7 Best Flooring Materials to Consider for Your Kitchen Remodel
Among the lists of materials to consider if you’re planning a kitchen remodel; countertops, backsplashes, cabinets and light fixtures usually dominate the list, but don’t forget flooring! Today’s kitchens are the nerve centers of the home, with high-volume traffic and activities that require durability, water resistance, and ease of cleaning. We're here to help you choose what works best for your family and your home!
Aside from your personal style and taste, you want to be sure your kitchen flooring is not only easy on the eyes but easy on the feet! You'll want to be sure it fits your budget, is available to fit within your construction timeline, and also meshes well with your overall design for your brand new kitchen remodel.
That may seem like an overwhelming list of things to keep track of, but that's the benefit of working with a design-build remodeler like Home Indeed! We have all of the resources you need to inform you and help make your decisions - every step of the way - under one roof.
If you're considering a kitchen remodel, but want to dip your toes into some important factors before reaching out to our team for a consultation, let's dive into some flooring options!
1. Vinyl Kitchen Flooring
These days, vinyl is one of the best flooring options for kitchen remodels, whether in sheet vinyl and/or engineered vinyl plank (EVP). Sheet vinyl can be installed as large sheets with few seams to prevent liquid spills from getting under the flooring. It’s durable, very easy to clean, and has a comfortable under-foot feel all year.
Best of all, it comes in so many patterns, colors, and textures that one is sure to fit your overall kitchen theme. In fact, EVP can be manufactured to look just like hardwood (and is laid down in planks like hardwood). It’s waterproof with a cushioned core, which reduces fatigue after long days in the kitchen. It can get dented under heavy furniture like tables and appliances, so use furniture foot pads or coasters under the legs to minimize this problem. Vinyl comes in a wide range of price points from 10 cents to $10 per square foot, so you have options that will likely fit into your budget.
2. Ceramic or Porcelain Tile
Ceramic or porcelain tiles are a classic kitchen flooring choice for several reasons. Made of hard-fired, glazed clay, they are very durable, waterproof, heat-resistant, and are easy to clean. Although they can be cold underfoot in the winter, you can always have radiant, under-floor heating installed in your kitchen remodeling plan to offset that.
To keep it easy to clean, the grout should be sealed on occasion. For almost any style theme, ceramic and porcelain are great kitchen flooring options with lots of versatility.
3. Cork
Cork comes from a type of tree grown around the Mediterranean Sea. When used in flooring materials, it is ground up and mixed with resins that make it water-resistant and easy to clean. Of all of these kitchen flooring ideas, cork flooring is probably the softest underfoot. And because of its textured surface, it isn’t as slippery when wet, a particular problem for ceramic and porcelain floors, unless you choose textured tiles with a non-slip surface.
Also, because cork is so soft, consider using furniture foot pads or coasters to protect it from becoming too dented underneath. You may consider area rugs for parts of the floor that receive direct sunlight to prevent fading as well.
4. Hardwood
Hardwood flooring has long been considered a “no-go” in kitchens and bathrooms because it can be susceptible to moisture damage and staining. Today, however, with robust polyurethane finishes and sealants, hardwood flooring is a choice you can make if that’s the look you love and you are willing to deal with the potential dents and scratches that can occur with heavy traffic. Those new sealants and coatings vastly improve the water resistance levels of hardwood floor planks.
Hardwood can be refinished to look new, and a lot of homebuyers love hardwood floors, so that’s another thing to consider. It does have a higher price point as well, but it feels softer underfoot and doesn’t hold onto the cold like porcelain and ceramic tiles can.
5. Natural Stone Tile
Natural stone tiles are a classic, luxury option for kitchen floors because they are very durable, for the most part. And, of course, natural stone tile comes with a luxury price point as well. Of course, there are many different kinds of natural stone, each with its own qualities. Some popular stone tile choices include granite, slate, limestone, sandstone, and marble.
Keep in mind that any stone flooring will require a bi-annual sealant application to keep it looking its best, and some stones are softer (and will wear out more quickly) than others. For example, granite is a very hard stone and will last for a very long time with good maintenance, whereas marble is better left for backsplashes and pastry countertops. Keep in mind that stone will be cold and hard on the feet as well.
Concrete or Stained Concrete
Concrete isn’t just for sidewalks and garages anymore. A growing number of homeowners are incorporating it into their kitchen floors as well. With the proper surface treatment, concrete can last indefinitely in high-traffic areas, and now stained concrete can add color, texture, and depth to the floor as well.
Textured concrete is slip-resistant as well. In order to keep looking its best, it does require a sealant update a couple of times a year.
7. Laminate
This is also an extremely durable, easy-to-clean kitchen flooring option made from four fused layers of material with a photographic overlay that can look just like hardwood or natural stone, but for far less expensive than real stone or hardwood.
Talk with the Cedar Valley Remodeling Pros!
If you are ready to get started on your kitchen remodeling project and need to discuss your options for the best types of flooring for kitchens, contact the kitchen experts at Home Indeed in Cedar Falls or Independence, IA, schedule a personal consultation with us today. Our team of kitchen experts is ready to answer your questions and help you make the best choices for your situation. We can also help you establish your budget and understand the timeline and schedule for your project. And be sure to check out our kitchen recent projects for all kinds of inspiration as you consider the possibilities for your kitchen renovation!
