What flooring is best for a kitchen?

Question

It is a big kitchen and laminate feels so cold. I was thinking of ceramic tiles with under floor heating bu I manage this will cost a fortune.
Any ideas/opinions?
At the moment we have slate tiles and it is freezing. Ideally I would have a carpet but I know that is a 'no no' for hygeine reasons!

Answer 1

vinyl or lino.

Answer 2

You could go three ways, wooden, tile or manufactured suface. I don't believe you can put the heating element for radiant heating under the wooden floor, but wood insulates better so it would probably be warmer than the slate you have now. An added bonus of wood is that dishes that fall on it tend to survive a lot better than the ones that fall on slate or tile.

Whatever you do, don't put down Pergo. It does not insulate well, we put it down in our basement (with an insulating barrier) and that floor is freezing! We've had to put down throw rugs.

Tile with radiant heating is really not that expensive to install, especially if you are handy yourself. You can buy the heating kit at a good tile store. I've tested it; it is toasty.

The third way is a manufactured surface. It looks like slate, but it is manufactured tile that insulates. It is a little pricey and the only suppliers I found when I was looking several years ago (might have changed now) were up in Canada.

Good luck

Answer 3

Linoleum, it is cold on the feet, but any flooring other than carpet is going to be. Linoleum is the easiest to clean and maintain, and if you buy good quality to start with, it is durable. I have to admit that my kitchen has linoleum in it that is 25 years old or more, and it is just in the last year begun to wear out. I like wood personaly, but it isn't as durable, and please whatever you do don't use the new snap together wood floors. They tell you they are more durable than the original hardwood, but the first time the floor gets wet they bow up at the seams. I would never use them again.

Answer 4

I like perego (sp?), the fake wood flooring. It looks really good and isn't hard to maintain.

Personal experience: do NOT get ceramic tile. Everything I drop on it shatters into tiny shards; some things not only break but the crack the tiles. And they're cold and hard if you're standing on them for any length of time (like, if you're cooking or something).

Answer 5

I faced the same dilemma too when I first moved into my house. Since it is big kitchen, the best is to leave untiled, just cement will do. I figured that I nor my wife will stay very long in the kitchen - that's a place for cooking, not living. Wearing footwear in the kitchen will be a good idea. We saved the money for a nice living/dining area. If it is possible, redesigned the kitchen to a smaller area, and use the additional area for dining/living. Want to engage me as your interior designer:) ?

Answer 6

I personally like wooden floors with a throw rug. Whatever you do, don't buy those squares of laminate. They trap dirt in between the cracks and look tacky!

Answer 7

Something solid, not tiled. You want a floor that has no gaps or cracks, as this makes it easier for cleaning.

Answer 8

Defiantly laminate. I remolded my house with a new kitchen we did laminate in the whole house, its so easy to clean too.

Answer 9

Flotex carpet (like a cushioned lino -scrubbable)

Answer 10

prego. I had tiles too and they were cold. and slippery when wet and cracked easy. We put down prego. or laminate. lot warmer and cleaner. throw a rug down not large near any cold spots.

Answer 11

how abt tiles r i've heard of a tile r watever it is that absorbs water.