Kitchen Flooring Options Made Simple

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September 20, 2017

Ceramic, porcelain, and stone flooring are the natural and wise decisions for kitchens.

Tile is beautiful, hard, durable, water-resistant and shrugs off stains.

Beautiful flooring will stand out when you look through the huge array of styles, shapes, and colors at Builder Supply Outlet.

Kitchen flooring comes in three types: porcelain, ceramic, and stone. Prices of each type run anywhere from $2 to $100 per square foot.

CERAMIC/PORCELAIN

Ceramic and porcelain tile are very similar.

Both are made from clay, fired at high temperatures to produce a hard, durable tile.  Both come either glazed or unglazed.

The following are some important differences.

Porcelain tile has sand added to the clay mixture.  It’s made with heat and pressure that produces a tile that’s harder, denser, and less porous than regular ceramic tile.  Porcelain is a good choice for high-traffic areas, kitchens, and bathrooms.  It’s also strong enough to be used outdoors in any climate.

Glazed porcelain tile has a glass-like coating.  It’s applied during firing to produce a colored surface.  Unglazed porcelain has color added to the clay mixture so the color and pattern is carried all the way through the tile.  Wear, scratches, and blemishes won’t show on unglazed porcelain.

Porcelain is difficult to install. It also requires special tools.

Regular ceramic floor tile is called “non-porcelain” to clearly differentiate it from porcelain.  It’s softer than its porcelain cousin.  It’s glazed to create a hard wear surface in virtually any color.  Because ceramic is softer, it’s easier to cut and install.  Although it’s more porous than porcelain, the glazing creates a surface that’s impervious to kitchen spills and splashes.

STONE

Stone floor tiles are made from natural stone.  This includes slate, granite, limestone, travertine, and marble.  Most stone tiles are porous and need to be refinished with a quality stone sealer every two to three years.

Flooring made of stone can be polished or honed.  Polished stone surfaces are slippery when wet.  The polishing lets the full beauty of the stone show through.  Honed stone tiles provide more traction.  Just note they have a less vibrant look.

TILE DRAWBACKS

Tile is a hard, unforgiving surface. Dropped glasses and dishes won’t survive. Long hours of food prep may bring about fatigue. Tile reflects sound. Therefore tile flooring can contribute to a noisy environment. Area rugs and anti-fatigue mats are pretty good remedies.

Tile requires maintenance. Although ceramic tile itself is durable, the grout between tiles can get dingy with age. Use a grout sealer on a regular basis to keep your floors looking new.

Tiles surfaces can be slippery when wet. If you have any concern about traction, look for tiles that are certified to be slip-resistant by the Americans with Disabilities Act. You should be able to spot the ADA certification on packing boxes and product literature.

Hopefully this brief article gave you some great advice for choosing your flooring like our L W Mountain Flooring brand.

And of course, Builder Supply Outlet and the Edge Showroom carry the top kitchen cabinet brands including Waypoint, Shiloh, Aspect, Eclipse, Prior Creek, MidContinent, and Bertch. Stop in anytime to learn more about kitchen cabinets or make an appointment and meet with an Edge Kitchen and Bath Designer absolutely FREE by clicking here.

Feel free to stop into Builder Supply Outlet or the Edge Showroom with any home improvement questions you may have regarding cabinet hardware, bathroom vanity sinks, tops, remodeling, tile, backsplash, cleaning, sealing, grout, windows, kitchen cabinets, construction, contractors, designing/installing a new kitchen or bathroom — or anything else.  We can help you through the entire design and installation process from A-Z.  Or call us anytime in Broadview, IL at 1-708-343-3900. You can also make an appointment to meet with one of our Edge Kitchen and Bathroom designers at no charge by clicking here.