchen floor is to clean and maintain, its appearance is generally the next most critical consideration. This gets down to personal preferences in terms of aesthetics and personal taste in material.
3. Comfort
Given the amount of foot traffic a busy kitchen floor is likely to be subject to, comfort also is an important consideration that can be easy to overlook. If you’re the type of person given to spending considerable hours standing in the kitchen preparing food, the last thing you want is to experience fatigue from a floor that’s not comfortable.
4. Budget
No matter how the other considerations rank from one individual to another, the budget can often be the deciding factor. Fortunately, there are flooring choices for kitchens that are easy to clean, stylish, comfortable, and affordable.
What Type of Kitchen Flooring Is Right for You?
There are many choices that, to some degree or the other, meet the considerations listed above:
- Hardwood floors
- Tile floors
- Laminate floors
- Vinyl floors
- Stone floors
- Bamboo floors
- Linoleum floors
- Cork floors
- Carpet tiles
- Concrete Floors
Narrowing Down the Best Choices for Your Kitchen Floors
With almost a dozen types of kitchen flooring to choose from, it may seem overwhelming to examine each option in detail. If you’re not sure where to start, here are four choices you can’t go wrong in selecting.
Tile Kitchen Floors
In terms of ease of cleaning and maintenance, it’s hard to beat tile floors. They are virtually impervious to spills and stains, as well as dust and debris, and they are more than hardy enough to handle excessive foot traffic. In most instances, tile floors can be cleaned easily by just regular sweeping and mopping. For those spending a considerable amount of time preparing food in the kitchen, tile floors may present a challenge for standing on them for long periods of time. This can be alleviated by wearing comfortable shoes and placing a few throw rugs in high traffic areas.
Vinyl Kitchen Floors
Perhaps the best quality about this versatile and economical option is that it can realistically mimic any other type of flooring. Whether that be tile, hardwood, stone or other options, there are countless styles of vinyl flooring due to enhanced computer graphic depictions. It is also easy to stand on for long periods of time. Vinyl has undergone a recent transformation from that of the past and is extremely durable, easy to clean and comes in an almost unlimited number of stylistic choices.
Hardwood Kitchen Floors
Perhaps the most popular flooring option for kitchen flooring is hardwood floors. There is a certain timelessness about it and they tend to last for many years, but furthermore, nothing conveys that rustic feel and comfort than genuine hardwood. Though it handles stains and spills, you have to be aware of the potential accumulation of dust and debris within the seams between the wood planks. Like tile, those spending considerable time in food preparation may need to utilize rugs or mats as well as wearing comfortable shoes.
Laminate Kitchen Floors
Similar to vinyl in its ability to mimic all the other flooring types, but at a lower price point, laminate floors are also quite easy to maintain. Additionally, they are durable and withstand the rigors of a high volume of foot traffic from adults, kids, or pets. Laminate is highly resistant to scratches and stains and is easy to maintain with regular and routine cleaning.
What type of flooring is best suited for your kitchen? If after digesting this information you’re ready to have a close up look at some of the options you’re considering, Remnant King Carpets offers a diverse and complete line of flooring products for every need and every budget. Contact us today to set up an appointment for a free consultation and estimate.