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Pavers as Kitchen Flooring
Pavers as kitchen flooring gives you a durable floor that's easy to care for. Kitchen brick floors can be as formal or informal as you want, determined by the pattern you choose and throw rugs you scatter on them. Brick flooring is absorbent so does need to be sealed to protect it from water, grease and dirt stains so common in kitchens. If you have an environmental focus in your home, consider reclaimed brick that is used as flooring.
The choice that you make for your kitchen flooring dictates the entire feeling of your kitchen. In most homes, the kitchen is the central hub of activity of the entire family. That's why most people want flooring that makes the kitchen feel warm and inviting.
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Installing pavers as kitchen flooring can help create a warm feeling in your kitchen so that it feels more welcoming. Although this is an unusual choice for kitchen flooring, it is a choice that can make your kitchen into that one of a kind showplace that you want it to be.
When most people think of brick pavers, they think of outside spaces. Brick pavers are used outside for patios, porches, steps, and sidewalks, but they are also a great choice for indoors. Brick is extremely durable and easy to take care of, which is why it is an ideal choice for a high traffic area like the kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most traveled rooms in the home and it needs flooring that is durable, easy to clean, and that is beautiful.
Brick pavers as kitchen flooring add texture, color, design, and beauty to your kitchen no matter what your tastes are. Brick flooring is one of the most neutral flooring choices that you can make as it goes with almost any color, any wood, and any decorating style. The beautiful, natural pattern of brick adds interest and appeal to the rooms as well.
Many companies offer reclaimed brick to use as flooring. Reclaimed brick is brick that was taken from a building that was scheduled to be demolished. This brick is then cleaned and repurposed for use in other homes, business, and buildings. This is a great way to recycle brick and the natural aged look of the brick can create a floor that others will be envious of!
There are many different ways that brick can be laid in your kitchen. The most common designs that are laid are the running bond, herringbone, and basket weave designs. Running bond is when the brick pavers are laid end to end in staggered rows. Herringbone is when bricks are laid in a diagonal direction and basket weave is when the bricks are laid at cross angles to each other as if woven. These different designs help create an unusual look and texture in the kitchen.
Brick flooring must be sealed so that it does not stain. If sealed, brick flooring is easy to take care of with simple sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning with a mild detergent. This makes them ideal for rooms where messes reign supreme such as in the kitchen, family room, or other rooms that see a lot of messes.
Kitchen brick floors will instantly update your kitchen from cold and uninviting to warm and welcoming. If you are looking for a kitchen floor that is easy to clean, durable, and beautiful, then brick pavers as kitchen flooring are a choice that you will definitely want to consider.
Comments
Hi,
We are getting ready to lay brick pavers in our kitchen. What thickness of backer board is appropriate for brick on a 3/4 plywood sub-floor.
Thanks
Dave at March 31, 2009 12:49 PM
Hi Dave, What's under the sub-floor? Are these the thinner pavers or the regular kind?
The Flooring Lady at March 31, 2009 05:57 PM
Hi
It's a 3/4 plywood laying directly on the floor joists (its a second floor room) and the pavers are the thin type, appx. 1/2 thick.
Thanks
Dave at April 4, 2009 12:06 PM
Hi Dave, I really cannot tell you for sure, I can tell you that it would depend on if your floor joists are strong enough to handle the weight. Chances are, the floor joists would be good enough, if you don't think they are then you should beef them up a bit to make sure. Pavers are heavier than wood, as I'm sure you already know. Add to that the weight of cabinets (and what is stored in them!), appliances, etc.
Another question: When you refer to a second-floor room, do you literally mean on the second story of the home, or do you mean it's on the main floor with a basement underneath? This can make a difference as well as sometimes there is actually steel beams between a basement and first floor.
The Flooring Lady at April 5, 2009 01:05 PM
I hope you can help me. I am thinking of building a very rustic cabin in Central America. I will only be there for a month or two a year. I have about 10 thousand bricks and would like to use them for flooring. Is it possible to set the bricks in sand instead of concrete for inside flooring? What are the problems with this? Thanks.
Charles at May 28, 2009 05:56 PM
Hi Charles, Anything is possible. I don't know of anybody who has done this before so I don't know what kind of problems you would have. The sand will get tracked everywhere of course.
What type of foundation will the cabin have?
The Flooring Lady at May 29, 2009 09:31 AM
I know the question sounded like I hadn't thought about it, but when you have material you can build with, why not use it. The reason the question came up is because of experience I had with a retail business in Charleston, SC. My back patio floor was constructed of bricks laid in sand with no space between the bricks. The floor was 200 years old and received very heavy daily traffic--even horses at one time in its life. I never noticed any sand at all. I could use concrete as a floor, but I really like the look and feel of old bricks...plus they are free. Perhaps there is a way to seal the bricks to minimize the "tracking" problem. Another big plus was that when I had to lay some new pipe, I just pried up some brick and then replaced them when the job was done. I know brick and sand works outside, I was just wondering if I were created problems for myself by using it for interior floors.
charles at May 30, 2009 07:22 AM
Ah, I see. It sounds like a delightful idea, but I think you're going to run into problems with trying to use it inside. If you're planning on not sealing it to keep it as natural looking as possible, I suppose it could work. It would certainly help avoiding floor damage due to expansion/contraction from temperature variances. I can see problems arising from dirt and things that might get dropped/spilled onto the flooring. In some ways, the old cobble streets get cleaned by good rain storms, and some dirt gets dusted away from the wind.
I don't know how well it would work for your cabin's flooring, but I can understand why you'd consider it. I can see both the pros and the cons. For a full-time residence, I'd have to say that I wouldn't recommend it, but for a retreat that isn't going to have constant traffic and isn't climate controlled year round it may does have possibilities.
The Flooring Lady at June 1, 2009 09:04 AM
HI, When my husband and I purchased our home, we installed (diy project) brick pavers in our kitchen and bathrooms. We then sealed them; however, we apparently didn't use enough sealer or the right one (I believe it was called Magnolia). Both the brick and the grout stain easily. I want to thoroughly clean the floors and reseal them. What do you recommend I use to get them very clean and what is the best product to seal them?
Rhi at July 1, 2009 10:27 PM
Hi Rhi, You should contact a professional and buy a brick paver stain remover solution for any stubborn stains but for just general cleaning, I recommend just a mild detergent with water. I would also recommend Aqua Mix Enrich 'N' Seal as your sealant.
The Flooring Lady at July 2, 2009 01:03 PM
