A Good Choice : Laminate Kitchen Flooring

Do you think beauty and durability can be combined for a perfect flooring in your kitchen? You may think you have to sacrifice one to achieve the other, but there is an option that may surprise you. For the best type of kitchen flooring, if you are looking for both beauty and durability, no other option needs to be on your list: check out laminate kitchen flooring!

Laminate Kitchen Flooring

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Yes! Choosing a laminate kitchen flooring is the smartest way to achieve the look of natural stone or hardwood without the expense or difficulty of care. That’s right, laminate kitchen flooring is one of the most affordable options out there and can be designed to mimic any of the other flooring options out there.

Also, as compared to other flooring options, laminate flooring is also easy to clean and to care of. The practicality of laminate flooring is what you really need for your kitchen, and the design options offer what you really want for your kitchen. Many manufacturers and installers, such as Lumber Liquidators, will spend time working with you to assist you in making a laminate flooring choice that will work within your budget and fit all of your flooring needs.

What more could you ask for in a kitchen flooring?

What is Laminate?

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Put simply, laminate flooring is a synthetic flooring made of different kinds of layers designed to look like traditional flooring such as wood, stone, or tile.

The first layer on the bottom of a laminate flooring plank is a solid coating which covers the entire design layer called the backing. This is designed to withstand moisture in order to reduce or even eliminate the risk of warping from water damage.

The middle layer is called the core layer. The core is typically comprised of a reinforced fiberboard. Sometimes, wood particles are used instead of the fiberboard, though these are typically less durable and as the cost of creating laminate floors decreases, this type of laminate flooring is fading out of popularity. This fiberboard is typically also coated with a special resin to further increase the amount of moisture resistance and durability of the laminate planks.

Now, the design layer. The design layer is where the image of the flooring appears. Laminate flooring can be made to look like natural stone, hardwood, tiles, metal, or any other desired look. Some design layers are even designed with an actual texture that you can feel to increase the overall impression that the floor is trying to mimic.

Finally, as with most flooring, the top layer is referred to as the wear layer. The wear layer is clear and designed to protect the flooring. Some brands of laminate flooring even feature an antimicrobial resin on the wear layer which creates a more hygienic flooring, ideal for bathrooms or kitchens.

These layers get fused together at an extreme temperature in the laminating process. The lamination process improves the strength and makes the laminate flooring more watertight.

Top Six Reasons to Select Laminate Kitchen Flooring For Your Home

1. Limitless Design Options

One of the highlights of laminate flooring is that the options are endless. Anything can be dreamed up can be created and applied as the "design ayer" on the laminate. As the flooring you choose for your kitchen will be the backdrop for the entire style and feel of your kitchen. If you have the desire to change the design in your kitchen in the future, laminate flooring has the added benefit of being fairly easy (and economical) to replace.

2. Cost is No Barrier

Having a standout kitchen can be a real showpiece in your home. Where price often limits people from being able to choose what they would really like as the flooring in their kitchen, having laminate flooring as an option means the possibilities are limitless. Just because you cannot afford reclaimed pine floors or marble for your kitchen flooring does not mean the same effect cannot be achieved within your budget by using a laminate flooring. As with anything, price does vary within the industry, but generally speaking laminate flooring ranges from about $2-$4 per square foot, which is a real steal in comparison to other flooring options.

3. Add Value to Your Home

Professionals all agree that adding quality design to the kitchen is the number one way to add value to a home. This can be easily achieved by using laminate flooring. Whether you are selecting a flooring to be installed in a brand new kitchen or looking for a way to update the kitchen in an existing home, laminate flooring is an easy way to add significant value to your home without having to invest a huge amount of money into a large project.

4. Moisture-Resistant

Another top feature of laminate flooring is that it is stain and water resistant. The sun will not fade laminate flooring, and as long as spills are cleaned up promptly, they will not cause permanent staining. This makes laminate flooring a fantastic choice for any area of the home, like the kitchen, where spills or water leaks are more common. Of course, though laminate flooring is water resistant, it is not entirely water-proof, so you should still do what you can to reduce any soaking, as this can cause damage to laminate.

5. Simple to Maintain

Maintenance and cleaning of laminate floors are both incredibly simple: daily vacuuming or sweeping keep your floor in good shape. And just use a normal mop and a non-abrasive cleaner for a deeper cleaning. All spills on your laminate should be cleaned up as soon as possible to prevent staining or damage, but generally laminate floors can stand up to a good bit of mess without resulting in permanent damage. This is the main reason why laminate flooring is such an incredibly popular choice for the kitchen, as well as throughout the rest of the house.

