Kitchen Tile Flooring

The kitchen is one the most used areas of your home. Selecting a good quality tile flooring can make it the most beautiful and appreciated room as well.

When it comes to kitchen tile flooring, the choice of materials is vast. You can choose from ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles, cork tiles, vinyl tiles and stone tiles including travertine, marble and granite tiles. Some homeowners have also used saltillo tiles in their kitchen with great success.

Experiment with new flooring

The kitchen is an ideal area to experiment with new flooring.

• The kitchen is smaller than other rooms. This reduces the cost of the flooring project. Should you find the material unsuitable replacing it will also not cost an arm and a leg.
• Kitchen floor sees a lot of footfalls. There are utensils falling down and food spilled on the floor. This would give you an excellent first hand idea about the durability of the floor.
• Kitchen has areas around the sink that are exposed to water while other areas remain dry. The kitchen therefore offers a unique opportunity to compare the performance of a material under conditions of high and low moisture.
• Changing the kitchen floor is one of the oldest, easiest, most popular and economical home remodeling and improvement idea.

Kitchen floor tile options

• Vinyl tiles – For Kitchen flooring projects, vinyl tiles are an old favorite. Soft, easy to install, available in a variety of colors, designs that mimic wood and stone and water resistance make vinyl an excellent material for the kitchen floor. Petroleum product based manufacture and poor durability are the cons of installing vinyl tiles in the kitchen.
• Ceramic tiles – Ceramic tiles are resilient, easy to clean and do not harbor allergens or mites. They come in a wide variety of designs and finishes. Steel finish tiles, textured tiles, anti slip tiles – You can easily find a ceramic tile of your choice. Ceramic tiles can also be coupled with in floor heating systems.
• Stone tiles – Stone can be installed as large slabs or as tiles. Stone floor tiles cost less and are easier to handle and install than stone slabs. Stone tiles are available in marble, granite and other stones. With stone tiles you can ensure that you have the same or contrasting material on the floor, the countertop and as the backsplash. Stone tiles can be arranged in a checkerboard style or can be used to create an interesting border on your kitchen floor.
• Cork Floor Tiles – Cork floor tiles are soft and easy to install. These are eco friendly too. Cork tiles are available in more than 50 different styles. You can easily find one that suits your décor or mix and match styles for a personalized floor.
• Terracotta tiles – Terracotta tiles tend towards earthy tones. These tiles are close cousins of ceramic tiles. Unlike ceramic tiles terracotta tiles do not have a smooth, water impervious surface layer. If you do choose terracotta tiles you may need to seal them properly to ensure that water and chemicals do not get absorbed into the tiles.

One reason why tiles are a great flooring option for the kitchen is because these are easy to install and replace. Unlike hardwood floors or carpets a small section of the tile floor can easily be replaced if needed. This can significantly reduce are and maintenance costs for kitchen flooring. Some tiles like cork can be installed as both floating and glue down floors. Others like ceramic tiles need to be fixed firmly to the floor.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.