What Makes Vinyl Flooring the Best Option for Your Kitchen?
The kitchen is the heart of the home. What was once a small separate room used only for cooking and meal prepping today has become the centre of our homes. Family baking sessions, morning coffees and evening teas are some of our daily rituals that take place in it. We must equip and design it well so that it can serve our needs in the best way possible.
The floors can make or break the kitchen design and practicality. As a high-traffic home area prone to spills, splashes and scratches, it’s important that the kitchen floors are waterproof, durable and easy to maintain. But also look good and complement the rest of our home interior. What makes vinyl the best kitchen flooring option?
Why Vinyl Flooring for Kitchen?
Durable and Long-Lasting
The durability of vinyl is one of its main advantages. That’s why it’s often considered the best flooring solution for hospitality sectors and commercial spaces. If vinyl can take the wear and tear of commercial areas, it’ll surely be durable enough for our home kitchens. As a completely manmade product containing no organic ingredients, vinyl flooring is practically immune to damage from water, and it cannot foster mould. Vinyl can last from 10 to approximately 20 years when cared for properly.
Waterproof and Stain-Resistant
The kitchen floor poses many challenges. From cooking spills and water leaks from the dishwasher and refrigerator to full plates of food falling on it occasionally, it faces lots of water and stains. Regarding water exposure, the kitchen comes right after the bathroom and laundry. That’s why this area needs flooring that’s fully waterproof and stain-resistant, such as high-quality vinyl flooring for kitchen.
Affordable
Ceramic tiles and textured stone may sound very appealing as kitchen flooring options, as they’re also durable and water-resistant. However, their installation can be very expensive. You can’t install them yourself, so you’ll need to pay for professionals. They need special base materials and adhesives and lots of hard work and knowledge. And if you consider changing them any time in the future, you must know that getting them off is boresome and difficult.
You don’t need to worry about application costs for kitchen vinyl flooring. You can do it yourself, and the vinyl itself is less expensive than any other floor solution.
Comfortable
As you’ll spend a fair amount of time standing in the kitchen, you want your floor to feel comfortable to your feet. The vinyl flooring for the kitchen provides a soft surface for a pleasant feel to your feet and ankles. This makes standing for a longer period more comfortable compared to other hard-surfaced floors. This is also good for falling objects, as they don’t break as easily.
Many Design Options
People haven’t considered vinyl a fancy flooring option for a long time. Lately, this has changed thanks to the many design options available. There are vinyl tile and sheet designs that mimic wood, stone, marble, and tile, and there are also custom designs. This gives vinyl not only the convenience of use but also the looks needed to complete your home interior design.
Easy Maintenance
Vinyl’s water-resistant, which means you don’t have to worry about how much water you’re using to clean it. This contributes to easy cleaning and maintenance. For everyday quick cleaning, you can swipe or vacuum and just mop with a damp cloth or mop.
The Differences between Vinyl Sheets and Vinyl Tiles
Both sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles or planks are highly durable, resistant to moisture, and come in a wide variety of designs and styles. Knowing the main differences between them can help you decide what’s the better option for your kitchen.
Visual Appearance
The key difference between the looks of sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles lies in the fabrication.
Vinyl sheets or rolls are typically installed using one to two large sheets. A photographed image of the pattern is inserted below the layers. It’s bulkier, more expensive and only possible to make one style per sheet. It can be printed with lines to mimic the look of grout seams and create a more authentic feel.
However, when it comes to authenticity and visual appeal, luxury vinyl planks or tiles far exceed sheet vinyl. They’re fabricated individually and can be cut into smaller tiles and planks to produce any shape, pattern and design. You can even create a three-dimensional design, installing grout lines in between the seams. That way, you can achieve a stylish and sturdy look, similar to hardwood or ceramic tile, that feels more real under your feet.
Price
Because of the mass production of huge rolls that don’t have to be individually cut, vinyl sheet is cheaper and more affordable than tiles. To make a good fit and save you money, however, it needs to be measured and cut precisely so there aren’t many remains left.
In the long run, what you may seem to save at the start may cost you more in the future. This is because sheets are harder to repair and replace. When you consider durability, design and customisation, vinyl floor kitchen tiles are the more cost-effective choice.
Repairing Options
Since they come in one or two solid pieces, vinyl sheet flooring for the kitchen won’t have any seams between your floor. This prevents moisture from penetrating the surface, which makes it slightly more durable than the tiles. Yet, vinyl planks are much easier and cheaper to repair and replace than sheet vinyl. Repairing them is as easy as ABC. You simply remove the damaged tile or plank and replace it with a new one.
Unlike tiles and planks, if your vinyl sheet gets damaged or stained, you can either replace the entire floor with a new sheet or cut out the damaged section and fill the gap with a new piece. Both solutions can be costly and risky in terms of looks and quality.
The Final Verdict
So, what is the best floor covering for a kitchen floor? The durability, water resistance, soft surface and variety of designs make vinyl flooring the best floor cover for any home and commercial kitchen. And when it comes to choosing between the vinyl sheets and luxury vinyl planks, it all boils down to your circumstances and preferences. Whatever vinyl option you choose, you won’t be wrong, as vinyl is the best option for the kitchen floor.