Which floor to choose for the kitchen: tiles, laminate, linoleum, parquet

Choosing a floor covering for the kitchen, you need to take into account a lot of nuances – ease of cleaning, resistance to abrasion and moisture, and much more. Which floor to choose for the kitchen? Experts report.

The content of the article:

When choosing a floor for the kitchen, you should initially answer to main questions:

• What exactly do you want?
• How much coverage is the budget for?
• What is the best coverage for your current or intended interior?
• Does the chosen option suit the requirements for kitchen flooring?
• Are warm floors meant, or will you just go for the usual ones?
• Will one material be used as a coating, or is a combination of materials envisaged?
• Do you need a visual increase in space, or is your kitchen large enough to choose the color of the flooring without restrictions?

Practical kitchen floor – properties

• Hygiene. Easy cleansing from dirt, grease. Possibility of using aggressive detergents.
• Resistant to moisture. After the bathroom, the kitchen is the second room actively exposed to water.
• Wear resistance. Abrasion resistance. Reliability, quality and durability of the coating.
• Impact resistance. Falling on the floor of a saucepan or cast-iron cauldron will not withstand any coating.

Of course, not every coating meets all these requirements. But you also need to remember about the presence of a suitable base, as well as the aesthetics and conformity of the coating to the overall appearance of the kitchen. Therefore, it is better to understand in advance the types of floor coverings and their properties.

Types of flooring for the kitchen

Parquet and parquet board in the kitchen

What do you need to remember?
Moisture-resistant wooden parquet, which is produced using new unique technologies, is not afraid of moisture. Neither parquet board, let alone two-layer parquet, will suffer even from a sudden flood in the kitchen (if, of course, the consequences of the flood are immediately eliminated).
When choosing parquet, pay attention to hardwood flooring – they are distinguished by high wear resistance and strength.
The parquet board must be treated with a compound that prolongs the durability of the material. Also, a thick layer of high-quality varnish will protect the tree from various negative influences.
The advantages of parquet, parquet board

• Wood flooring is the natural warmth in the kitchen.
• A wide range of wood species, colors and options for laying the board.
• Additional comfort in the house.
• Ecological cleanliness.

Disadvantages of parquet, parquet boards

• Despite the moisture resistance of modern parquet boards, it is advisable to protect the coating from excessive moisture exposure.
• Heavy or sharp objects falling on the parquet leave marks and the floor has to be repaired.
• High price.

Cork floor for kitchen

Coating advantages:

• Environmental friendliness.
• Natural warmth of the coating.
• Softness.
• Resistant to moisture, decay and swelling.
• Easy to clean.
• Antistatic.
• No marks after falling onto the coating of a heavy object.
• Variety of textures.

Disadvantages of cork for the kitchen

• Despite its many positive properties, cork flooring can suffer from sharp objects, hot fat and floods. This can be avoided by purchasing a cork sheet protected with a varnish (wax) coating.
• Lacquer or wax, in turn, spoils the natural feel of a cork floor.
• A cork floor based on MDF serves several times less than a pure cork floor.
• High price.

Ceramic and stone floor tiles – is it worth laying tiles in the kitchen?

Benefits of ceramic and stone tiles

• Solid general appearance.
• High moisture resistance – water is not terrible for tiles.
• Also, tiles are not afraid of chemicals, hot splashes of grease and sun rays.
• The tile is not subject to deformation.
• Cleaning is easy – the tiles are easy to clean.

Disadvantages of ceramic coating

• Ceramic tiles are resistant to impacts from heavy objects. She will not survive the fall of a hammer or a cauldron.
• Dishes that fall on the tiles will break in 99% of cases.
• Stone tiles are more shock-resistant, but the disadvantage here is their high cost.
• The stone and ceramic floor is cold to the feet. If you are used to walking barefoot, then for this covering you should buy yourself slippers, a moisture-resistant rug or a warm floor system.

What to remember when choosing ceramic and stone flooring?

• When choosing tiles for your kitchen, look for surface finishes so that your surface doesn’t turn into a roller when cooking.
• If you have children in your house, or you are just worried that you might accidentally drop something, then buy tiles with a margin. To replace the chipped element in case of damage with liquid nails.

Laminate in the kitchen – cheap or cheerful?

Benefits of laminate for the kitchen

• A wide range of colors (wood, tile, etc.).
• Resistant to high temperatures.
• Low cost.
• Ease of material replacement in case of accidental damage to the laminate.

Disadvantages of laminate for kitchen flooring

• Synthetic coating (not natural).
• Swelling with large amounts of moisture.
• Easily damaged by dropping heavy objects or moving furniture.
• Afraid of exposure to aggressive chemicals.
• Difficult to wash off grease and dyes.
• Collects dust quickly.

