Best Flooring For Kitchen – The Ultimate Guide

What is the best flooring for kitchen spaces? We will cover the pros and cons of each in this blog post to help you pick a great option for your family’s needs! 

When designing a new kitchen or kitchen remodel in your home, selecting the right flooring is crucial. Not only does it affect the overall aesthetics, but it can also play a pivotal role in your home’s value and the functionality of the space. 

Think about how much time you spend in your kitchen every day. Whether you’re on your own or have young kids and pets, the kitchen is a high-traffic area. So, you want to consider durable options that will look great for many years and stand up to the high traffic that comes and goes daily. 

That’s why, in this guide, we’ll explore the best flooring material options for your kitchen. 

Let’s start this article with some considerations you should keep in mind when choosing among the various kitchen flooring options. 

Factors To Consider When Choosing Kitchen Flooring

Ultimately, there is no “best option” or “one-size-fits-all option” when choosing your home’s kitchen flooring. When deciding what’s suitable for our kitchens, we all have different needs and considerations. 

With that said, here are some of the most critical factors you should consider. 

Durability

I already said this above, but it can’t be said enough: your kitchen will see a lot of foot traffic, so you want flooring that can withstand daily wear and tear. But, this will look different for every home. 

For example, if you have large dogs, you may want to avoid using solid hardwood in your kitchen as it is very prone to scratching and denting. Instead, you’ll want a more durable kitchen flooring option. 

Alternatively, suppose you have young children helping you cook and bake regularly. In that case, you may want something that has more water resistance to handle the inevitable spills and splashes that happen in every kitchen.

It’s all about understanding your family’s needs and choosing a flooring that best reflects your lifestyle.

 

Style and Aesthetics

When looking at kitchen flooring ideas, it’s also a good idea to consider your personal style preferences and what will look good aesthetically with the overall design of your home. 

While it’s nice to enjoy this space for yourself, having an aesthetic design will also increase the value of your home. What a win-win! 

But how do you choose a flooring based on style and aesthetics? Here are some things you can consider. 

• Wide planks vs. narrow planks. 
• Patterns.
• Grain from the natural material.
• Color and finishing. 
• Warmth and coziness vs. a sleek and modern look.

Maintenance

Regular maintenance is key to keeping your kitchen flooring looking it’s best. However, all the flooring types have different maintenance requirements. 

For example, if you choose hardwood floors for your kitchen, you’ll periodically need to refinish the surface. Whereas, with vinyl flooring, you won’t need to do the refinishing, but you may want to add soft pads under your appliances and furniture feet to avoid scratching. 

Budget

Of course, your budget may significantly impact your flooring options. Not only do you need to factor in the cost of the material but the overall square footage of your kitchen area. 

We will not cover the flooring cost in this blog post as there are too many cost variables, including where you live, product availability, and so on. 

To learn more about the price, consider choosing two to three of your favorite options, and then get an installation quote from your local professional installation company. Even if you plan to DIY your installation, they can provide free quotes and may be able to source the materials at a lower cost than your local hardware store. Consider all the options. 

A professional installer can also give you other pointers and things to keep in mind for your kitchen, such as how the amount of direct sunlight your kitchen sees may impact your flooring or a similar but lower-cost option to fit your budget better.

Types Of Kitchen Flooring Materials

Now, onto the fun part – looking at the different options of flooring you can use in your kitchen! 

​Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is undoubtedly one of the most popular choices among homeowners, especially if they want to increase their home’s value. Furthermore, hardwood flooring has several different wood types and stain options, which are aesthetically pleasing, durable, and easy to clean. Plus, proper care and maintenance will make it last a lifetime. 

Some of the wood options you have with hardwood flooring include: 

• oak
• maple
• Cherry
• hickory
• walnut
• bamboo

Of course, no flooring is without its disadvantages. With hardwood flooring, you do need to be wary of the cost. Solid wood materials like this tend to be expensive no matter where in the world you live. 

Furthermore, hardwood flooring is highly susceptible to scratches, which is why it may not be ideal if you have pets with claws. They also aren’t water resistant, meaning they can get water damage if you spill large amounts of liquid or if your kitchen floods for any reason. 

