How To Choose The Best Flooring For Your Kitchen

Redoing or remodeling your kitchen floor can be very overwhelming but if you bite off a small chunk at a time it is very doable. How do you choose the best flooring for your kitchen? Know your style and what your options are. Here are some valuable tips to make this activity more enjoyable and easier to accomplish.

• Determine your home design style before you start.
• Determine your budget.
• Decide if you will install your flooring or if it is better to higher a professional.
• Hardwood flooring is not only beautiful looking but easy to maintain. It will last for years if taken care of. It is nailed to a subfloor and it is on the expensive side. It is susceptible to moisture and humidity. Adds value to your home.
• Laminate Flooring has many pluses. Scratch resistant, will not fade, and very durable. DIY friendly and easy to install. Some laminate looks very similar to real wood and texture mimics the look of real wood. Very stylish. Reasonably priced. Not moisture proof. Contains some chemicals.
• Engineered Wood is DIY friendly and quick to install. Easy to maintain and very durable. May dent and scratch easily. May fade with exposure to sunlight. More pricey. Layers designed to block moisture and provide stability. Will add value to your home.Vinyl Flooring tends to be more expensive. 100% moisture resistant. Very durable with its commercial grade wear layer. DIY friendly. Good for kitchens. Low maintenance and easy to clean. Can be damaged if a sharp object is dropped on it. Also not sun exposure friendly and may fade with consistent exposure.
• Ceramic Tile is often used in the kitchen. Very durable and impervious to water and stains. Easy to maintain. Very tough and difficult to crack. If it does crack it is relatively easy to replace. Grout however may stain and be susceptible to moisture if it isn’t sealed on a regular basis. You can DIY but it is time consuming. Cold surface underfoot.
• Cork Flooring gives floors a cushy feel to it. Absorbs sound and vibration. Non-slip surface. Easy to install however a professional can make custom designs. Lots of style options. Has to be refinished every 2 years. Not pet resistant. May fade if exposed to sunlight.Linoleum Flooring is making a comeback! Lots of styles and patterns. Eco-friendly. Good for quick fix. Hard to remove though. Really easy to maintain. Water resistant but not waterproof. Better to have professional install it.
• Concrete Flooring is very popular. It has the look of stone or marble and is easy to maintain. Needs to be professionally installed. Design options are endless. Can chip or crack if heavy object is dropped on it. Stain resistant. Noisy when walking on it. Expensive.
• Natural Stone has a beautiful timeless look. Durable and can be refinished if scratched. Professionally installed is best. Not stain resistant. Higher maintenance. More expensive. It isn’t as slippery as ceramic tile. It also offers some warmth to your home in the winter and coolness in the summer.

With so many choices your head might be spinning right now but come on! Don’t shy away from this. You can choose your flooring with confidence once you know the pros and cons of floorings available and what will work  for you. 

My hubby and I are in the process of remodeling our kitchen. We had some water damage from a faulty dishwasher and decided to overhaul the kitchen. We are doing this with a limited budget but that is okay because we know how to make it look beautiful with little investment. It will take a lot of elbow grease but my hubby is very talented in the department…like he amazes me often when something breaks, he fixes it! He is so talented that way! He researches, observes, talks to experts then goes to work. I love having a fix it guy in my home and as a bonus he just happens to be my bestie!

Let’s break this down to make it easier for you.

What’s Your Kitchen Vibe?

If you aren’t sure what your home design style is you can refer to this guide in finding your style here. We live in a 50 year old English Tudor. The kitchen needs a lot and I mean a lot of tender loving care! So to do our home justice, we want to make our kitchen an old world style space. I also lived in Europe while in college studying abroad so old world has meaning to me. Like a Tuscan or French Country type style. I’ve done a ton of research and looked through sooo many pictures! I love, love the look of this Figura Kitchen. This company is located in the United Kingdom and I am drawn to their style!

Anyway, decide what vibe you are going for and follow that path in choosing flooring. Truly you could probably choose a design in any of the categories mentioned above. Find the one that you feel will best fit the style you want, the degree of maintenance, water resistant, etc…

What’s Your Budget?

Before you dive into shopping for flooring it’s a good idea to know your budget. As you read over the different types of flooring, figure out what will be best for the budget you are working with. With all the options available, there are many choices that are budget friendly and those that are more high end.  You can choose where your best fit is. If you fall in love with a style but it doesn’t fit your budget, take a closer look at less expensive options and find something similar because most likely you will be able to if you are persistent enough.

Installation

If you are going to DIY, take a close look at how difficult or easy it will be putting your flooring in. If you feel a flooring is out of your league, don’t despair because an installer can make all the difference in how your flooring will look. A professional can take cheap flooring and make it look high end. If installation doesn’t scare you, then make sure you have the necessary tools, know how and give it a go!

