The most popular kitchen flooring for your remodel
Published: October 25, 2018
The kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where you connect with loved ones after a busy day, create memories, and—sometimes—make messes.
Kitchen renovations give you an opportunity to make your kitchen exactly what you want it to be, and that includes the kitchen floor.
Choosing easy-to-maintain kitchen floors means you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying the company of friends and family—and, your floors will still look great!
When it comes to durable kitchen flooring, your main choices fall into three large categories: tile, hardwood, and resilient. While you’re exploring your kitchen flooring options, keep these questions in mind:
- How well does this type of flooring handle moisture or water?
- What kind of care is required for maintainance?
- What styles are available for this variety of flooring?
Tile floors in the kitchen
Tile is a long-time favorite among homeowners for their kitchen floors—and, for good reason! Kitchen tiles are a practical and beautiful choice, and they come in many different design styles.
The most popular types of tiles for easy-care kitchen floors are ceramic and porcelain. Classic ceramic tile is durable, and it comes in a wide range of sizes and colors. Porcelain tile is just as long-lasting, and it is growing in popularity.
Did you know? Porcelain tile can be made to look like granite, other natural stone tiles, and even wood planks.
All you really need to clean kitchen tile flooring is a broom, soft mop or rag, and clean water. Sweep regularly and mop once per week. Follow manufacturer recommendations for cleaning your grout.
PROS
Kitchen tile is durable and easy to clean, two must-haves for a hardwearing kitchen floor that you love for a long time. Both ceramic and porcelain tile are:
- Very durable
- Water resistant
- Stain resistant
- Versatile
CONS
There aren’t many cons to having tile in your kitchen. The only complaint we sometimes hear from homeowners is that tile floors can be cold, especially in the winter. If you’re worried about your floors being cold underfoot, consider installing radiant heating beneath your tile floor for added warmth.
Hardwood floors in the kitchen
We love hardwood floors for timeless, long-lasting beauty. Hardwood in the kitchen is a classic choice, and if you have hardwood in the rest of your home, bringing it into the kitchen makes your rooms cohesive.
While hardwood requires a bit more care than tile, maintenance is still easy. Simply make sure to clean up spills as they happen, sweep regularly, and mop once per week according to manufacturer recommendations.
PROS
Hardwood floors are always an on-trend choice for kitchens. Hardwood is:
- Classic
- Durable
- Simple care
CONS
Hardwood floors are more sensitive to moisture and wear and tear than other kitchen floor options. If you’re worried about spills or very heavy foot traffic in the kitchen, tile or resilient floors might be a better choice for your kitchen.
Resilient floors in the kitchen
Love the look of hardwood, but don’t want to worry about potential moisture damage or staining on your kitchen floors? Resilient floors might be the way to go.
Get the look of wood in your kitchen without durability worries »
Resilient, also called luxury vinyl, is a versatile, affordable, and long-lasting option for hardworking kitchens. Coming in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and looks, resilient floors look good and stans up to everything your kitchen might throw its way.
For complete water protection, consider waterproof composite flooring. It brings the style of hardwood or even tile, with the worry-free benefit of being a 100% waterproof floor.
PROS
Resilient is one of our favorite flooring options for kitchens because they are:
- Easy to care for
- Scratch resistant
- Stain resistant
- Water resistant (some resilient floors are even 100% waterproof)
- Affordable
- Stylish
CONS
You can’t go wrong by choosing resilient for your kitchen floors. Putting resilient floors in the kitchen ensures that you’ll have durable, easy-care flooring that compliments your home and your lifestyle.
