Flooring is the fifth wall which needs to be planned with great care. Besides looking good, the flooring needs to live up to your requirements of being firm yet non-noisy, it needs to be heat resistant and should wear and tear proof because movement of appliances in the kitchen is possible, most appliances being heavy. Also, the flooring must match the décor of your kitchen and must neither stand out boldly, diluting the ambience of the rest of the kitchen nor get lost into the other furniture (cabinets) and furnishing.
It is necessary to choose a material with a long life as changing the flooring of the kitchen is not easy. It should be easy to clean and should not take to stains easily because spilling and dropping is common in kitchens. Also, though smooth flooring is easy to clean, it is necessary that it not be so smooth that you skid.
Some practical flooring options for the kitchen include;
Ceramic Flooring
Ceramic tiles are commonly used for kitchens floorings because of the variety available in colours and textures. However, care needs to be taken in choosing floor tiles, for they need to be hard enough to withstand high traffic and falling of utensils. Sadly, though ceramic tiles look great, the hardness of tile is a little hard on the foot and doesn’t help in sound control either. Besides, though ceramic tiles are easy to clean and maintain the grouts between the tiles are subject to stains. To avoid this, large tiles can be used.
Stone Flooring- Granite, Marble and Slate
Slate looks great if you want to give a country look to your kitchen. Marble and granite too look great too but are slippery and dangerous to work on. The best part about stone flooring however is that it is tough and durable. While purchasing stone flooring, it is necessary to purchase a stone that is completely non-porous so as to avoid water or oil from seeping in. Also, like in ceramic tiles, the grout between stone is also likely to get discoloured with stains.
Wood
One of the most stylish options for kitchen flooring, wood lends a classy look to your ambience and is now available in a variety of colours and designs. You could use two contrasting shades to differentiate dining and cooking areas if you have it so. Wood is easy on the legs and is easy to maintain and highly durable, of course subject to the variety of wood purchased. Wooden floor could be slightly noisy, but if care is taken to choose the right variety of wood, this can be avoided. Wood is prone to scratches, so that could be a drawback. However, wood floors can be sanded and refinished regularly.
Vinyl
Vinyl is the most budget-minded, good looking option available in the market with the maximum choice in colours and designs. It is easy to install and clean especially if it is without any embossing. Embossed vinyls are a little difficult to maintain. The drawback of vinyl flooring is that it gets discoloured easily and needs to be taken care of with sharp objects. Its edges are also like to curl up and start chipping soon.
Laminates
Laminates for kitchens are most cost-effective and look great. Again, they are available in a variety of colours and designs to suit your kitchen décor. They ape the real wood flooring effectively and are easier to maintain and install.
In case you are looking at environment friendly options for your kitchen flooring then you can choose between linoleum, bamboo and cork flooring.
Linoleum
Linoleum is made from linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments and is environment friendly. Depending on it grade, linoleum flooring is usually durable and water resistant. It can be easily cut out used to create designs and concepts in flooring. It is naturally anti-microbial and easy to maintain.
Bamboo
Bamboo, made from bamboo grass is an effective green flooring option with the look of wood. Bamboo grass is a rapid-renewable resource and thus eco-friendly. It is durable and resistant to insects and moisture. However, like hardwood it too is prone to scratches and chipping.
Cork flooring
Cork flooring is made from the bark of cork oak trees is another eco-friendly options widely used. Available in sheets and tile, cork is highly durable, soft and thus noise-free and comforting to the feet. It is moisture-resistant, antistatic, insulating and easy to clean.
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