Hardwood Flooring

PROS:

• Beautiful look
• Lasts for ever
• Easy maintenance
• At least 9 different wood varieties
• Harmless and non -toxic
• Timeless look never goes out of style
• Easy installation

CONS

• Not necessarily recommended for kitchens because of the possibility of water spills..you decide
• Prone to scratches and dents
• Flooring has to be refinished every 2-3 years.
• Wood is prone to swelling if it is humid.

Hardwood is such a beautiful option for flooring if you are looking for something more high end. If you have an open concept design in your home, this flooring works very well. There is no seam in your flooring so it has a continuous attractive look however It is affected by water, heat, and humidity. 

Laminate Flooring

PROS:

• Cost effective.
• Very popular among home owners.
• A myriad of options when it comes to wood colors.
• DIY friendly.
• Comes in planks or tiles.
• Stability and seams won’t open up with humidity.
• it’s durable and easy to maintain.

CONS

• Susceptible to moisture. Issues if you let water sit on it.
• Be diligent and check the warranty on your wood flooring before purchasing. The longer the warranty the better quality.
• Laminate flooring will have to be replaced once it wears out.
• Stay clear of cheap laminate flooring.

Engineered Wood Flooring

PROS:

• DIY friendly.
• You can apply right over a floor that is basically in good condition.
• Durable.
• Stable.
• Lasts a really long time!
• Moisture resistant.
• Resistant against temperature change.
• Looks similar to hardwood.
• Very stylish.
• On the expensive side.

CONS:

• High Maintenance.
• Sunlight exposure will fade flooring.
• May be potentially weak.

Ceramic Tile Flooring

PROS:

• Budget friendly.
• Lots and lots of beautiful options!
• Maintenance free.

CONS:

• If you drop a heavy object on your tile, it may chip or crack.
• If you don’t use a textured tile, it can be slippery when wet.

There are four types of tile to choose from. Each with its own look and you can choose according to the home design style you want to create in your kitchen.

1. Glazed Ceramic Tile has a sheen to it and comes in many designs and colors.
2. Quarry Tile is unglazed and has a rough texture making it less slippery than the glazed kind.
3. Porcelain Tile is stain resistant and very beautiful.
4. Terra Cotta Tile is rustic and unglazed. Comes in a variety of earthy colors. However it is not stain resistant and has to be sealed from time to time.

Cork Flooring

PROS:

• Soft and cushy underfoot.
• Absorbs sound.
• Absorbs vibration.
• Because it is non-slip, great for kitchens.

CONS:

• Has to be resurfaced every two years to keep it moisture free.
• Not as durable as other floorings so may damage easier.
• Pets nails may damage floor.

A creative flooring that might be a great fit for. your kitchen vibe. Give it a look.

Linoleum Flooring

PROS:

• Linoleum is making a come back! Lots of unique choices of styles.
• Eco friendly.
• Works for a quick fix.
• Durable.
• Really inexpensive
• Water resistant but not waterproof.

CONS:

• Has to be refinished every two years.
• Hard to remove when installed if you plan to change it out.

This isn’t your grandma’s linoleum to coin a phrase! Very versatile and lots to choose from. If installed correctly, it may be hard to tell that it is actually linoleum.

Vinyl Flooring

PROS:

• Less expensive.
• Durable.
• Water Resistant.
• DIY friendly.
• Scratch resistant.
• Lots of colors.

CONS:

• Could possibly fade if the quality isn’t great and your flooring has a lot of sun exposure.
• Can’t be refinished.

Concrete Flooring

PROS:

• Resembles stone and granite.
• High end looking.
• Durable.
• Long lasting.
• On the pricey side.
• Lots of possible custom design.
• Great for radiant heated floor.

CONS:

• Could chip or crack if something heavy is dropped on it.
• Cold in winter if. you don’t have radiant heat.
• Noisy. May echo when you walk across your floor.

Concrete is a beautiful, creative flooring choice and works great for radiant heating in your kitchen but oh in winter….

Natural Stone

PROS:

• Very beautiful.
• Offers some insulation to your flooring.
• Goes with about any style of home design.
• Very durable.
• Eco friendly.
• Non slip surface unlike ceramic tiles.
• Stain resistant.
• Water resistant.

CONS:

• Very expensive.

Natural stone can make your home look warm and inviting. It is very high end and expensive. If budget is a factor in your flooring choices this may not work. However you can find other flooring choices that have the look of natural stone. If budget isn’t a factor then go for it if this is the look you want in your ktichen.

Granted there are a lot of choices here and maybe your head is still spinning with all the info. Don’t let it though. Start from square one with your design style. Then figure out your budget. Shop around and look at all your options. Stack them up side by side, consider the pros and the cons. Remember to look at how it goes with the rest of your kitchen design. Take it one step at a time. Be confident and pick out your flooring!