Flooring For Beginners

Ever wondered of all the modern materials available for flooring what makes granite such a favorite. One very good reason for that is granite is amongst the hardest, most durable and thus longer lasting material available for floors. Different parts of house may have different materials for flooring but for kitchen granites is unsurpassed. Of course it’s matter of personal choice but decided by use, amount of foot traffic and overall looks. Here, we’ll try to understand the plus and minus features of this great looking, hard material that offers easy maintenance and what makes it the ideal choice for kitchen floors.

Granite floors and kitchen seem to be made for each other. Kitchen undoubtedly has the most abused floor in the whole of household. Over and above the foot traffic that it bears like other floors in the house, it is subjected to spills of different kinds and therefore needs more frequent cleaning. Apart from spillages, it bears the brunt of all fallen items that often slip from one’s hand while working there. Perhaps no other floor than granite can bear all that and it becomes the obvious choice for kitchen floor. Moreover, natural granite being available in many patterns and styles add to the looks of any kitchen.

Granite is amongst the hardest materials, offers utmost durability and thus suitability for kitchen floors. Another factor that favors its use in the kitchen is its inherent resilient to stains and capacity to bear acids and chemicals. It has characteristic resistance to oils, grease, fat, tea, coffee or boiling water, and cold fizzy sugary drinks and all the materials that are frequently used in the kitchen. It is equipped to facing bombardments of falling cutlery, crockery and glassware and all that it demands is quick removal of rubble so generated and it continues to look fresh and shining.

Cleaning and maintenance of granite floor doesn’t demand much. Daily sweeping and mopping with warm water would leave it clean and unharmed. Care should be taken for quick cleaning of any spillage or rubble created by broken crockery or jar. To continue to have shining floor, once a week it should be cleaned with soapstone proceeded by a mop rinsed with water.

Despite all its advantages, granite has one limitation of getting scratched by quartz. The sand that may enter your house thru shoes is a good carrier of quartz. So, heavy foot traffic that kitchen faces causes the damage when small particles of sand get deposited on its surface that develops minute scratches, which if left untreated for long make the floor acquire dull looks. Restoration of scratched dull floor is an expensive process that may even lead to changing of its original color. Therefore, it’s better to take the preventive measure of sweeping and mopping the floor everyday. This measure helps retaining the original color and shine of granite.

So, but for one disadvantage that can certainly be taken care of without much expense and labor, granite is the best option for kitchen floor due its excellent looks, durability, toughness and resistant to stains coupled with easy maintenance.

Kitchen happens to be the most used place of the house for many families, and is the focal point of many domestic activities. The design and layout of kitchen conveys your lifestyle and taste. As can be expected kitchen flooring attracts maximum number of footfalls, yet has to keep looking good. Whatever flooring you may choose, from the not so expensive vinyl to the most expensive marble, if it fails to bear the beating or fit your lifestyle, you better be prepared to change it earlier than your expectations.

Vinyl flooring is the most popular kitchen flooring. This may not be the best material but has no serious shortcomings too. It’s sturdy, very economical and resilient and has the added advantage of being available in many colors and patterns, which certainly make it look quite attractive. Unlike most of the other hard flooring materials it offers a nice cushy feel. Further, it’s available in tiles or in the form of sheets. However, it is reported that the self-adhesive variety doesn’t stay put for very long. Then you have to save it from getting soaked with water, which on entering its bottom could cause a lot of problems. The resilient nature of vinyl demands the surface to be totally flat. The floor should be leveled and prepared before fixing vinyl over it. Don’t make the mistake of putting a new floor over the old vinyl tiles because the underneath pattern will begin to show in a matter of time. Should you opt for vinyl flooring for your kitchen, make sure it is done the proper way; else you may regret it sooner than expected.

People often consider vinyl and linoleum to be one and the same thing because they both look alike after installation. Yet, vinyl comprises of all synthetic materials whereas linoleum comprises of all natural materials. Generally, linoleum would have a canvas or felt base on top of which applied an appropriately thick layer of linseed oil, cork and wood powder mixed in natural resins. Though vinyl flooring is more popular, the fact is that linoleum is definitely more durable than vinyl. A properly laid linoleum floor may last up to forty years, even in high traffic areas. People often tend to ignore linoleum as an old fashioned material without appreciating its durability and practicability.

A comparatively new material in the form of laminate flooring may be the best compromise for kitchen flooring. Though not as expensive, it has most of the features of vinyl and linoleum flooring. It’s durable, resilient and easy to maintain. Moreover, it can give the impression of costlier flooring like hardwood, ceramic or marble. It may not look beautiful like marble or real hardwood, yet it presents a good compromise, and for many people it remains a very versatile material.

Some would have only hardwood floor in the kitchen despite its shortcomings. It demands better maintenance, is slippery and offers poor resistance to scratches and stains but more expensive than other options of flooring for the kitchen. But, it finds favors for its eternal warmth and natural beauty.

If cost is not a consideration one can choose any of the natural stones like, marble, granite, travertine etc. Well, all stones are expensive but no other flooring material in kitchen would last for so long and yet continue to look so beautiful.