Linoleum for the kitchen floor – an economical and sustainable coating

Benefits of linoleum for the kitchen floor

• High moisture resistance.
• Abrasion resistance.
• Immunity to heavy objects falling.
• Low cost.
• Softness, heat retention is higher than laminate flooring.
• Easy to clean.
• Not afraid of grease and dirt.
• Wide range of designs.

Disadvantages of linoleum flooring in the kitchen

• Afraid of hot objects and high temperatures.
• Easily deformed in places where moisture accumulates.
• Does not like aggressive cleaning with chemistry (the appearance deteriorates).
• Torn by heavy furniture, refrigerator, etc.
• Excellent dust collection.
• Will fade over time when exposed to the sun.
• Inconvenient styling.

Of course, all of these disadvantages apply more to vinyl flooring. Natural linoleum (marmoleum) very durable and environmentally friendly. It has antistatic properties, is not subject to decay, and there are no traces on it after the movement of furniture. But it also costs significantly more than its synthetic “copy”.

PVC tiles on the floor in the kitchen – floor covering, easy to install and use

In fact, this is the same linoleum, but cut into strips or tiles. Accordingly, the main advantages and disadvantages are similar to the properties of linoleum.
Advantages of PVC Kitchen Floor Tiles

• The presence of an adhesive base, which provides quick and convenient fastening.
• Easy replacement of tiles in case of damage.
• Ease of combination, in comparison with rolled linoleum.
• Imitation of expensive material for little money.
• The material is pleasant to the feet.

Disadvantages of PVC tiles

• A large number of seams after installation, into which moisture enters afterwards. As a result, the tiles peel off and the floor covering loses its aesthetic appearance. To avoid this, all seams should be treated with a moisture-proof compound.
• Over time, swelling around the edges is possible.
• Damaged from falling sharp objects.
• Fades in the sun.
• Short service life.

Cement is a durable kitchen flooring

Benefits of Cement Coating

• Variety of surfaces. Not only a boring gray color, but also a pattern, speck, etc.
• Ideal for hot climates (the floor is always cold).
• High wear resistance. You can even say “indestructible”. Only an explosive device can damage such a coating.
• An ideal base for another coating if you get bored with concrete.

Disadvantages of cement coating

• Cold floor. You can’t walk barefoot.
• Complex styling. You can’t do without professionals.
• Porosity. And, accordingly, the need to create a special coating to protect against stains.

Bamboo flooring in the kitchen – comfortable or just trendy?

Benefits of bamboo flooring

• Environmental friendliness.
• Strength, elasticity.
• Wear resistance.
• Affordability, in comparison with solid wood.
• Beautiful surface drawing.
• Doesn’t require complicated maintenance.

Disadvantages of bamboo flooring

• Small assortment of colors.
• Less moisture resistance compared to other materials.
• Risk of deformation in case of high humidity.

Should I put carpet on the kitchen floor?

Benefits of carpet covering

• Nice to the touch.

Disadvantages of coverage

• The difficulty of cleaning. Washing grease or spilled soup off the carpet is very difficult.
• When wet, the carpet dries for a very long time and even begins to rot.
• Excellent dust collection.
• Harmful for asthmatics.

In short, carpet is the worst floor covering you can choose for your kitchen. If the desire to walk barefoot on “soft” even in the kitchen is irresistible, then there is always such an option as carpet or a separate piece of carpet… In case of contamination, it can be washed and dried on the balcony.

Combining flooring in the kitchen

If you cannot decide on the choice of material, then think about the option of combining coatings. It will not only allow you to lay both coverings you like, but also visually zone the kitchen. For example, cover the working area with tiles that are not afraid of moisture and grease, and the dining area with cork. What do you need to know when combining flooring in a kitchen?

• Materials suitable for the work area: linoleum, PVC tiles, ceramic tiles, natural stone.
• Materials for the dining area: carpet, cork, parquet, parquet board.
• Do not forget about the thickness of the materials – they must be equal. Or you will have to level the floor in one of the zones in accordance with the thickness of the materials.
• Transitions and joints should not only be aesthetically pleasingly hidden, but also protected from injury. The hostess should not stumble when moving from one zone to another.

What floor to make in the kitchen – design tips

1. Coarse coating pattern and large coating elements visually reduce the size of the kitchen. That is, they are not suitable for a tiny kitchenette. The smaller the size of the room, the smaller the elements of the picture.
2. The visual expansion of the kitchen is facilitated by block parquet, with small size dies, laid by the deck method.
3. Glossy finish increases the volume (visually, of course), matte – on the contrary.
4. Contributes to the creation of coziness in the kitchen color… The most “cozy” shades to cover are warm reddish and beige.

Kitchen style and flooring – selection rules

1. For a classic kitchen materials such as parquet, laminate and tiles that imitate natural stone are suitable.
2. Provence or country style: stone tiles (terracotta-dirty shade), aged parquet boards.
3. High tech: linoleum or tiles with imitation of dark stone.
4. Retro: carpet in combination with small-format tiles.