For every person, home is an outlet for his heart, a place where he feels calm and comfortable. He constantly tries to transform his corner, because he wants to return to a beautifully decorated home, and the interior decoration of the premises affects his worldview and psychological state. Major repairs begin with the bathroom and kitchen area, since it is impossible to do without a gas stove, sink, and faucets. In order to carry out the activities quickly, they think in advance and select raw materials for cladding the walls, ceiling, and floors in the kitchen.
The flooring plays an important role in the interior; it is laid at the final stage, after the ceiling and partitions have been decorated. When choosing a suitable building material, many factors are taken into account: the area and features of the room, number of floors, lighting, general style. To understand the huge assortment that the construction market offers, we will consider in detail the existing options for finishing materials.
The kitchen floor as it is
Let's not discuss the entire gender pie. Let's consider the top layer - composition, decor and features. The kitchen is the most “populated” part of the house (or apartment). Most of the family often tramples, cooks, washes, chops, and gets underfoot on this site. Therefore, the load on the floor passage is high.
We’ll also constantly add something falling, dripping, or splashing onto the long-suffering surface. So choosing a banal gender turns into a task with many unknowns.
Cork
Cork flooring is particularly warm, soft and cozy. However, the high price does not contribute to the popularity of this coating. Moreover, to use it in the kitchen, the cork will still have to be varnished.
Otherwise, the oak bark coating is durable, hypoallergenic, and environmentally friendly. It is not afraid of water or grease, does not absorb or attract dirt, and is an excellent natural sound insulator.
Wooden board, solid
How often our mothers were upset when they looked at the freshly washed plank floor: the paint didn’t stick and the floorboards were dry and not fashionable. Isn't it fashionable? A modern massive deck board with a finished coating is a luxurious floor, but not a budget one.
This type of floor also doesn’t like it when anything sharp or heavy falls on it: it leaves scratches that cannot always be healed.
The question of price and more
Kitchen tiles
- Engineered board is considered a practical covering for the kitchen . It can be installed in rooms with relative humidity. Suitable for single gender. Ideal for a kitchen-living room or studio. In addition to the high price of the coating itself and installation work, regular costs will be required to restore the original appearance of the floor. Wood has the unpleasant property of absorbing brightly colored liquids and stains. To save money, you can choose porcelain stoneware.
- Linoleum is considered the most economical coating . But it requires a perfectly flat floor, because all the unevenness will be visible in a year, and after 5 years it will have to be completely replaced.
- In this case, tiles are better. It is easier to clean and more durable. Although such floors will be very unpleasant without additional heating. And this will also lead to high energy costs in cold weather.
- Laminate may be cheaper in cost than tiles and it will be more pleasant for your feet , but it is significantly inferior to it in practicality.
Linoleum in the kitchen
Linoleum, my beloved linoleum! It’s not a complicated hairstyle that a weak woman can handle on her own. Smooth surface that is so easy to clean. And black stripes from the soles, alas, even of house slippers.
When choosing, you need to take into account the density and wear resistance of various types of linoleum: for the kitchen, a wear resistance close to the industrial class is suitable.
But glass falling on such a soft and warm floor will not break!
Tile
Tile for the kitchen floor is another well-deserved material. Apart from the price, it has no disadvantages.
The coating is very strong and durable, resistant to temperature changes and water, easy to clean, very difficult to break and almost impossible to break.
Modern tiles are available in a wide range of patterns and colors. It can have suitable borders for walls and goes well with all other finishing materials.
Laminate in the kitchen
So beautiful, sleek and comfortable, but not in the kitchen. It does not like water and when washed it begins to swell and swell at the edges. But installation is reminiscent of laying out puzzles and brings no less pleasure.
The main thing to remember is that in a damp room and with frequent washing (and there is no escape from this), replacement will be needed early: usually after five years.
Porcelain tiles
Porcelain tiles do not absorb moisture, have high hardness and are invulnerable to high temperatures. Tiles can complement any kitchen interior. In the kitchen, you should use a matte look of tiles.
Its difference from ceramic tiles is that it does not have internal voids, porosity or microcracks, which increases strength. Does not deteriorate from various chemical detergents and temperature changes. It is harder than natural granite, making it very suitable for kitchen use. But with a very strong impact it can crack, so you still need to be careful.
Kitchen floor tiles
It seems that tiles are the ideal covering for a kitchen floor: they look elegant and are easy to clean. But! If the apartment or kitchen in the house is located on the ground floor, and there is an unheated basement below, then in winter the floor will be too cold.
Note!
- Kitchen floor tiles: pros and cons of tile flooring. The best kitchen design ideas with photo reviews
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Linoleum for the kitchen - master classes on installing linoleum in the kitchen interior. The best design ideas and color schemes (120 photos)
The tile requires professional installation and does not like heavy objects falling from a height. And glass objects don’t like to fall on the tiles; the chances of survival are zero.
