Custom Home Kitchen Floor Material Pros and Cons

When choosing flooring material for your kitchen, you want something beautiful but you also want something durable and easy to clean. When cooking, baking, or sharing a meal with family and friends, the kitchen sees many spills and messes, so you want to make sure your flooring is up to the task of remaining beautiful and like-new through it all. You also want clean up to be as simple as possible so you can spend less time cleaning up and more time with family and loved ones once the meal is over. Today we’re diving deep into some of today’s biggest trends in flooring to see which options are best for appeal and cleanliness.

Cork Flooring

Cork flooring might not be the first material that comes to mind for your kitchen floor. But this alternative material is great for people looking for something beautiful, versatile, and comfortable. There is a lot to be said about cork flooring, but the pros and cons help narrow down what is great, and what is not so great about the material. Perhaps the biggest advantage for this style of flooring is its comfort. Between preparing meals, cleaning up after dinner, and packing school lunches, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and more importantly, a lot of time on your feet in the kitchen. This material is soft, cushy, and perfect for those who need a bit more comfort when spending time in the kitchen. Due to its soft feel, it will dent or gouge under heavy appliances. Take a look at the pro and con list below

Wood Flooring

A timeless selection, you can’t usually go wrong with is wood! Beautiful, durable, easy to clean, and stylistically versatile, many people opt for wood throughout their homes. Wood floors are a little more expensive in raw cost and installation, but the return on investment is one of the best when it comes to flooring choices. Thanks to the long-lasting nature of the material and the ability to refinish when needed makes these floors an investment you will benefit from for many more years than some other flooring materials.

There is so much good to be said about wood flooring for the kitchen, but the best decisions are made with a full understanding of the pros and cons. Water is the biggest concern for wood floors in the kitchen. We’re not talking about a spilled glass of water or dropped pot of pasta water, these won’t cause lasting damage when cleaned up quickly. The problem occurs when long-term water damage occurs or high-volume water disasters hit your home (think flooding or a busted pipe). Proper sealing and regular finishing can help safeguard against hardwood floor disasters. Other threats to your floors could be dents from large objects dropped on the floor, but one of the best things about this floor treatment is its durability and natural look. Dents or regular wear just adds more charm, right?

Ceramic Tile

Looking for a more dramatic approach to your kitchen floors? Ceramic tile might be the best choice for you. Ceramic is everything you want for a kitchen floor, durable, easy to clean and beautiful. There are endless design styles and you can express your personal style with the perfect tile to complement your countertops, paint color, cabinets, and fixtures. Like other materials, it is durable and easy to clean, but the real value of the material comes from the design opportunities. Other aspects of ceramic tile are the less attractive qualities of the tile. Without proper installation and maintenance, it can fall prey to water and grout lines throughout the floor. It is also often hard underfoot and will get cold in the winter. A few accent rugs can add more design style to the kitchen and solve the problems associated with ceramic flooring.

Concrete

Modern kitchen materials are increasing in popularity for custom home designs. Sleek finishes and an industrial feeling are great ways to bring modern minimalism to the kitchen. One popular material to achieve this look is concrete flooring. Aside from the strong design aesthetic, this material is also great for its strength, durability, and low-maintenance. Although it is a great material, it does have a few cons that might make another option a better material for you. Being concrete, it is inherently very hard. This can be dangerous for families with small children. It also becomes very slippery when wet, so small spills must be cleaned up quickly to avoid falls or accidents.

Hopefully, this list provides some help in choosing the best material for you and your kitchen! While not a comprehensive list, our design consultants can help you make the very best decision for your family and custom home. Whatever material you choose, you can make a bold statement with the design choices you make with your flooring. There are many, many choices for your custom home kitchen, and not all materials are listed above. We would love to get to know you, your style, and your needs, so contact us to get started on your dream kitchen!