Here at Mayfair Kitchens, our vast experience in providing the finest kitchens in Cheshire and beyond has seen us gain some valuable insights. One of these insights is what we would recommend as the best type of flooring for your kitchen. We’ve complied a list of what we believe to be the most prominent types of flooring, for each given kitchen design…
Hardwood flooring is often considered to be the ultimate flooring choice within the market and never seems to go out of style.
Also popular throughout the house hardwood flooring can create a seamless flooring affect throughout the home if the same material is used. Hardwood also benefits from lasting for long periods of time and when the wood begins to look tired and worn you paint, stain or even refinish your floor to bring back a burst of life to it and make it look as good as new.
When considering Hardwood for your home its important to consider the two different types of Hardwood:
Engineered hardwood is created by the layering hardwood on top of each other in a cross-grain arrangement. It is typically used when a concrete sub floor is present within the home. Generally engineered hardwood copes with damp and wet conditions far better than its solid wood counter part and it is often very difficult to actually tell the difference.
Created from single pieces of wood and is the obvious choice for wood enthusiasts. When purchasing hardwood you have the choice of purchasing either finished or unfinished, allowing more flexibility with how you want your home to be.
The disadvantages to solid wood include the restriction of installations in damp conditions. It cannot be installed in wet or damp conditions so bear that in mind when considering solid hardwood.
Further more when deciding what Hardwood flooring you want it is also important to consider several factors including colour, species, texture and width to ensure you get the correct flooring to suit the feel and look of your home.
One of the hottest trends in the Kitchen and flooring industries currently, Bamboo offers a style and durability to the kitchen that is also environmentally friendly. Bamboo although technically type of grass gas proven to be tougher than a lot hardwoods that are often found in the kitchen and it comes in several variations much like hardwood, so you can pick the perfect floor for your kitchen.
The lifespan of Bamboo is also considered to be long lasting. Furthermore Cork is fairly comfortable to stand on for long periods of time unlike its hardwood counterpart. Although Bamboo is prone to damage such as scratching and denting from heavy objects and pets. The biggest issues with Bamboo is an under layer must be present when installing over concrete due to Bamboo being highly susceptible to moisture.
Cork is not the most popular type of flooring available in the current market. It does have several benefits when used in a kitchen. These include a natural resistance to water, heat and mould. Additionally Cork is also very soft and springy so it makes standing and cooking in the kitchen for long periods of time far more comfortable and if you drop a breakable item the odds of it are considerably reduced when you have a Cork floor compared to other flooring types.
Although durable does have some issues including fading and unevenness in high traffic areas such as in front of the range and in areas of direct sunlight.
Often the cheaper alternative to Hardwood flooring, laminate flooring is a multi-layered material that has been fused together and contains a high-resolution image on the surface of the flooring.
Traditionally flooring enthusiasts have looked down laminate on, but as of recently this has changed. This is largely due to the high quality levels that are now present within the laminate flooring sector.
It is now often for people to not be able to tell the difference real wood flooring and vinyl wood affect flooring. Additionally laminate also deals far better with damp and is considerably more durable than other flooring surfaces that can be used in the kitchen.
Other benefits include click and lock laminate planks, which allows you to lay your own flooring within your kitchen. Its is advisable when doing this to ensure you have purchased a waterproof core flooring to stop damage to your floor if you have any spillages in the home.
With laminate flooring you should certainly consider that you get what you pay for with this flooring. The cheaper the flooring the lower the quality will be. Therefore meaning the less likely it is to resemble to the type of flooring you want and it will generally not last as long.
Known for its durability and ease of cleaning Vinyl flooring offers the perfect solution for a busy kitchen.
Vinyl flooring offers a solution and look suitable to pretty much every other type of flooring currently on the market including tile and wood flooring.
More commonly known ad Lino, Linoleum is a product made from linseed oil, wood flour and cork dust over canvas. Known for its durability against water, heat and scratching, it makes an ideal surface for a high footfall kitchen. Furthermore it also benefits from being leg friendly, with soft under foot properties you will not find your legs getting achy with Linoleum flooring.
Although when considering Linoleum flooring bear in mind that it is less versatile than its vinyl counterparts.
Rubber flooring makes the perfect option for Kitchens, due to how resilient and hardwearing it is. Furthermore there are a wide variety of colours and styles that are available when choosing your rubber floorings. Some of these styles included studded flooring or completely smooth flooring. Furthermore there is the option to have pretty much any colour you can think of.
One of the most common types of flooring that can be found in a kitchen. The two most common types of tile flooring being ceramic and porcelain. Porcelain Tiles are ideal for high traffic areas within the kitchen. This is because they are made of denser clay that is bound together with sand, which gives it more hardwearing properties. There are two different types of porcelain tiles – glazed and non-glazed.
Other types of tile that can be used in a kitchen include:
Simple yet stylish if utilised correctly, concrete flooring is possibly the most durable type of flooring we have on our list. Capable of withstanding high levels of abuse it is the perfect flooring for people with pets and children. The surface is easily cleanable and water resistant. Although one thing to bear in mind with concrete is that it is very hard so caution should be taken with children.
Concrete is known for its ability to absorb natural heat which will help reduce your energy bills, while helping to maintain warmth within your house. Concrete also come with a large variety of choices on the finish it needs. This can be anything from a coloured dye to a textured look. Your imagination is really your boundary with concrete.
So now we have covered the most common types of flooring for a kitchen, which type of flooring is best for you and your home? If you are thinking of a complete kitchen overhaul, contact us to see how we can help you get your perfect kitchen in your home.
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0151 644 9100
0151 644 9100