Making kitchen floors: a review and comparison of 6 different floor coverings
Modern kitchen floors can be absolutely anything: the times of linoleum as the only acceptable option, fortunately, have long sunk into oblivion. Tiles and tiles, wood and laminate, cork, porcelain stoneware, marmoleum - the choice is almost endless, you can only be stopped by the realization that the kitchen floor for many years should remain a model of hygiene and resistance to grease, moisture and unexpected mechanical origin ... These are just such recommendations usually begins and ends with the vast majority of articles on choosing flooring for the kitchen. No, no one argues that the requirements for the surface underfoot in this room are special, but the search for eternal “from all angles” material may deprive you of interest in the aesthetic side of the issue. And what’s the result: your kitchen cover is not afraid of heat, no cold, no water, no fire, no mold, but it doesn’t please the eye at all. Today we’ll talk about how to make aesthetically practical floors in the kitchen: consider design tricks and professional nuances that will undoubtedly become a good motivation for creating an original design.
Content
What are the requirements for kitchen floors?
The kitchen floor has to undergo a lot of daily tests - to contact with spray, grease, constantly moving stools, etc. Therefore, it must be durable, resistant to evaporation, plus it should be easy to clean up.
But at the same time, the floor in the kitchen is a kind of “foundation” of space, where the magic of family and friendly communication most often occurs, where breathtaking aromas and magical dishes arise. This is a significant part of the interior.
How to combine beauty and reliability, you ask? Guided by basic knowledge about the operational features of floor coverings, an elementary sense of taste and healthy creativity, you can create a real masterpiece of floor art in the kitchen.
Review options
Consider the coatings that are best suited for the kitchen floor: both in terms of functionality and freedom of design decisions.
Tile and tile - out of competition
As practice shows, this is the most frequent choice of a rational homeowner. These materials are durable, they do not bend or deform; when heated, toxic substances do not emit. The tile is "indifferent" to the effects of sunlight and household chemicals. From the point of view of hygiene and ease of care, this is also a wise decision.
When choosing a tile, remember that it can be extremely successfully combined with the so-called “apron”, with work surfaces, ornaments, and decorative elements of the interior. Pay attention to the wealth of collections offered by manufacturers, decorated in all conceivable and unimaginable colors.Do not limit yourself to a single color that merges sadly with the walls.
But there are also weaknesses:
- Firstly, due to the stiffness of the material, the chances of survival rushing towards the tiled floor of the dishes are practically zero;
- Secondly, the tiles “blow” with cold, so for those who like to stay in the kitchen for hours, and even with bare feet, it’s better to look for an alternative.
Cork floors in the kitchen
This is the embodiment of warmth, coziness and naturalness. Cork floors are a joy for the entire musculoskeletal system, due to their ability to reduce the load on the spine and joints.
If you follow the installation technology and subsequently choose the right care products, cork floors will not be afraid of moisture, grease or dirt. This material can easily fit into any calm interior: where there will be no overabundance of colorful paints.
Wood as a source of natural luxury
The wooden floor is chosen by the classics. The living texture of the coating gives the kitchen a sense of tradition and family unity. Of particular value is the absolute compatibility of such a floor with wood, like himself, furniture and related accessories. The wooden floor will perfectly complement the country style.
Of the minuses of the coating, it is worth highlighting its dislike for temperature extremes and moisture. Therefore, it is desirable to decorate only the dining area with a tree - you can supplement the floor composition with tiles or porcelain tiles that mimic the material of your choice.
New "old acquaintance" - linoleum
Economic considerations quite often prompt the buyer to turn to budget material - the classic household linoleum. Fortunately, the modern market offers a wide range of this flooring - imitation of parquet or natural stone with linoleum is no longer a curiosity today. So it’s possible to disguise yourself in a luxurious way.
Bulk floor: why not?
Despite the fact that much has already been said about bulk floors, many are still wary of such a decision, especially with regard to the kitchen. A huge plus is their operational simplicity and a high degree of resistance to mechanical stress, which for the catering unit is a matter of primary importance. Decorative possibilities of bulk floors are also on top. True, it is worth noting that they look appropriate only in the kitchens made in the Art Nouveau style.
Carpet for the kitchen: an unexpected solution
Perhaps this will seem wild to someone, but many connoisseurs of comfort prefer carpeting for the kitchen.
As for the design of the floor in the kitchen, carpeted with carpet, then here especially "re-create" will not succeed.
On the one hand, the coating is prone to contamination, unstable to moisture and temperature extremes. And on the other hand, there are a lot of positive aspects - the carpet solves the problem of slippery floors overnight, the level of comfort of movement is increased, and the plate that has fallen on the floor will have to ... just pick up and wash, and not rake out the fragments flying around the room.
Principles of Functional Zoning
A progressive modern trend, especially relevant for large-size kitchens, is the visual-functional division of space into zones: one is for cooking, and the other is for eating (dining area).As a floor covering for the first, as a rule, tiles or porcelain tiles are used, the second is finished with wood, laminate, cork.
What is the advantage of this separation? It allows you not to be afraid of water and fat getting on the floor in the “kitchen” zone, while maintaining a sense of comfort and warmth in the dining room. It is this option, as a rule, that crowns the search for the most prudent hosts.
We hope that our recommendations and design ideas come in handy. We wish that the time you spend in the kitchen bring exclusively positive emotions. And remember, comfort in the house depends entirely on the efforts of the owners themselves.
Elena Sharm
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