The Best Kitchen Flooring Materials For Your Home

As kitchens become, increasingly, the centrepiece of a modern home, it is important to consider what materials would be most suitable for kitchen flooring, both for aesthetic and practical purposes. Whilst it is important for a kitchen to have a nice appearance, the reality is that a kitchen is a working area which suffers a lot of wear and tear, probably nowhere more so than the floor.

So, what are the pros and cons of the types of kitchen flooring commonly in use?

Carpet
Whilst carpet may offer comfort underneath your feet; there is little doubt that it is the most unsuitable floor covering for a kitchen. However careful you are, it is inevitable that there will be the occasional spillage, resulting in stains and stickiness underfoot.

Tiles
Tiles can certainly make a kitchen look attractive, especially if a nice design is chosen and they are well fitted. This, however, is a small benefit when weighed against the coldness underfoot, not to mention the inevitability of breakages of crockery when dropped; or, if something heavy but unbreakable is dropped on the floor, the tile itself is likely to break. This can be quite a problem, especially if that particular design is no longer available.

Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are, undoubtedly, great to look at; however, once again, any crockery dropped onto a hardwood floor is almost certain to break. These breakages, whilst inconvenient, may also be dangerous if you have young children or animals in your house. Another disadvantage of hardwood flooring in a kitchen is that it is very susceptible to staining should anything be dropped on it. This stain can ruin the effect of what is likely to be an expensive floor.

Vinyl
Vinyl is a popular kitchen flooring, and with good reason. It is both waterproof and stain resistant. It can come in the form of tiles, or simply rolled out to fit your kitchen. Vinyl is very strong and hard wearing and offers a softer surface should crockery be dropped on it. If you have young children, especially those of crawling age; it is a much safer product for them. Vinyl comes in different styles and colours, and often mimics wood grain quite effectively. Its main disadvantage is that it is easily damaged by sharp edges which it comes into contact with.

Laminate
Laminate flooring offers the appearance of natural wood flooring, albeit at a greatly reduced cost - cheap laminate flooring is never hard to find. It has the added advantage of being easy to fit and can be done by yourself without the additional cost of employing others to lay the flooring for you. Because of its smoothness, it has no cracks in which food and other substances can get stuck; this helps to make it one of the most hygienic floor surfaces which are also very easy to keep clean. It is not without disadvantages however, especially its environmental impact. Because it contains many chemicals to bind and strengthen it; it is not easily recycled.

Lino
Lino, or to give it its correct name, linoleum, is perhaps the best all round kitchen flooring material. This is supported by the fact that it has been used for this purpose for over 150 years. Lino is extremely hard wearing and cost effective, often lasting for well over 25 years. It is available in a wide range of designs and is water resistant, which is great for the inevitable kitchen spills. Adding a touch of warmth to the room, you will appreciate its benefits on colder days, as will any younger children or pets that you may have; and for those concerned about the environment, lino is recyclable and can be bought with partial recycled content.

Article Tags: Kitchen Flooring