|
Years ago linoleum was the most popular kitchen flooring. However, over time, many homeowners realized that it is easily scuffed, hard to clean and in general not a glamorous kitchen flooring choice.
Today, homeowners have gravitated away from linoleum to a wealth of new and more traditional kitchen flooring choices – from concrete to stone and tile to wood. Here we explore a variety of potential kitchen flooring options: Tile
Tile can be used to create truly custom kitchen flooring looks. The homeowner may choose one color or may use a variety of colors and accent tiles to create a look that perfectly represents their taste. These days, ceramic tiles come in a variety of textures, including Saltillo tile, which is reminiscent of a Mediterranean cucina. (However on a side note, keeping the grout on a kitchen floor looking clean and sparkling can be a challenge.) Concrete
Concrete can be used to create hardwearing, seamless and natural looking natural kitchen flooring. Nor does concrete kitchen flooring need to be the industrial gray color it dries, as home improvement stores sell a number of concrete stains that can be used to change the color. However, concrete is a porous material and over time it will develop a patina. To ensure that there are no spots or stains, it’s important to clean up spills – especially vinegars, red wines, citrus juice or oils as soon as they happen – as they can leave a permanent mark on kitchen flooring. Natural stone
Kitchen flooring can be fashioned from a number of natural stones, including: granite, marble, slate, limestone and natural quartz. All of these materials make for beautiful kitchen flooring, although limestone stains fairly easily due to its porous composition. Wood
Perhaps one of the most traditional forms of kitchen flooring, wood floors lend an aura of elegance to any kitchen. And, unlike natural stone or tile, keeping it clean is extremely easy, as there are no spaces between the planks. And of course, there is the old standby kitchen flooring – linoleum. However, over the past several years, due to increased competition, manufacturers have been developing new patterns that are designed to mimic the look of wood, tile or natural stone for much less. If tile, concrete, natural stone, wood – or even linoleum – sound like the right choice for your new kitchen flooring, a trip to your local home improvement store is a great way to get ideas and check out new products. In order to get an estimate on how much the materials will cost, measure the number of square feet of your kitchen, subtracting the area under your cabinets. While your home improvement store will be able to provide you with an estimate for your new kitchen flooring, you will need to also have an installer come out and give you a quote on laying down your new kitchen flooring. |
