People often consider kitchens to be one of the most awkward rooms to choose the flooring for, given that there are a multitude of factors to consider. So, what should be considered when choosing the best flooring for kitchens? First and foremost, the kitchen is often the beating heart of a home and the area where you spend the majority of your time (while awake). For this reason, it is important that your choice of flooring looks fantastic within your own personal interior design requirements. You are going to be seeing a lot of this room so it needs to look great and that includes the flooring.

 

Of course the difficulty with kitchens is the high level of durability required. A high traffic area that is notorious for spillages and breakages, your kitchen floor needs to be practical to avoid any problems further down the line. Luckily, with modern improvements in flooring innovations and technology, there are a variety of options available which can live up to the demands of a high quality kitchen floor.

 

Hardwood Flooring


Appearance

The natural, timeless look of hardwood floors is highly desirable with its ability to enhance your home interiors by adding a touch of grandeur. Perfect for achieving a classic look for the style-conscious customers.

 

Durability

Customers frequently express concern about the durability of hardwood floors but there is no need to completely rule it out, as long as you are aware of a few basic maintenance requirements. When treated correctly, hardwood floors will last for an exceptionally long time, although bear in mind that hardwood floors are not compatible with high heels or pet claws. Therefore, if you like to throw a good party or if you are not so great at clipping your pooch’s claws then it may be advisable to opt for an alternative flooring.

It is also worth considering the two different types of hardwood floors: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. Generally, solid hardwood should be avoided if your kitchen is particularly prone to dampness and humidity. On the other hand, engineered hardwood has a higher level of resilience to humidity due to its layered composition.

 

Installation

The installation process is relatively straightforward for hardwood floors. While engineered hardwood is flexible in terms of installation, solid hardwood cannot be installed directly onto a concrete subfloor and needs to be nailed or stapled to a wooden subfloor.

 

Laminate Flooring

 

Appearance

Often when people think of laminate flooring, they think of homogeneous tiles that create an overall manufactured appearance, lacking the desirable authenticity of hardwood. However, the technology behind this type of flooring has improved significantly over the years; laminate flooring is now capable of delivering a convincingly realistic look and feel. Due to its synthetic composition, there is also considerably more flexibility in terms of design choices.

 

Durability

Laminate flooring is a highly popular choice for kitchens because of its impressive durability and ease of maintenance. A vacuum, broom or slightly damp mop are all sufficient in cleaning and floor wax is not necessary. Although it will not tolerate high levels of standing water, laminate flooring offers a considerable level of water resistance. Unlike solid hardwood floor, it can resist scratches and dents – so those long-clawed pets and stiletto heels will be just fine.

 

Installation

Another advantage of laminate flooring is the quick and easy installation, which consequently keeps the cost down. It is not difficult to see why laminate flooring is one of our bestsellers and a highly popular choice for kitchens.

 

Sheet Vinyl

 

Appearance

Similar to laminate flooring, sheet vinyl is available in a range of designs and can be manufactured to represent more natural materials like wood or stone. It also boasts a nice texture underfoot, with a pleasant spongy feel.

 

Durability

Almost completely impervious to water and resistant to dirt, sheet vinyl is renowned for its practicality. Although the water resistant qualities deem it suitable for a kitchen environment, the soft, spongy feel make it slightly more susceptible to damage if hard or sharp objects are dropped onto it. For this reason, it is a more popular choice for bathrooms; nevertheless, it is straightforward to maintain, stains can be removed with ease and it wears exceptionally well. As a result, manufacturers often sell their sheet vinyl flooring with a particularly long guarantee, usually around 15 years.

 

Installation

As with laminate flooring, sheet vinyl offers ease of installation and cost effectiveness. However, due to its malleable nature, it is crucial that the subfloor is thoroughly smooth, as sheet vinyl will mould itself to any contours.

 

Amtico

 

Appearance

Amtico is a luxury vinyl flooring and an exceptionally popular choice for a number of reasons. The Signature range has a translucent wear-layer which ensures that the wood effect looks authentic and realistic. With a total of 250 designs to choose from, as well as various customisation options including borders, decorative strips and design features, there is minimal restriction on stylistic preferences.

 

Durability

Made from six layers of heat-fused PVC, Amtico is a very hard-wearing floor that is easy to maintain and therefore ideal for a kitchen environment. Despite its practicality, it is also extremely comfortable underfoot, making it a great all-rounder.

 

Installation

Comprising a very similar installation process to standard vinyl flooring, the process is relatively straightforward. Just ensure that there is a suitably smooth subfloor before installation and the process should be quick and easy when carried about by a reputable professional.

 

Conclusion

 

Aside from the obvious avoidance of carpets, all of the flooring types listed in this article are suitable for a kitchen, dependent on your personal requirements. Ultimately, we tend to recommend Amtico due to its natural appearance, impressive durability, ease of installation and cost effectiveness. However, for those with their heart set on the authenticity of real wood then there is no reason not to opt for hardwood flooring, as long as you bear in mind a few minor maintenance precautions.

 

For further information, one of our Hudson Flooring experts will be more than happy to help, or pop into our flooring showroom in Sevenoaks for a chat.

Posted in Sheet Vinyl