When it comes to kitchen flooring, the choices almost seem endless. You can have a kitchen floor made of tile, wood, bamboo, concrete, or even rubber. But which is the right choice for you?
Here are 5 popular kitchen flooring options you should consider.
Hardwood Floors
Do you want your kitchen to have that homey, cozy feeling? If so, hardwood flooring might be the right option for you. Hardwood certainly has a more “traditional” feeling than some of the more modern options. And there’s no denying the beauty of a well-maintained hardwood floor in any room of the house. In fact, one of the advantages of using hardwood in the kitchen is that it can carry through to the living room, dining room and hallway, creating a unified, cohesive look throughout your home.
Since the kitchen is such a high-traffic area in most homes (with everyone going in and out of it several times a day) you need flooring that can take a beating. And hardwood can stand up to a lot of wear and tear, while still maintaining its beauty.
Vinyl Flooring
Have you ever dropped something made of glass on a vinyl floor and found yourself shocked when itdidn’t break? Well, that’s one of the advantages of vinyl floors. They have a resilient, almost bouncy quality that could one day save one of your favorite glasses or coffee cups.
Vinyl has many other advantages besides its resilience. One is the wide variety of styles available. No matter what your kitchen décor is like, or what its color scheme is, you can find vinyl flooring that will match perfectly.
Vinyl is also one of the most affordable kitchen flooring options. Not only is vinyl flooring budget-friendly, many DIYers find they can install a vinyl floor themselves in a matter of hours. Meaning they don’t have to pay someone else to do the installation.
Cork Flooring
Cork flooring is one of the trendier kitchen flooring options. If you want a kitchen floor that’s a little different and unique, cork is the way to go. Cork is also a good choice for the environmentally conscious. Unlike wood floors, which can’t be produced without chopping down some trees, cork can be taken without harming the tree at all. In fact, the tree will continue to grow and thrive long after your cork flooring has been installed.
Cork is also durable, so it can withstand plenty of kitchen traffic. And it’s water-resistant, which is important considering the spills and other mishaps that can occur in a kitchen.
One of the biggest advantages of cork flooring is that it’s comfortable to stand on for long periods of time. Anyone who’s ever stood on their feet for hours on end cooking a holiday dinner knows punishing it can be to your feet, legs and lower back. However, cork has a natural give, so standing and walking on it isn’t quite as hard on the body.
One drawback is that cork can be more expensive than some kitchen flooring options, like vinyl, or even wood. But if you do a lot of cooking, and suffer some aches and pains as a result, you might find cork flooring worth the price.
Laminate Flooring
One of the great things about laminate flooring is that it can mimic the look of other, more expensive flooring options. For example, would you like wood floors in your kitchen but just can’t pay the price. Well you can have a laminate floor that looks just like hardwood, and for a fraction of the cost. Laminate floors also require less maintenance than hardwood floors do.
Finally, laminate is also affordable and easy to install. In fact, it can make for a great DIY project.
Now for the cons. Without proper padding (which costs a little more) laminate floors can be a bit uncomfortable to walk and stand on for long periods of time. Laminate also doesn’t hold warmth as well as other flooring types. So if you want a glass of water in the middle of a cold winter’s night, you’ll have to put on socks before you go to the kitchen to get it.
Ceramic Tile Floors
Ceramic tile is another popular kitchen option, and for good reason. It comes in an almost endless array of styles and colors, and a ceramic tile floor can be absolutely gorgeous when installed properly. Ceramic tile is also durable and, for the most part, easy to keep clean.
However, ceramic tile has many of the same drawbacks as laminate. Walking on ceramic tiles can be hard on your legs and feet, and cold to walk on barefooted. Ceramic tile also isn’t easy to install. In fact, most suggest you hire someone to install ceramic tile for you rather than trying to do it yourself.
When choosing kitchen flooring, there can be a bewildering number of options to choose from. But, with so many options to choose from, you’ll be able to find flooring that’s perfect for your kitchen…and your budget.