Each style has its own gender
The floor occupies a large area in any room; it has a significant impact on the overall appearance of the room, emphasizes its advantages, and must correspond to the chosen direction. When purchasing flooring, you also take into account the style of your kitchen. Let's look at a few popular options:
1. Classic. For budget decoration, ordinary linoleum, ceramic tiles in light, beige tones, laid diagonally or in a herringbone pattern, are suitable. For more expensive finishing, natural wood, parquet, and artificial stone are used. 2. Modern style, for example, hi-tech, minimalism. Plain floors with no pattern are suitable for them. You can cover it with linoleum or tiles. Concrete coating will become indispensable for the loft direction. 3. Ethnic. The Japanese style uses dark floors made of natural polished wood. For Chinese - wooden panels and cork are suitable. Do not use laminate or tiled flooring. For Scandinavian - natural wood with a natural shade is used.
Criterias of choice
The choice of flooring for the kitchen depends primarily on the owners’ (more precisely, the hostess’s) own preferences and taste, but in addition to the design, it is important to take into account the technology and features of the building itself. For example, take into account the maximum possible load in ancient houses with wooden floors. But at the same time, we can highlight general recommendations for selection:
If the family is not large and there are no small children or pets in the apartment, then the floor with any coating will last a long time.
If there are children, cats and dogs in the house, and in the kitchen something often spills or falls on the floor, it is better to choose tiles or porcelain stoneware, but always with a non-slippery surface.
If the kitchen area is up to 10 m2, it is advisable to make the flooring from one material and not split the space.
If the room combines a kitchen and a living room or dining room, several types of flooring are used simultaneously: tiles and laminate, parquet and porcelain stoneware, the main thing is not to overdo it and not get the effect of a “flooring store.”
When choosing between wood and tiles, it is not necessary to sacrifice aesthetics in the name of practicality: tiles and porcelain tiles are produced that imitate parquet blocks, including those with an aging effect.
Think over and take into account the features of your kitchen flooring in advance, and it will last for many years without requiring expensive repairs.
Features and requirements for kitchen flooring
Repairing the floor in the kitchen is a responsible, time-consuming process. According to generally accepted standards, there are several types of repair work: major, cosmetic. The first type takes a lot of time; it is resorted to either when moving in, or when completely changing the design of the room, or remodeling it. The second option is a simplified version of the previous one, where only the old material is dismantled and new material is installed that meets certain requirements:
- Water, moisture resistance. There is increased humidity in the room; water periodically spills on the floor, even with the most tidy housewife.
- Resistance to thermal influences and temperature changes. Drops of boiling oil and fat may get on the coating, and the room is constantly heated by the stove and oven. A good building material should be immune to such influences.
- Wear resistance and resistance to mechanical damage. The load exerted on the surface is enormous. There are always people here, furniture, stools, chairs are moving, and sometimes heavy kitchen items fall onto the surface.
- Easy care. The material should simply be washed and cleaned of dirt.
- Aesthetics. Functionality and practicality are very important, but attention is also paid to the compatibility of the cladding with the overall design style.
Photo of kitchen floors
Combination of materials
This solution will allow, firstly, to delimit the kitchen zones, and, secondly, to use your favorite covering (for example, a parquet board) without damaging it.
Tiles, porcelain tiles, and linoleum are perfect for the work area; parquet, laminate, and wood can be used for the dining area.
Benefits when buying ceramic flooring
Ceramic tiles are quite inexpensive. There are different price categories.
Manufacturers offer very expensive wear-resistant models of floor tiles, or cheap options with the possibility of using them for a limited period.
Disadvantages include coldness, you will need to wear slippers or socks in the kitchen all the time, the possibility of damage if a heavy object falls on the floor, and slipperiness.
Marmoleum
Marmoleum is classified as a natural coating. It can be in the form of a roll or tile.
During installation it is attached with special glue. This coating has a rich color, does not fade in the sun, and has bright colors. The coating has an antibacterial effect.
After answering the question of what floor to install in the kitchen, it’s time to move on to dismantling the existing floor. Next, using a building level, you should measure all the unevenness.
To remove uneven floors, a cement screed is suitable, the thickness of which should be at least 30 mm. Next, the floor must be dried for 5-30 days, depending on the composition of the mixture, after which you can begin laying the already selected material.
There is no definite answer to the question of what floor to make in the kitchen, because all materials have both their pros and cons.
On this issue, it is worth focusing on the desired color and design solutions, taking into account your needs for the characteristics of the material.
Tree
The most expensive material that looks very elegant and rich on the floor. Wooden floors are perfect for classic-style kitchens. You should be careful about moisture getting on such floors and try to remove the water immediately. When purchasing, you must make sure that the wood has been treated with a special moisture-repellent liquid.
Due to the high porosity of the raw material, such floors absorb liquids, which means it will be almost impossible to remove old stains from grape juice or melted chocolate. A floor made of dark types of wood will simplify this problem, but will not solve it completely.
In addition to the high price of the material itself, the work of a laying specialist is quite expensive. You should not save on it - the stingy pays twice.
