Kitchen Flooring

When it comes to flooring, most homeowners rely on appearances alone when selecting a new floor.  However, it’s important that you do not choose a flooring material simply on looks alone.  One must keep in mind that the majority of work done in the kitchen is accomplished while standing.  Therefore, when searching for new kitchen flooring, you should look for a product that will be easy on your feet.  Extremely hard floors can be hard on one’s feet.  In addition, the kitchen is a water area, so you also want a material that will not be damaged by water. 

Then you have to consider the amount of traffic that your kitchen floor is subjected too on a daily bases.  In general, the busiest room in the average house is the kitchen.  Today, many homes are designed with keeping rooms, and dining rooms, which are opened to the kitchen.  This means that you want a floor that is not only durable but beautiful as well and being easily maintained is another advantage.  The following is a brief description about various types of kitchen flooring. 

Hardwood:

Solid hard wood floors are a very popular option for kitchen flooring as it is very versatile, warm under bare feet, and relatively easy to maintain.  However, before you purchase solid hardwood flooring for your kitchen, there are some disadvantages that you should be aware. 

1.      If your home is built over a concrete slab or below ground level (below grade), you should not install solid hardwood flooring unless you properly insulate the foundation.  If you install hardwood flooring over concrete slabs, or below grade, that is not properly insulated, large gaps between the planks often appear that is caused by the wood contracting and swelling due to changes in humidity. 

2.      Solid wood planks installed in wet areas such as kitchens can be exposed to excessive moisture especially if water pipes break can cause wood planks to buckle or cup. 

3.      When installing hardwood flooring in your kitchen, ensure that you make accommodations for the hardwood floors to swell and contract with the change in humidity.  In addition, the wood flooring has to be allowed to acclimate to the kitchen areas where it will be installed before installation. 

Laminate:

If you are considering installing laminate flooring in your new kitchen, you should know that it is not real wood.  Laminate flooring is a photographic image of wood, stone, ceramic tile, etc. that has been laminated on top of high-density fiberboard.  It is then sandwiched between two layers of durable plastic making the laminate flooring the most durable form of manmade wood flooring.  Laminate flooring is nearly impervious to stains, dents, is resistant to fading when exposed to direct lighting.  Laminate flooring is perfect for the active family’s kitchen.  In addition, laminate floorings usually come with a 10-year or more warranty.

However, laminated flooring does have some disadvantages such as the surface can become scuffed, marred, or scratched.  Once this happens, the surface cannot be refinished.  Another disadvantage is that excessive moisture including wet mopping, can damage the laminate flooring.  Therefore, it is strongly recommended never to wet mop laminate flooring.

Ceramic Tiles:

Ceramic tile flooring is another extremely popular choice for today’s kitchens as it is durable, and very easy to clean and maintain.  In addition, ceramic tiles are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.  Therefore, there is a style right for any kitchen décor.  In addition, ceramic flooring tiles range in price from less than $1 each to several dollars per tile, make it more affordable than other forms of flooring. 

Laying ceramic tile is a job that handy homeowners can do themselves with patience and a bit of guidance.  However, mislaid or unevenly spaced tiles will look shabby and removing them will be a chore, so if you doubt your abilities leave the installation to a professional.  Ceramic flooring tiles range in price from less than $1 each to several dollars a tile, and you will pay a premium for professional installation.

Though ceramic flooring has some great advantages, it also has some disadvantages such as its grout can be difficult to maintain.  Another disadvantage is that ceramic flooring is a hard surface and can be hard on the feet.  It can also be harder on your dishes and glassware if dropped.  Another disadvantage is that it can be very cold on bare feet.

Vinyl:

Vinyl is possible the most inexpensive type of flooring.  Vinyl flooring is often mistaken for linoleum however; the two are completely separate types of flooring.  Vinyl is a form of polyvinyl chloride, which is a type of plastic derived from oil.  Vinyl is available in both vinyl sheeting and peel-and-stick tiles.  Other benefits of vinyl flooring are that it is easy to install and available in a variety of colors and patterns.  Vinyl like other types of flooring does have some disadvantages.  One major disadvantage is that it can puncture and rip easily.  Another drawback is that the edges of vinyl flooring can curl.

Linoleum:

Linoleum was extremely popular in the 1950’s.  Today it is making a huge comeback mainly because it is environmentally friendly.  Many people mistake linoleum floors for vinyl flooring; however, they are significantly different types of flooring materials.  Vinyl flooring is a form of polyvinyl chloride, which is a type of plastic derived from oil and is not environmentally friendly.  Linoleum on the other hand is made from natural linseed oil, plant resins, wood fiber, and powdered limestone.  All of these components are then compressed onto a layer of jute.  One advantage of linoleum is that it has a natural resistance to bacteria, making it an excellent choice for kitchens.  Linoleum cost approximately $6.00 to $40.00 dollars per yard installed. 

Bamboo:

The first thing that you should know is that bamboo is not a wood, but a grass, which makes bamboo an excellent environmentally friendly source of flooring.  In fact, bamboo will grow back naturally after it has been cut, and can reach maturity in little more than four to five years. 

Bamboo offers several advantages such as durability, warmth, and beauty.  However, even though there are more than 1,000 species of bamboo, only a few are suitable for use as flooring.  Moso, is possible the most common species used for flooring.  Once Moso is harvested and dried, it is then cut into strips, and planed.  The bamboo is left natural or carbonized, which is the darker amber shade.  The final process is laminating the strips together to form planks.  

Carbonized bamboo has been boiled, which caramelizes the bamboo’s sugars, turning the bamboo rich, dark-amber in color.  The carbonization process does reduce the bamboo’s hardness by approximately 30%. 

Bamboo flooring should be maintained by simply sweeping or vacuuming it on a regular basis and it should occasionally be damp mopped.  However, over wetting will cause your bamboo flooring to cup and even deteriorate.   

In addition, when purchasing bamboo, be aware of “discounted” bamboo floors, which can be made of inferior materials.  These discounted bamboo floors often mold easily and quickly turn dull in appearance.  A good indication of the quality of the product is the warranty that is offered by the manufacturer and the supplier, in other words, the better the warranty, the better the quality of flooring.  In addition, if you are purchasing bamboo for its eco-friendliness, make sure the factory finish is formaldehyde-free.

Cork flooring:

Cork flooring comes from the bark of the cork oak, a tree that is a member of the beech family.  Every 9 to 14 years the bark of the cork trees is stripped.  Because this does not harm the tree in anyway, cork flooring an environmentally friendly form of flooring.  Cork is comprised of 30 and 40 million air cells, which gives cork the following properties:

•  Cork is warm feeling when you walk across it barefooted.

•  Cork is very resilient. 

•  Cork is impervious to both liquids and gases, making cork virtually water resistant.

•  Cork is hypoallergenic in that it does not promote the growth of mold or fungus.

•  Cork is remarkably durability.

•  Cork is a natural fire retardant.

Cork is a beautiful as well as unique material that has more benefits than any other type of wood floor covering.  If not properly sealed, cork will deteriorate when exposed to large amounts of moisture, such as damp mopping.  Another disadvantage is that deep scratches will permanently damage the floor.