Kitchen Flooring

A durable and good-looking kitchen floor add a lot to your kitchen remodel. There's a wide range of products for you to choose from to get just the look, durability and stain resistance you need.

Let's review the basic materials:

Tile - Looks good, durable and you can generally get the look you want. But it's not so easy to stand on and might stain more easily than other materials. Definitely not the right choice if you have kids or pets to deal with.

Stone - You can get a great look with a stone floor and it's strong, but you're dealing with the same disadvantages as tile. In addition, if the stone has too much of a polished look, it is likely to be quite slippery. You'll also have to seal it regularly. If you go for stone, a rougher look may be better.

Wood - Always a classic look and generally durable, but that's about all wood has going for it. Wood flooring has basically the same disadvantages as stone and tile, although it doesn't tend to be quite so slippery. But, just as with stone, you'll have to seal it regularly, and wood is very susceptible to water damage.

Laminates - If you want the wood look, don't mind the disadvantages, but don't want to have to seal it and need a little more stain resistance, a laminate can be a good choice for your kitchen floor. Keep in mind, however, that there's still the risk of water damage to a laminate floor.

Vinyl: Vinyl's biggest advantage is that you can get just about any look you like with it. It's also easier to stand on than the above products and more stain resistant. It's cheaper too. Probably the biggest disadvantage is simply that it can peel up.

Linoleum: There are more limitations in terms of appearance with a linoleum floor, than with vinyl, but once again, it's easy to stand on for long periods and it's stain resistant.

Concrete: This option has gained in popularity, but definitely has its disadvantages. But don't think grey when you think concrete. With concrete stains, you can have just about any color. However, there are few advantages to a concrete floor aside from its durability.

Carpet: Now here's something you won't see in many kitchens, and with good reason! Carpet feels good to stand on, but it gets dirty easily, and the kind of stains a carpet will pick up in a kitchen won't be easily removed.