When it comes to choosing new flooring, there are many things to consider. Personal taste, your budget, and the way the room will be used are major considerations when you consider all the options. Most people look at such choices as carpet, natural wood, tile, synthetics, and combinations previously stated.
If your kitchen floor is like most it gets a lot of tracking, spilled food, dropped pans, and scraping chairs. So it needs to be durable, easy to clean and low maintenance. Good choices are tile, stone, bamboo or cushion synthetics. Natural wood and carpet are poor choices because of the traffic.
Once this is established the next decision is budget. Kitchen flooring costs vary greatly. Vinyl and linoleum are less expensive. They will last ten to twenty-five years—depending on the traffic. Ceramic or stone tile is more costly but will last long past your lifetime.
Let’s face it. Some materials wear better than others. This is a major consideration in a kitchen which can be the busiest room in your house. Vinyl looks nice and cleans easily. It is also scratch resistant. Vinyl gives you a wide range of colors and patterns from which to choose one that looks lovely with your cupboards and is aesthetically pleasing to you. (Remember: You will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen!) Vinyl, however, fades in the sun so if your kitchen gets a lot of sun, you might wish to consider tile instead.
More expensive to buy and install, tile is very durable and a breeze to maintain. However, tile—particularly stone or ceramic tile—does not have a lot of cushion. This may result in a tired back and feet if you do a lot of standing. Tile can also result in serious injuries if you fall on it.
While linoleum is resilient, its production is not very environmentally friendly. It is also more costly than vinyl. But, it provides a good cushion for walking and standing.
Ceramic tiles last practically forever but they are costly and can be cold for standing. They also provide little in the way of cushion. Ceramic tiles can be very slippery. They are not recommended flooring for seniors or young children. Accidents can result in serious injury.
While wood floors are lovely to behold they dent easily and are hard to maintain. Spills can cause permanent marks on wood floor. Synthetic wood products are a good alternative if you like that warm, natural wood look.
When it comes to choosing a kitchen floor, there are many decisions to make and a wide range of options.
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