Choosing the correct flooring for your kitchen is very important as it is one of the biggest expenses for your new kitchen as well as having a major influence on your colour scheme.
The floor on your kitchen will without a doubt be the most used part of the kitchen and it will have to be practical as well as nice looking. You will need to able to wipe off dirt and mop up spills quite often. You need to bear this in mind as well as the design aspect. There is no point having a beautiful looking floor that is impractical. It is definitely worth getting a flooring company in to help you decide as well as install it. You will also need help choosing the right base to put your new flooring onto such as concrete, linoleum etc.
Laminate Kitchen Flooring
Laminate flooring can be more practical in a kitchen than solid wood flooring as it is cheaper to buy, pretty much impact free and best of all, easy to clean.
If you choose the correct underlay you can even reduce the sound coming out of the kitchen and with the correct applications you can protect your new flooring from scratches and stains. This used to be the main problem with laminate floors of the past.
Wooden Kitchen Flooring
If you are after the natural wood flooring effect you could simply just sand and treat your floor boards. If this is not an option you can buy solid wood flooring at a very good price these days, even from as low as £25 per square meter.
A cheaper alternative is engineered wood flooring which gives pretty much the same result for as fraction of the cost.
Porcelain Kitchen Floors
Porcelain floors are similar looking to stone floors at a fraction of the price and nowhere near the maintenance hassle.
You get a much more uniform look with this type of floor as it is manufactured and not a natural product. You don’t need to seal after you have grouted and there is not the worry of cracking or chipping either. The colours are generally based around pastel colours but if you want something a bit different you could opt for the metallic effect tiles.
Concrete Kitchen Flooring
You can get all different colours in concrete floors these like striking reds and blues or the traditional finishes of grey and off whites. The tiles are about 33mm to 38mm in thickness and you can also use them to make worktops and a feature step to give that added feel of class.
Stone Kitchen Floors
If you are looking for a uniform or manufactured look in your kitchen then stone tiles are not for you. What they give you is a rustic and natural looking floor that is very hard wearing and will note break up or wear out in even the most used kitchens.
What colour to choose
The most popular finish for stone tiles at the moment are limestone and slate but becoming more popular is the textured and painted finishes. They all go well with traditional, country and contemporary style kitchens. One fitting style that is becoming frequently more asked for is to have fewer gaps, or grouting, between the tiles which give a stunning ‘pavement’ effect.
What is the maintenance like on stone floors?
You should avoid acidic floor cleaners which damage the waterproof sealing and for day to day use stick with a very mild cleaner. An impregnator should be used every 5 years or so to keep it waterproof and stain-free. If you follow these instructions you should get a lifetime’s use out of your floor.
Ceramic Tiles
The most popular flooring in kitchens, as well as bathrooms, is ceramic tiles. These can be very competitively priced from £8 per square meter and also give you a massive choice in terms of style and colour. They may not be to everyone’s taste but they are still the most popular type of kitchen flooring after all these years.
For those who want something a little different there is a new kid on the block.
Resin Kitchen Flooring
Not cheap at around £50 per square meter but the effect it can give is stunning especially in the biggest of kitchens. For kitchens, you need to go for the anti-scratch and slip finish or you may be making an expensive mistake. The gloss finish is the most popular choice.
