Choosing The Best Flooring For Your Kitchen
If you are like the majority of homeowners you spend a large part of your time at home in your kitchen. Whether you like to cook, entertain or just spend time with your family, the kitchen often becomes the hub of activity in a home. For that reason, the flooring that you choose to put in your kitchen is extremely important. Not only do you want something durable, but you also want a material that will fit your decorating goals and be beautiful.
There are many different criteria that you can use to choose your kitchen flooring material, but what most homeowners really fail to consider is the practical application of their choices. They look at color, price and popularity, but fail to think about exactly how the flooring will affect their lives. So, let’s look at the options from a practical standpoint.
Tile
First, tile is one of the most popular materials for kitchen floors available. It is durable, beautiful and can fit in well with the decor of your home. However, there are some downfalls to using tile in your kitchen that you may not have considered. First, tile can be a very cold material, especially on bare feet. If you are a late-night snacker or you have small children that may be a factor. Also, some types of tile are difficult to clean. Tile is also a very hard surface and can be difficult on people with bad backs or knees when standing in the kitchen for long periods. However, even with all of these bad points to consider, tile still remains one of the most popular and well-loved materials for kitchen floors.
Laminate
Laminate is often thought of as being a cheap alternative to other types of flooring, and while it can be, we aren't talking about the laminate that your mother had in her kitchen when you were growing up. Laminate has come a long way in the last several decades and is now one of the more popular choices for flooring in a home. It is easy to install, durable and versatile. In most cases, you cannot tell laminate from other products. It can be a good choice for a home with children because of its durability and easy maintenance.
Wood
Wood floors can be a good choice for a kitchen. They are beautiful and timeless. Also, depending on the type of flooring that you choose they are easy to clean and maintain. However, some types of wood floors can be tedious to clean and require a lot of upkeep. Be sure that you look into all of your options before choosing the right type of wood floor for your kitchen. Wood can be one of the easier products on bad knees and backs though so it is worth checking into.
Carpet
Let’s just say, don’t do it. Despite the comfort of walking and standing on carpet, it is an extremely inefficient flooring surface for kitchens. It is impossible to keep clean in a kitchen environment and does not hold up well to the high-traffic area of a kitchen.
When choosing the flooring for your kitchen, look at price, design and how it fits with your overall decor, but also think about the daily life implications that your choice will have on you and your family.

