Kitchen Floor Ideas | The Best Flooring Covering Options

Kitchen floors take a lot of abuse. The foot traffic. The spills. The sliding back and forth of chairs and stools. The heavy dropped items. It's a wonder they last as long as they do. If you have a kitchen floor in desperate need of replacement, this guide will help you make the right choice for your home.

Wood Kitchen Floors

If you already have wood flooring in the kitchen and like the look, consider having your professional handyman refinish the surface instead of replacing it. You can also lighten or darken the stain during the process to match or complement cabinetry if part of an overall kitchen remodeling project. If you find wood too difficult to maintain in a kitchen setting - crumbs love to hide in cracks between slats - other options exist.

Tile Kitchen Floors

Just like in bathrooms, tile flooring works well in kitchens because it resists water and clean easily. That being said, opt for darker earth tones to hide dirt and debris from frequent use of the room between cleanings.

Tile kitchen floors do have a few cons. Plan to strategically place supportive area rugs if you cook for extended periods of time, as tile floor can be hard on your back and legs. Also know that anything breakable you drop directly onto the tile will do exactly that: break. It could also crack the tile , too. Other flooring options, such as vinyl or linoleum, offer more comfort and protection to home chefs. Your professional handyman can brief you on all of your options.

Vinyl or Linoleum Kitchen Floors

In addition to being a softer surface, vinyl and linoleum floors offer other advantages. They come in a wide variety of colors, styles and patterns, allowing you to pick the perfect flooring for your kitchen design. And as noted, vinyl or linoleum floors are easier on your back, legs and breakable items.

They also prove low maintenance. It's quite difficult to stain a vinyl or linoleum floor, and regular dry and wet mopping, along with spot cleaning , will keep it looking good for years to come. Choosing vinyl or linoleum flooring with a protective coating extends the life of the product.

Finally, their cost and ease of install make them one of the most affordable choices for the replacement of a kitchen floor. Your professional handyman can install either sheet or tile vinyl or linoleum flooring.

Sheet flooring typically comes in rolls 6 or 12 feet in width. This allows the installer to limit the seams in a kitchen to one or none at all depending on the size of the room. It can even go over existing vinyl or linoleum flooring in certain instances to save you on labor costs associate with removal. For best results, you must use a professional installer.

Tile flooring typically comes as 12 inches by 12 inches, and it can resemble stone, ceramic and even wood flooring. The tiles allow DIYers to tackle this project, but only if the existing floor li