What floor is best for your kitchen?
Some popular kitchen flooring options would be Laminate floors, Marmoleum flooring, Vinyl flooring, Hardwood flooring, and ceramic and stone tiles. Each of these materials has its advantages, but the best kitchen floor is the one that is ideal for you and your family.
List your family’s lifestyle requirements and what you use your kitchen for. Do you use it solely for cooking? Does your family sit together and enjoy your meals in the kitchen? In many households, the kitchen is an extension of the living room. While you are busy cooking, your kids finish their homework or work on a variety of other projects.
If your kitchen is put to extensive use, you need to select flooring that can bear a lot of wear and tear. In these cases, durability is an important factor that needs to be considered while going through the available flooring options.
What to consider when selecting a kitchen floor:
Ease of Cleaning
If you are pressed for time, busy juggling office, household chores and kids, refrain from selecting a flooring option that makes demands on your time. Choose flooring that is easy to clean. Vinyl and ceramic tiles would fit your bill well. They do not require an army of chemicals and detergents. A simple moist mop is all that is needed to keep the floor as good as new.
Stain Resistance
Blessed with creative kids who love honing their painting skills on the kitchen floor? Opt for stain-resistant flooring without a second thought. Spills occur frequently in the kitchen. Instead of brooding over stained surfaces choose a floor that is impervious to stains. Whichever floor you choose, it is always better to wipe all spills; food or water immediately. However, floors like ceramic tiles are more stain resistant and give you some breathing time.
Budget
The family budget is a very important factor. Do not just go by the upfront cost of a floor. Also factor in the installation and lifetime costs. If you select a low-cost floor but have to spend a fortune in maintaining it, the purpose of the budgeting exercise will surely be defeated. Once you have decided how much you want to spend on the kitchen floor, you can invest in more expensive options like exotic wood floors or more economical ones like vinyl tiles.
Hardness
Ceramic and stone tiles are hard. If someone in the family is blessed with butter fingers they are best avoided. Vinyl and linoleum are more forgiving and increase the likelihood of reclaiming a glass utensil in one piece. A soft floor is also easier on your feet after a long day. Alternately, you could use a rubber pad in your working area to provide a soft cushioned layer under your feet.
Aligning a new kitchen floor with those already in your home
The interiors and flooring of the rest of the house are also important in deciding the ideal kitchen flooring. The kitchen floor should blend well with the rest of the house and yet be distinct in terms of practicality. Select patterns and textures that are striking and not oppressive. Last but not least, the kitchen is an area where you should enjoy working. Even routine chores like cooking or doing the dishes should not be oppressive. Also, keep in mind that your kitchen may be open to your guests.
Stepping into a cold kitchen is an extremely unpleasant experience. It should, therefore, be warm and welcoming. Keep your family’s requirements and your taste and budget in mind and choose sensibly from amongst a wide range of kitchen flooring options available at Di’s Floor Centre.
