Home Improvement DIY

If you’re thinking about installing a kitchen floor then the first thing you need to consider is actually what you are going to lay down.  Kitchens get a lot of traffic, muddy boot, dogs and cats, water splashing about.  Sound familiar?  They can be pretty chaotic places so you need a floor covering which is got to be able to stand the test of time.  Don’t simply go out and base your purchase decision on “oh, that looks pretty.”  There are a lot of kitchen flooring options so make sure you explore the ins and outs of each type before you do anything else.

One of the most popular kitchen flooring choices is tile.  Although ceramic tile might be the first type that pops into your mind, there are actually many more options available to you than that.  Some people aren’t keen on ceramic because they don’t feel it’s warm and cosy enough or they fear that it will get slippery when wet.  Tiles which are unglazed are much more difficult to keep clean than glazed tiles.  Because our lives are packed with so many chores the last thing you want to do is worry over keeping your floor tiles clean.

Some people who only think about aesthetics will find a wall tile they like and assume that it’ll be OK to install it on the floor.  This is very wrong!  They just aren’t designed for being on the floor.  They are thin and fragile and are perfectly fine for walls but they’ll crack very easily if you walk over them a lot.  Only ever install floor tiles on your floor ad they are much thinker and sturdier.

For alternatives to ceramic kitchen floor tiles, look to stone such as marble, slate or limestone.  Terracotta is also a lovely tile which has a very rustic and warm feel to it.  However the downside is that they are naturally porous and are not perfectly flat so tend to attract dirt more easily.  There are lots of things you can do to protect your flooring.  Special floor tile sealers are available on the market which does a really good gob.  Some people even use layers of wax.  This will help keep them in the condition you bought them and reduce your need for constant cleaning.

When installing kitchen floor tiles you will also want to use a grout.  There are different shades available, the darker ones hide dirt better but would look hideous with light colored tiles.  By using an epoxy grout you’ll be able to protect against stains and marks, when cleaning you should only use a grout cleaner.

You may well decide that you don’t want to install floor tiles in your kitchen for whatever reason.  Other flooring options you have include rubber, linoleum, vinyl, bamboo and concrete.  When installing a floor covering for your kitchen you should also take into consideration the style and décor of your home.  I you have a Victorian house installing rubber flooring might look out of place.  Whereas modern homes can get away with experimenting a lot more with flooring choices.

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