Kitchen Floors Galore
Selecting your new kitchen floor can be a hard choice. Hopefully this article helps you make an educated decision.
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring created a warm look, often imitated but never duplicated.
The great thing about hardwood is the ability to sand and stain if you should damage it or grow tired of the stain color. Most wood floors can be sanded 2-3 times with no structural damage.
Wood flooring also contains thousands of tiny air chambers per cubic inch, so it is naturally a great insulator. If you are installing hardwood, and previously had laminate for example, you will notice the warmth in the room!
Also, if you suffer from allergies, hardwood is a great choice as there is no where for dust, dander or pet hair to penetrate. And we should mention hardwood is extremly easy to clean. A damp mop handles most spills with ease.
The most commonly installed hardwood floor in the Chicagoland area is American Red Oak. Oak has proven itself to be consistant, durable, and affordable. The last few years, we have installed a lot of Cherry and Maple as well, but Oak is still the most sought after.
Lastly, hardwood floors are considered an upgrade when selling your home. This may seem trivial now, but you will be happy when you get a quick offer when it comes time to sell!
Here is a picture of a kitchen remodel we completed, using American Red Oak hardwood floors.
Here is a picture of the Brazilian Cherry that has become so popular during the last few years.
Tile Flooring
Tile is a great option for your new kitchen floor. It is durable, affordable and versatile. For years Ceramic was the most commonly used tile. Today, we prefer to use a through body porcelain tile if the budget allows.
A through body porcelain tile, has the same color throughout, so the surface is the same as the body of the tile. This is especially helpful if you get a small chip in the surface, as it tends to blend into the tile.
Porcelain also tends to be stronger, and more substantial. You also get more natural variation with porcelain, giving your space character.
Maintaining a tile floor is simple. A good mopping with most any kitchen cleaner will do the trick. What tends to be the most tedious to maintain is the grout. If you select a standard portland based grout, then you must be sure to seal the grout every so often to keep it looking new. Otherwise, if your budget allows you can use an Epoxy grout which requires no sealing and stays looking perfect for years. Essentially, epoxy grout is the same grout used in commerical applications, we recommend it for those that want a maintenance free tile floor in their home. You can read more about Epoxy grout in our maintenace free article.
Shown below is a porcelain tile with a high variation from piece to piece. This tile lends itself towards the look of a natural stone, without the large price tag of travertine or marble.
Laminate Flooring
Laminates have come a long way since the old days of Pergo. Today, you can find laminate floors that closely resemble real hardwood at a reasonable cost. The newer lamimates are typically "floating floors" that do not require glue to secure them, instead they click into each other creating a seamless look.
We really like the look of Formica's Quintessa series. Formica terms this series "Super Premium", so be advised it comes with a higher price tag than most other laminates in the marketplace. But it has a great look; larger planks, distressing and interesting variations. It also comes with a lifetime warranty, which is always a good thing.
