Kitchen floor: beauty or practicality

When designers are faced with an acute question of choosing a floor covering in the kitchen, very often, neglecting convenience and versatility, they turn their full attention to beauty and aesthetics, making one of the main mistakes. The first thing you should rely on when choosing a kitchen floor: it's ease in cleaning and maximum resistance to various kinds of damage.

Wood floor can be called the most popular in Europe. You can list all its special, unique properties for an infinitely long time, but some should be paid special attention to. For example, the fact that the material is completely environmentally friendly is important, which modern designers often neglect. In addition, the wooden floor will be perfectly combined with almost any material from which the furniture will be made.

Unfortunately, where there are advantages, you can always notice the disadvantages. The wooden floor has two main flaws: it is its price and a particular whimsical care. The wood coating will have to be regularly treated with moisture repellents, and thoroughly washed from various stains that can leave hard to remove traces on the surface of the boards.

The main value of the laminate is its affordable price. This coating can imitate any wood, even the most exotic, expensive varieties and, in addition, serves much longer than a tree, requiring less maintenance. Choosing a laminate for the kitchen, it is worth paying attention to the fact that it is much easier to wash, and it allows you to install a floor heating system.

The main problem that occurs when working with laminate flooring has always been its poor waterproofing. This problem is also not considered hopeless; you just need to choose a special, water-repellent laminate, or make sure that no liquid gets on this coating.

Ceramic tiles stay confidently in the top of coatings for bathrooms and kitchens due to their versatility and ease of maintenance. To choose the right tile in our time is simpler - any colors and shades, various shapes and sizes, and all this will be ready for use in the shortest possible time. Ceramics can imitate any texture, from fabric to stone, and a special, matte tile is protected from scratches and bumps.

The only, but significant minus of the tile is its “coldness”. In fact, it can be simply impossible to use tiles without underfloor heating, especially if you walk around the house barefoot.

It is hard to imagine that modern technology can create something as perfect as porcelain stoneware. This material absorbs a minimum amount of moisture, has a very high protection against shock and scratches, and its visual characteristics completely coincide with conventional ceramic tiles. The main difference is the price difference, but no doubt it pays off very quickly.

Cork floors are an interesting kitchen covering solution that is ideal for people who care about their health. Cork flooring is one hundred percent environmentally friendly, and in addition, it reduces the load on the spine due to its elasticity. Also, a cork wood floor solves the problems of many allergy sufferers due to its antistatic properties. The cork floor is easily washed, and if you cover it with a special water-repellent solution, you can achieve an unexpectedly pleasant result.

Masonry on the floor in the kitchen is not such a popular solution, but, nevertheless, worthy of attention. Most often, choosing a stone, designers use granite, sandstone or limestone.Granite itself can be called a universal material, because it is very easy to clean, it does not lend itself to moisture and does not react even with aggressive cleaning agents. Sandstone and limestone are less popular because of their porosity, which makes them vulnerable to moisture and some types of pollution, but still remain an excellent choice for those who decide to make a stone floor in their kitchen. In fact, a stone mosaic or a floor made of plates of different colors can look very original, and a properly selected stone texture will become the highlight of any interior. Recently, many designers have ceased to perfectly align stone slabs and varnish them, partially preserving the unique texture of the stone, which makes the interior truly unique.

Marble is an expensive material and difficult enough to process, but, no doubt, justifying all expectations and folded funds. The floor of this material always involuntarily attracts glances, being distinguished by a special, unique brilliance and unique texture, which is difficult to repeat perfectly. Marble coverings, both solid and decorated in the form of various patterns, look equally beautiful. With both moisture repellent and shockproof properties, a marble floor will actually be a good solution for the kitchen, but it will in any case remain vulnerable to scratches. Also, many are repelled by the long periods of preparation of the marble coating and the difficulties encountered during installation. In addition, the marble floor regularly needs restoration, but its service life is much higher than that of wooden or tiled floors.