Laminate Flooring

If you want something that mimics hardwood but at a fraction of the cost, then you should consider laminate flooring. But laminate flooring is still a great option, even if you don’t want a copycat of hardwood and would prefer something with a pattern or color instead. 

It’s also an ideal choice for anyone with kids or pets because it’s resistant to scratches, stains, and fading. Plus, keeping it clean and maintaining the look is effortless, perfect for those with busy households. 

Unfortunately, laminate flooring is not water resistant and can have a somewhat hollow or artificial feeling. 

Vinyl Flooring

It’s crucial to have durable flooring in kitchens, which is why luxury vinyl plank flooring or luxury vinyl tile is becoming so popular. First and foremost, vinyl flooring is exceptionally resistant to water. So, even with large spills or flooding in some cases, you don’t have to worry about your floors getting ruined. 

Vinyl flooring is also incredibly durable, so busy kitchens will look new for longer. Vinyl flooring also provides warmth and comfort to the space thanks to its soft design. 

Like laminate flooring, you can also get it in various colors, sizes, and faux wood finishes. 

Perhaps the biggest downfall to using vinyl flooring in your kitchen is that it is very susceptible to scratching and doesn’t feel like hardwood flooring. 

With that said, many homeowners are now looking for vinyl flooring in their kitchens because of the durability needed in this space, making this an excellent choice for your kitchen. 

Tile Flooring

Next on the list are tile floors, and this one is a bit more complex because of the variety of tile floors you can get, including ceramic tile, porcelain tiles, and natural stone tiles. You can also get them in different sizes, shapes, and colors, making it possible to customize your kitchen space to your personal style. 

Tile flooring is an excellent option for your kitchen because it’s incredibly durable. You won’t have to worry about it getting too scratched or stained. 

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It’s also incredibly easy to maintain and can add to your home’s overall value. 

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to tile flooring. One of the biggest ones is that it is hard and cold due to its type of material. If you’re able, add underfloor heating. 

You’ll also need to work to keep the grout lines clean and correctly filled in. 

Cork Flooring

And last but not least on this list is cork flooring. This flooring material is typically made from tree bark and is very eco-friendly. 

But can it be used in kitchens? 

Yes, it can, as long as you properly care for and maintain it. 

For example, you’ll regularly need to reseal it to protect it from moisture, stains, and spills. You’ll also need to protect it from direct sunlight to avoid fading over time. 

But, there are some significant advantages to using cork flooring. First and foremost, it’s very comfortable underfoot. This is great if you’re on your feet all day and want something nice to stand on. It also absorbs noise, withstands heavy foot traffic, and comes in different styles to suit any interior design.

Hopefully, by now, you’ve already been able to narrow down to your top two or three options based on your needs. But, before we end this blog post, we thought we’d answer some frequently asked questions homeowners have when choosing their ideal kitchen flooring. 

FAQs

What Are The Best Flooring Options To Put In A Kitchen With Pets?

Since most household pets have claws, you’ll want to consider one of the flooring options that is more scratch-resistant. A good option would be tile flooring, but luxury vinyl flooring or laminate flooring can be good options, too. 

What Are The Best Flooring Options To Put In A Kitchen With Kids?

If you have young kids, you’ll want to choose a floor that is durable, water-resistant, and easy to clean and maintain. With that in mind, your best options are vinyl plank flooring or laminate flooring. 

Which Flooring Option Is The Easiest To Clean And Maintain? 

Hands down, luxury vinyl plank flooring or laminate flooring is the easiest to keep clean and maintain since they don’t regularly need to be sealed or refinished. 

But it’s relatively easy to maintain any of these popular flooring choices, so don’t let that scare you away! 

As you can see, many factors determine the best flooring option for your kitchen. But the good news is there are plenty of options to suit your design style, lifestyle needs, and budget. 

With this comprehensive guide, you’re well-equipped to select the perfect kitchen flooring that suits your lifestyle and adds value to your home.

If you are doing some upgrades in your kitchen, check out this guide on kitchen caulking.