Kitchen Floor

The kitchen is usually the busiest room in any home, so your flooring needs to be durable and easy to clean. If you're renovating your home and need some kitchen flooring advice, these kitchen floor ideas will help you with your project.

When it comes to kitchen flooring, budget is a key factor – consider a vinyl if you are budget conscious, or solid wood if you're ready for a bigger investment. Take into account too the size of the space. In a small kitchen, for example, larger tiles (a standard 600mm x 600mm or 800mm x 800mm) mean fewer grout lines, so the area looks larger, advises Ben Bryden, sales and marketing director at RAK Ceramics UK.

You can opt for a kitchen floor that makes a statement and sets the visual tone of your home, or as interior designer David Conlon, founder of En Masse Bespoke, suggests, use the kitchen floor to create a coherent approach to your whole downstairs space, extending the look out to the garden patio if possible: 'It's important to keep the flow. Even if it's a different flooring from room to room, work with the colour.'

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Porcelain tiles are very easy to maintain so they make a great kitchen choice. They are usually less expensive than stone or ceramic – they demand less attention than stone and are more hard-wearing than ceramic. 'There's also lots of grouting colour options now, ' says designer Emily Black at Emily May Interiors. 'Mid-dark colours work better on floors as dirt can get ingrained.'

Available in a range of colours, textures and sizes, it's easy to achieve the look you’re after with porcelain tiles – contemporary gloss, rustic planks, textured stone-effect or vintage geometric prints are all easily available. In a smaller kitchen, pale shades of porcelain will help light to bounce around, giving the impression of a larger space.

Modern technology means porcelain is now resilient enough to be used outdoors too, so it's ideal for a kitchen leading to a garden, says Jo Oliver, director at The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse: 'Porcelain is a great choice for this as it is virtually indestructible.'

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• When purchasing, you should allow for wastage, so add an extra 10 per cent to the measurements, rounding up to the next box.

There's a vinyl for every budget, from less than £10 per sqm to luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), which are designed with several layers of 'cushion' for a softer feel and a longer life.

Vinyl is a very practical choice as it's designed to withstand all the rigours of daily life. 'Kitchens are the heart of the home and the flooring must provide a strong foundation that almost looks after itself, ' says Johanna Constantinou, brand director at Tapi carpets and floors. 'So you don’t panic over spills, dropped pans, water, leaks and heat, choose a really tough flooring like vinyl or LVT.'

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Johanna says that the big trends this year are stone or concrete-looks: 'These only used to be achievable at huge expense but now, LVTs can create the desired look with extra feel appeal and comfort.'

• Ideally, the floor underneath (substrate) needs to be completely flat and smooth. Bumps will be reflected in the surface of the flooring. Julia Trendall, flooring expert at Benchmarx Kitchens, usually recommends a variance of no more than 3mm, over a three-metre span. It may be necessary to lay a levelling compound, which is typically a job for a professional vinyl tile fitter

• You may need to lay a damp-proof membrane or moisture-suppressent layer, but take professional advice from a specialist company such as Rentokil.

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New technologies mean it's hard to tell some laminates apart from engineered hardwood flooring, so you can have a premium look and the added benefit of better durability for less spend.

Laminate flooring is made from layers of MDF imprinted with a realistic wood grain pattern, followed by a hard-wearing and ideally, scratch and stain-resistant surface.

The biggest problem is water. Laminate can be ruined by the smallest amounts of liquid, just from wet shoes or washing the dishes. So look for a brand that uses a hydro-seal system, advises David Snazel, buyer of hard flooring at Carpetright. 'This extends the life of the product by keeping water out. It helps to prevent the water from penetrating past the top layer and seeping into the MDF which will expand and blow.'

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Real wood flooring is both beautiful and practical, but always opt for engineered rather than solid hardwood, says Peter Keane, director of The Natural Wood Floor Company.

Engineered wood flooring will withstand a kitchen’s changes in temperature, humidity and moisture, thanks to the way it is constructed. The top layer of the plank is real hardwood, underneath layers of plywood provide dimensional strength and stability. It’s also suitable for use with underfloor heating, but always check with manufacturers first.

It’s very versatile too. Achieve a rustic look with wide planks and a wood with lots of variations, or opt for a streamlined polish with a closer grain.

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You might like to consider reclaimed wood flooring, says Alex Main, director of reclaimed kitchen and flooring supplier, The Main Company. 'This is not only eco-conscious, but introduces authentic charm to the kitchen. No piece of wood is identical and therefore no kitchen using reclaimed wood will be either.'

You'll need to keep your kitchen well-ventilated, says Darwyn Ker, managing director at Woodpecker Flooring. 'Wood naturally expands and contracts as heat and moisture levels rise and fall. Heat and steam from cooking can cause large fluctuations in the kitchen. Keep control of these changes to ensure your wood floor stays in tip-top condition. Fit an extractor fan and open a window when cooking.'

• Hard and shiny kitchen surfaces are instantly softened with a wood floor, giving the room balance and making it look more homely, says David Papworth, at wood specialists, Junckers

Dark Floor Kitchens [gallery]

• An engineered wood floor can be sanded down and refinished numerous times over its lifespan, so you can create a new look if you like

• It will need maintenance. Choose a lacquered finish. It's harder wearing than oil – shield the wood at surface-level so liquid and stains are repelled

• There can be natural variation plank-to-plank, especially noticeable across a large space. A top tip, says Julia Trendall at Benchmarx Kitchens, is to open around three boxes at a time and select planks from each pack. This will give a more varied look and avoid areas with lighter or darker tones.

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Linoleum – or lino for short – is an authentic addition to the kitchen in any period home and is a good choice if you favour natural and sustainable materials. Linoleum is made from a by-product of wood, ground limestone, powdered cork, pigments, jute, and linseed oil.

Most of us are familiar with the classic black and white checkerboard design, but lino is now available in a wide range of colours and patterns. It's available on a roll – professional fitting is recommended for this – or in individual tiles, which are fairly easy to lay yourself. Forbo Flooring, which has an online retailer locator for its range of Marmoleum tiles, is around £50 sqm, plus fitting costs.

• Vast range of quality available, higher-end, thicker lino or roll vinyl as it's also called, will last longer if your kitchen doesn't have heavy use

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• Avoid if you have dogs (because of their claws) and avoid wearing high heels indoors. High pressure in a small area will pierce the surface

• If the sub floor is rough, it will show through. You may need to lay a latex screed. Seek professional advice on this

Rugs and runners introduce colour and texture into the kitchen, says Julian Downes, managing director of flooring and rugs company, Fibre. 'On-trend colour pops can be experimented with and easily moved around or changed without too much cost or upheaval.'

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Mike Richardson, general manager at Kersaint Cobb, recommends a striped runner to make a narrow kitchen look larger by drawing the eye outwards to the edges of the room. You could also choose a chevron or a diamond pattern to create visual interest and distract attention from the limited proportions.

• Washable mats, rugs and runners can be vacuumed quickly or easily popped in the washing machine for regular hygiene updates, especially if there are young children and/or pets in the home

• 'Runners and rugs are a great addition to section-off areas in large rooms, especially if you have an open-plan kitchen in the reception room, ' says Andrew Weir, chief executive of property and design company LCP

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• Fabrics bring texture and warmth to a kitchen, so can provide a stylish offset to a sleek and shiny modern look.

• Too many mats, rugs and runners can look disjointed, so choose one or two at most to enhance your kitchen space.

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