It’s no secret that the kitchen is the heart of a home — more than just a space for cooking, it’s the place where family and friends congregate, projects are finished and meals are shared.
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Of course the kitchen needs floors that can stand up to the kind of ongoing use that the kitchen requires. How do you know which kitchen flooring options make the most sense for your kitchen? What is the best kitchen flooring for you?
To help answer these questions, here’s a look at some top kitchen floor ideas in the market today. Whether you’re designing a brand-new kitchen or renovating the one you’ve got, evaluating the different styles and types of flooring that work well in busy kitchens is a great place to start.
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Ceramic Tile
A long beloved kitchen flooring option, ceramic tile is a durable, versatile and attractive option that can fit a wide range of styles and budgets, with prices that range from $3 to $8 per square foot, not including installation. No matter what your decorating taste, kitchen floor tiles can usually offer options that work for you.
- Advantages: Ceramic tile is easy to clean, designed to last a long time and available in a wide range of styles, shapes and colors.
- Disadvantages: On the other hand, ceramic tile tends to feel cold beneath your feet, and it can cause back/leg fatigue when standing on it for a long time. When it gets wet, it becomes slippery. What’s more, even though it’s easy to clean overall, the grout tends to discolor and has to be regularly cleaned and sealed.
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Solid Hardwood
Choosing hardwood kitchen floor styles is a timeless option with incredible warmth and beauty. For about $4 to $12 per square foot, uninstalled, you can pick the stain and type, and you get a flooring style made to stand the test of time.
- Advantages: Both trendy and traditional, wood floors are a design choice that never goes out of style. They can work with a wide range of decorating sensibilities, from modern to classic — and even in areas with a lot of moisture, they can be durable.
- Disadvantages: While timeless and resilient, wood does scratch and dent. What’s more, water leaks from appliances or unexpected flooding can severely damage it.
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Laminate
When you want the look of tile or hardwood but with a lower price for your kitchen floor, laminate flooring can be a great option. Available for $2.50 to $8 per square foot, not including installation, laminate floors are made from layers of engineered materials.
- Advantages: Easy to clean, affordable and available in various designs, laminate floors are a low-cost, attractive choice.
- Disadvantages: While laminate mimics the look of wood or tile, it’s not exactly the same. What’s more, it can’t be refinished the way wood can; eventually it has to be replaced.
Vinyl
The days of choosing vinyl just to save money are over. While it’s true that vinyl is still an affordable option at between $1.75 and $5 a square foot uninstalled, it’s also true that vinyl is looking more and more attractive as new styles and designs come available today. In the current market, you can choose from vinyl that’s made to look like wood, stone, ceramic tile and more.
- Advantages: A vinyl kitchen floor is typically inexpensive, easy to clean and attractive. It’s also comfortable underfoot, which is a nice perk in the kitchen.
- Disadvantages: Compared to other kitchen flooring options, vinyl is less resilient. While it can last as long as 20 years, it can start to show damages after just five years. What’s more, it can easily bubble, get torn or have a dulled finish. One of the biggest issues, though, is that vinyl floors emit volatile organic compounds (VOC), especially when new; many manufacturers have taken steps to reduce the amount, but you’ll want to look into it when choosing a vinyl kitchen floor.
Are you looking to build a new home? To learn more about great kitchen designs, come to Donald A. Gardner Architects! We are your resource for quality house plans of all kinds. Contact us today to learn more!
this article has pointed me to wood. As I am aging, tile while can be very nice with the choices out there, being slippery when wet can be a danger to aging hips. thank you for the article.
Thank you, Laura!
As for me, I would still consider tile floors for kitchen since that’s where the place for mess – same with the bathroom. But it all depends on the homeowners’ personal choice of floors.
Thank you, Derek!
You pointed out that ceramic tile is easy to clean and lasts a long time. My husband and I just moved into a new house, and we want to renovate the kitchen to get it to where we want it. We have three young kids, so they can be quite messy at times, so maybe it would be nice to have a tile floor that’s easy to clean up.
Thank you, Lillian!
Just be aware that grout can be a BIG problem. It tends to stain very quickly and has to be professionally cleaned and sealed every few years. Choosing a darker grout color is important, as is making the grout lines thin. With a family of kids, their friends, and pets, I’d definitely choose a different flooring. I speak from more than 25 years of dealing with tile kitchen and bath floors. Never again.
That’s a great point! Thank you!!
You can clean and seal it yourself, it doesn’t have to be professionally done. Additionally, going with a darker grout color helps greatly. There are also “zero grout” options. We had hard wood in our first house; the refrigerator had a leak and ruined the flooring under the refrigerator and about a foot in front of it. We had to replace the entire floor. I’ll take a little grout labor over that any time! Of course, to each his/her own right? It’s all about knowing the options and pros and cons. Tile is “cold” but you can easily put heating underneath it these days… or wear house shoes.