Ideas for Kitchen Floors

Tile

• Tile is a favorite choice in kitchen flooring. It's durable, long-lasting and easy to clean. It comes in a wide variety of colors, textures, shapes and sizes and fits almost any decor style. Porcelain, ceramic and natural stone are just a few of the options available in tiling materials. The primary downside of tile is that grout lines have to be kept clean, although sealant mitigates the problem. Tile is also hard to stand on for people sensitive to solid surfaces and will likely shatter any breakable item that's dropped on it.

Vinyl

• Vinyl is often the least expensive of the kitchen flooring options, but changes in design and quality have given vinyl a new lease on life in home remodeling circles. The colors and patterns available are practically limitless. Vinyl is easy to design around and coordinate with kitchen accessories, is softer than tile and is easy to clean. Vinyl floors can hold up to years of heavy traffic, is stain resistant and fairly impervious to water damage.

Hardwood

• Hardwood kitchen floors help create a warm, welcoming space. While it's not as forgiving as vinyl, wood floors are easier on the legs than tile. Hardwood is available in everything from oak to bamboo. Issues that should be considered before you purchase hardwood flooring for your kitchen are the humidity levels in your house and the amount of wear and tear you expect the floor to take. Pets can be tough on hardwood floor surfaces, and humidity will cause the planks to expand and contract. If you love the look of hardwood floors, install them for your own personal enjoyment. According to Fox News, wood floors do little to increase the selling price of a home.

Laminate

• Laminate flooring is made up of synthetic materials that look like surfaces such as cork, bamboo or other hardwoods. There's generally a water-resistant inner core that makes laminate flexible, durable and comfortable. Laminate floors don't need the kind of maintenance wood floors require, are less expensive than wood, are scratch-resistant and easy to install.