Until lately unless you were lucky enough to have a hardwood floor; the variety of materials available for kitchen flooring was restricted to just a few options?Vinyl, laminate or waterproof carpet tiles. The possibility of using stone flooring was generally restricted to those with larger budgets.
Nowadays however, the variety of affordable, good quality flooring available has increased tenfold and while you might be tempted to buy that beautiful stone floor you have seen in the showroom, you do need to ask if it will truly suit your requirements. Here we take a look at the pros and cons of four types of kitchen flooring.
Wood
Comes either as solid wood flooring or engineered planks. A superior quality wooden floor can last for many years if it is looked after properly. Like stone however, a wooden floor requires a lot of maintenance?It is more difficult to keep clean than laminate or vinyl. Wood is highly susceptible to water damage and staining so it is important to regularly seal the floor. One of the great advantages of this type of floor is the variety of wood types and hues which are available. Additionally wood can also be painted or stained to produce greater colour and style options.
Stone
Stone, slate and tile flooring are becoming increasingly popular amongst homeowners. While the cost of some of the different stone and tile varieties is still expensive when compared to a material such as laminate, the price has become, overall, more affordable. Maintenance should be considered when choosing a stone or tile floor?Natural stone is porous and as such requires increased care and attention (including reliable sealing), whereas porcelain or ceramic tiles requires very little maintenance.
When looking at stone, slate or tiles one should also consider choosing an option with a textured surface to help prevent slips and trips in the kitchen. Stone floors are known to retain cold temperatures so under floor heating should most certainly be given high consideration as well.
Laminate
One of the most common types of flooring used currently, laminate flooring has come a long way from the two tone square print designs of the late 80 and early 90. Now with modern manufacturing processes, laminate flooring is available in many different colours and designs?Some of imitation wood designs available are of exceptional quality. Laminate is affordable, reasonably easy to fit by yourself (although it is always best to use the services of a skilled fitter) and is waterproof. One of the major cons of laminate flooring is that it can wear easily in areas of high traffic.
Vinyl
Like laminate vinyl is an affordable flooring option and comes in a variety of designs. Vinyl is more scratch resistant than laminate but can be harder to clean, especially if the vinyl has a dense texture.
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