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Laminate Kitchen Flooring
Kitchen laminate flooring is wonderful because of its easy care, good looks, and simple installation. Some suggest laminate flooring isn't good in the kitchen (or bath either) because of the potential for water damage, but with simple care that's not an issue. Laminate kitchen flooring will let you complete your kitchen make over with ease. Kitchen flooring laminate comes in a wide range of colors and styles, including: wide plank oak, bamboo, cork, stone, and even brick or tile. Its versatility, beauty and durability shouldn't have you question kitchen laminate flooring for your house.
Is it possible for durability and beauty to mesh together into one kind of flooring? Yes it is. If you are looking for both of these qualities for your kitchen flooring then you have to look no further than laminate kitchen flooring. Laminate flooring is a great way to add the beauty of wood or stone to your kitchen without the expense. It is easy to clean and take care of, a huge plus for a kitchen area. What more could you want in kitchen flooring?
Laminate flooring is usually plank type flooring that is composed of several different layers. The first layer is usually a clear hard type coating that covers the design layer. The design layer comes in many different colors and designs which can resemble wood, stone, or tile. These layers are fused together along with a high-density core layer at extremely high heat. The core layer is usually composed of a high-density fiber or even wood particles. A backing is usually applied to the plank to make it even more strong, durable, and moisture resistant.
Choosing laminate flooring for your kitchen is only a matter of choosing a color and design. Just remember that the kitchen laminate flooring that you choose will be the backdrop for the rest of your design choices so choose flooring that you truly love and want, rather than the one that is least expensive. Choose kitchen laminate flooring that will be neutral enough to change with your design styles, but that will be beautiful enough to stand out and make the kitchen into the showplace that it was meant to be.
You may question kitchen laminate flooring use, but it is a wonderful flooring choice for the kitchen area. Laminate flooring is very durable and is able to withstand the wear and tear that most kitchens receive. It is water resistant and stain resistant too, so that makes it very easy to take care of and clean with regular dust mopping and damp mopping with a laminate floor cleaner. That is why it is so popular for use in kitchens and throughout the rest of the home.
Laminate floors are also popular because of their ease of installation. Kitchen laminate flooring comes in snap together planks and glue together planks. The snap together, or clic system, planks are very easy to install. Both styles of laminate flooring can even be installed over many existing sub-floors. That is why do-it-yourselfers like laminate flooring so much.
Choosing kitchen flooring laminate to cover your floors is a good decision. Kitchens in most homes see quite a bit of activity and kitchen laminate flooring is durable enough to last through years of wear and tear. The added benefits of being scratch resistant, stain resistant, and easy to clean also lead many homeowners each year to install laminate flooring in their kitchen. If you are seeking the look of wood without the high price tag and with increased durability, then you will want to consider laminate flooring for the kitchen.
Comments
Thank you Cat, I'm glad you found this site to be helpful! That's always been my goal and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to know that I've helped somebody!
Take care and hope you love your new floor when you get it down!
The Flooring Lady at June 1, 2008 09:31 PM
Laminate in the kitchen - some say no, others(such as you) yes. I think yes but what about under the cabinets, dishwasher, stove and frig? We are taking out and replacing all the cabinets and appliances, including the ugly floor. My question is - should I lay the laminate before/under the cabinets? What about under the dishwasher and stove? If not under the cabinets should I put down equal thickness plywood in those places to keep the floor even? Any advice would be welcome - thanks.
Jim at August 8, 2008 06:28 PM
Hi Jim,
Good questions! I'd go ahead and put it under the appliances, of course, always hoping that nothing springs a leak. I've always thought that putting it under the sink is optional, but if you're talking about laying the whole floor before even putting in cabinets, then go for it. Leaking pipes can be a scary concern, but developing a leak is always possible over time, there's just no help for it. Face it, it probably wouldn't matter what kind of flooring you have if a bad leak developed, there'd be some water damage somewhere.
The Flooring Lady at August 8, 2008 10:51 PM
In my new house the builder recommended not putting our flooring under the cabinets because it would cause problems if we ever refloored. But he did indeed put them the appliances.
Mike at August 9, 2008 06:26 AM
Thanks Flooring Lady and Mike. After your responses we have decided to have the cabinets installed then lay the laminate floor around them and under the applicance holes. This will keep the 'floating floor' concept alive without hurting the look. Once the floor is down then the appliances will be installed and if - at some point - we get a nasty leak that ruins the laminate it will be that much easier to replace. Thanks again.
Jim at August 9, 2008 09:59 AM
Hi Jim & Mike,
Thanks for popping back in to give an update, Jim. Thanks to you too Mike for chiming in. ;~)
The Flooring Lady at August 9, 2008 11:22 AM
How about installing it over ceramic tile in the kitchen? Nick
Nick at September 3, 2008 10:39 PM
Hi Nick, It can be done if you use a self-leveling agent, or grout over the tile so that the laminate has a smooth clean surface to adhere to. Make sure your joists can handle the extra weight. If you just use grout to level things out and there's still tile that's exposed, you do run the risk that the adhesive for the laminate may not bond properly on the tile. I'd really recommend just removing the tile - once you get started it usually comes off pretty easy.
The Flooring Lady at September 4, 2008 10:18 PM
We just installed a tile laminate floor. People come in an think it is stone. I love it. I have boys,husband german shepard. Cleans so easy. I clean it with ammonia and water in a spray bottle, even windex for spot cleaning. We are so glad we opted to do this instead of tile or wood. It is beautiful. We found it to be comprable to having tile installed. It did take 5 days for installation, that was a profesional. We have a big kitchen though. I love it!
susan at September 15, 2008 09:04 AM
Susan,
It sounds as if you did a great thing by putting the stone in your kitchen. I agree it's durable and the perfect answer to the use it's getting.
Let me caution you against using the ammonia on that floor -- it could hurt the stone, and it's not good for you or the dog. I'd avoid the Windex too. Vinegar water in a 15:1 ratio will do the job well, and not hurt you or the stone in the process.
I just replied to a woman whose baby is breaking out in red bumps in reaction to chemicals she used to clean her carpet. That child is like the canary that is used to tell miners of toxic air quality -- it's warning the mom about the toxic chemicals she's using. You may not have a canary to warn you, so let me play that role.
Check out this article on the subject: http://www.economicallysound.com/listen_to_the_canarys_song.html
Enjoy the floor!
Enjoy!
The Flooring Lady at September 15, 2008 10:15 AM
