What should be the floor in the kitchen?

Recommendation points

• Ceramic tile
• Wooden coverings
• Parquet
• Solid board
• Parquet board
• Linoleum
• Layout and design

As you know, the kitchen is one of the most “inhabited” rooms in a house or apartment. Therefore, it is very important which flooring will be most suitable here, and moreover, it will be beautiful and not too expensive..

The specificity of such a room as a kitchen presupposes a rather aggressive environment – constant vapors, humidity, temperature drops, splashes of fat and hot water – all this reduces the life of the floor covering.

In addition, kitchen floors are cleaned more frequently than other areas. Based on this, for the installation of the floor in the kitchen, you should select a floor covering that will be the most resistant to this kind of impact, and at the same time will look quite aesthetically pleasing.

Ceramic tile

The most suitable material for these parameters is ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles are strong and tough enough, not subject to deformation, fire resistant and does not emit toxic substances. Floor covered with ceramic tiles does not fade under the influence of sunlight, does not deteriorate when exposed to chemicals and does not conduct electricity. Pathogenic microbes on such a floor quickly die, besides, ceramic tiles are very easy to clean.

A ceramic tile floor kitchen design can be made very appealing by combining the tiles with wall ornaments and the color of the worktops. Today, a variety of collections of this material are presented on the market, including mosaic panels, imitation of marble and parquet in different formats, etc..

However, ceramic tiles also have drawbacks, due to which some people refuse to use this material. If you drop something on the ceramic tile floor, it is likely to be smashed to smithereens (glass and china), or deformed (metal and kitchen utensils). Ceramic tiles are a cold material, so the owners may feel uncomfortable in the kitchen, besides, the tiles are usually slippery and this can threaten injury. Nevertheless, today ceramic tiles remain a very popular flooring..

Wooden coverings

People who like the feeling of warmth and comfort prefer wood as their kitchen flooring. There are many options here – parquet, parquet board, solid board, etc..

Parquet

Our traditional wooden covering is block parquet, usually made from hardwood, which makes this material quite expensive. Block parquet is laid out with “herringbone”, “wicker”, etc .; in terms of strength, this material is not inferior even to ceramic tiles.

Artistic parquet requires a more sophisticated manufacturing technology, and is even more expensive than a piece, but this floor looks very impressive and original. Some people are willing to incur additional costs to create a cozy and beautiful atmosphere in the kitchen..

Solid board

One of the best floor coverings is solid solid wood planks. Solid wood flooring is warm, natural and environmentally friendly.

Parquet board

The next wood flooring is parquet board. The parquet board is made from three layers of wood, covered with a special varnish and sold ready for installation. This flooring is resistant to high humidity and temperature extremes, which cannot be said about a solid wood board.

The disadvantages of wood flooring include their susceptibility to chemicals, grease, and difficulty in cleaning the floor. If drops of grease or coloring matter accidentally get on the wood floor, it will most likely leave permanent stains. Of course, a wooden floor can be protected with varnish or drying oil, but hot and sharp objects always leave their marks on it..

Linoleum

Therefore, very often such familiar and proven material as linoleum is used as flooring for the kitchen. It is much cheaper than other flooring and can look like parquet, wood or stone. Currently, linoleum is produced in a fairly wide range of colors, including in the form of imitation of these materials..

There is natural and PVC linoleum. With natural, everything is simple – it is environmentally friendly, does not allow pathogenic bacteria to multiply, is resistant to fire and exposure to household chemicals, does not attract dust. Natural linoleum is quite tough, does not deform from mechanical stress and temperature drops.

PVC linoleum is cheaper, and if you decide to choose it, it is better with a natural backing. Thick natural fabric lining helps reduce fatigue and static electricity.

Layout and design

Today, in modern design solutions for open-plan apartments, the kitchen is divided into zones not only by walls or a bar counter, but also with the help of combined floor coverings. When the combined space of the premises “flows” from one to another, then you can either clearly highlight a certain zone, or, conversely, make it like a continuation of the previous one. For example, in the case of a combination of parquet and tiles, the kitchen area will stand out from the overall interior of the apartment..

Whichever surface you choose, the kitchen should be in harmony with the interior of the rest of the apartment, and here a lot depends on the shape and size of the kitchen, as well as on the furniture used..

However, the most important thing in any kitchen is safety and the most comfortable working conditions. No beauty can be justified if, during cooking or other kitchen work, the owners are constantly in danger of injury..

Now it has become fashionable to arrange a kitchen area on the podium, even when it is technologically unreasonable. At the same time, the owners often do not think about how they will move from the kitchen to the dining room and back, transferring dishes and trays with dishes. The step formed during the construction of the podium can cause permanent discomfort and serious injuries, so you should always remember the main purpose of the kitchen and plan it with maximum safety..

In general, the material for the kitchen floor covering should not only be durable, beautiful, and moisture resistant, but also safe, allowing you to feel free and comfortable in the kitchen..

To take into account all these factors, as well as the compliance of your kitchen with the basic style of an apartment or house, it is best to use the services of professional designers..