The best flooring for your kitchen
You might not spend much time paying attention to your kitchen flooring, but it can have a huge impact on the overall look of the kitchen, cleaning requirements and maintenance. There are many options available, but they’ll need to fit certain criteria to be suitable for this particular space.
When choosing kitchen flooring, you’ll need to consider durability, moisture-resistance, and comfort underfoot. And on top of all that, you’ll want it to look good against the rest of your kitchen fittings. So, what’s the best kitchen flooring? We’ve put together a list of options available, along with their pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision for your space.
Kitchen flooring needs to be durable, moisture-resistant, comfortable underfoot, and stylish. Tiles (gloss, stone-effect, or patterned) are hard-wearing, water-resistant, easy to clean, and range from modern to bold design statements. Whereas wood-look options (engineered wood, laminate, vinyl, parquet) provide warmth and style, are often at a lower cost and have better water resistance than solid wood.
Tiled kitchen flooring
Tiles are likely the first thing that comes to mind when you think of kitchen flooring. This classic, more traditional option is the go-to for a reason. Tiles are durable, stand up well to water, and are easy to clean. There are a few different types to choose from, so let’s take a look at what each one offers.
High gloss tiles
High gloss tiles give you an ultra-modern look and are great at creating a light and fresh space. They reflect light a lot better than matt surfaces, with this added brightness creating the illusion of a larger space. Because of this, they’re a great option for smaller kitchens.
The smooth non-porous surface comes with another benefit too; they’re water-resistant. So, any spills can just be mopped up without the risk of being absorbed into the flooring. This also means that dirt is much easier to clean up with a damp cloth or mild cleaning product. Just make sure to clean any spills up quickly as the high-gloss finish can be slippery when wet.
Their reflective surface makes them a great choice for kitchens with darker cabinets too, as the light they’ll reflect will balance out the darker matt surfaces and prevent the space from becoming closed in.
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Stone effect tiles
Stone effect tiles are a great way to bring the classic natural look to your kitchen without the extra hassle of installing authentic stone tiles. In recent years, stone-effect porcelain has come a long way, giving homeowners the look they want with easier maintenance and at a lower cost.
Plus, as porcelain is non-porous, it provides a water-resistant surface, perfect for the kitchen environment. This style of tile is available in many varieties, from marble to terrazzo, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Patterned tiles
Want a floor that makes a bit more of a visual impact? Patterned tiles make the flooring a key focal point of the room, while also giving you an opportunity to express yourself. While patterned tiles were a staple of 70s interior design, they’re back on trend in the 2020s, whether you’re leaning towards a geometric pattern or something a little softer like a floral pattern.
To balance out a busier floor and avoid overwhelming the space, keep your kitchen cabinets and worktops relatively plain.
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Wood or wood-effect kitchen flooring
Many current interior trends focus on bringing the outside indoors, making wood a much more popular interior staple. This comes in the form of natural oak furniture, unpainted wooden panelling, and of course, wooden flooring. There are multiple ways in which you can embrace this trend, from solid wood to a more affordable laminate or wood-effect vinyl.
Engineered wood
While solid wood flooring is an option you may be considering for your kitchen, it’s worth looking into engineered wood too. This option provides the natural look that solid wood flooring is known for but has been designed to offer better moisture resistance and higher durability. Engineered wood flooring is made up of a few different layers:
- A hardwood veneer on top
- Layers of plywood or HDF in the middle
- A stabilising, moisture-resistant bottom layer
So, you get the wood-look of the real wood top layer, the stability and durability of the middle layers, and the water-resistance of the bottom layer. It’s also possible to add a layer of lacquer or varnish on top of engineered wood flooring for a little bit of extra protection.
Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring is a more affordable option that can also give you a realistic wood look. This tough stain-resistant, water-resistant and scratch-resistant flooring also holds up well to high traffic and pets, making it a great option for kitchens. It’s also much more affordable than real wood flooring and is slightly easier to clean and maintain.
Plus, laminate is a cushioned flooring, which means it’s softer underfoot and perfect for busy kitchens.
Vinyl flooring
If you’re considering vinyl flooring for your kitchen, make sure you go for the more durable Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVF). This flooring has been developed to closely mimic not only the look, but also the texture of real wood, and it’s available in several styles and colours.
It’s waterproof, so it can withstand splashes, spills, and humid conditions without warping or getting damaged. In fact, LVT is generally the most waterproof flooring for your kitchen thanks to its 100% waterproof core. This also makes it easy to clean, so you can keep on top of any kitchen accidents without having to scrub at them or use any harsh chemicals.
Another big advantage is that it’s available in large rolls, so you can lay your floor without creating seams that could impact waterproofing. And like laminate, it’s softer than many other flooring options, making it more comfortable underfoot.
LVF is also available in tile-look options, which is a firm favourite for homeowners as it offers the benefits of all LVF flooring without the hefty price tag that you’d get with real stone tiles.
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Parquet flooring
If you’re looking for wooden flooring but you want something slightly more visually interesting, parquet flooring is a great choice. This creates a much more dynamic look than standard parallel planks of wood, and is a popular style that’s available in solid wood, engineered wood, LVT, and laminate.
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Is underfloor heating a good idea for a kitchen?
Underfloor heating is a great choice for a kitchen for a few reasons. Firstly, as your kitchen floors are likely hard floors, they’ll be cold underfoot, especially in the winter months. Underfloor heating will solve this issue, making it more comfortable to walk around in your kitchen. There’s also the space-saving factor to consider; having your heating under the floor negates the need for radiators on your walls, leaving you with more wall space for much-needed storage or seating.
It’s worth noting that only certain flooring types are compatible with underfloor heating. It’ll generally work well under engineered wood, LVT, laminate and tiles, but won’t work well under solid wood.
In short, the best kitchen flooring comes down to your preferences and needs of the space. You can get a stone or wood look without having to pay a premium for the material thanks to clever options like luxury vinyl tiles and laminate. Or if you want something a little bit more dynamic, patterned tiles and parquet flooring can create more visual interest that makes a visual impact. For more information on the flooring we offer at Wickes, check out our tiles and flooring buying guide.
FAQs
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