6. Ease of Installation

Another reason on why laminate kitchen flooring is a popular choice among homeowners is because of its easy installation. Yes! The kitchen laminate flooring is available in snap together planks that are incredibly easy to install. These click system and snap together planks are easy to install. Additionally, you can install laminate flooring on varying types of existing sub-floors. This is why many who like to do-it-yourself opt for laminate kitchen flooring. The installation is simple enough to complete in a single afternoon! The video below by Lumber Liquidators is a good place to start if you are interested in installing the laminate flooring yourself. If you are overwhelmed by the idea of installing your flooring yourself or just have no desire to tackle such a task, the cost of installation is also comparatively inexpensive.

Making the Choice for Laminate Kitchen Flooring

Many worry that choosing laminate kitchen flooring is making a choice for a lower quality flooring. This fear is completely misplaced, however. Spend some time looking at the different laminate flooring options available to you. Take the opportunity to browse both the laminate flooring section of a local big box store, and visit a show room to see laminate kitchen flooring “in action.” Laminate flooring has become so impressive, it is very difficult for most individuals to determine the difference between laminate and the traditional flooring counterparts, like wood or stone, which the laminate is emulating.

However, the best feature of laminate flooring is that in addition to being more affordable than these other flooring choices, it is quite durable and has the physical property to withstand the tear and wear characteristic of home kitchens.

Selecting the best laminate kitchen flooring for your home is a matter of an investment in the research end. Numerous companies offer varying styles and qualities of laminate, and as with any home improvement project, it is important you go with a higher quality laminate and follow all manufacturer directions in order to get the most from your flooring.

In most of homes, the kitchen is the area where most of the activities happen, and in addition to being beautiful, your kitchen flooring has to be durable enough to handle the years of wear and tear. Laminate kitchen flooring will not only handle daily wear and tear, but is stain resistant, scratch resistant, and easy to clean. For this reason, more homeowners every year are choosing to install laminate flooring in the kitchen and many other rooms of their homes.

44 thoughts on “A Good Choice : Laminate Kitchen Flooring”

  1. I just read your article on laminate flooring, and you have us CONVINCED!! Laminate..for us..would be the way to go. With the RA, it would also mean “easy care”…no waxing, easy clean-up ( we have five house cats, but no dogs in the main house as they stay in the new basement and the garage area..Cats are easy on floors. :-))) It’s also easy to lay as my hubby has had LOTS of experience with it. I don’t feel water will be a problem IF it is wiped up immediately. Too bad we can’t be “winners” of a new “dream kitchen”…LOL, but those “winners” are always the rich! Anyway, I’m happy with a kitchen that is EASY TO KEEP CLEAN AND NEAT as even with RA, I do ALL our cooking from scratch and do NOT buy convenience foods. Thanks so much for setting up this great website!!
    Cat

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  2. 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!

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  3. 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.

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  4. 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.

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  5. 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.

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  6. 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.

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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!

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  9. 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!

    Reply
  10. We have a dilemma. Currently we have a tile floor but due to termite infestation and now having to renovate it means our tiles will get broken and need to be replaced. I was told that laminate is not a good choice due to peeling away from backing if gets wet so prefer not to take a chance. Is there any other option that would be cheaper than replacing the tiles or would that still be best? Apparently will cost over 3,000 to have it put down. Thanks

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  11. Hi Anneh,
    Tile, stone, etc. would all work well.
    Laminate is a good choice if you don’t think you’ll have any water issues to worry about.
    It would help if I knew what rooms these floors are in so that I could make more accurate recommendations.

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  12. I am thinking of putting laminate tile down over my vinyl flooring, however i have a huge hole in a piece of the vinyl quite big. Is it okay to lay the laminate over this?

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  13. This may have been mentioned earlier (if so — I’m sorry for the redundant question), but if I install laminate, will it not be marked if I have to pull our stove/oven OR refrigerate out for clean?

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  14. How about if you have a water damage. We have had laminate flooring for nine years and shortly after we installed it (ourselves) we had a water damage in the kitchen. We are leery of installing it again in our next kitchen for fear of the dishwasher leaking or other plumbing leaks that can occur at the sink. Are the new laminate’s more water resistant? Will professional installation make a difference?

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  15. Hi Adrienne,
    Professional installation doesn’t make a difference in how well the laminate flooring will withstand water. I think they are more resistant now than ever. Water damage is always is always a concern, the biggest trick is getting the water up from the floor before it can do damage. Keep in mind too, that water damage is always a risk with almost any type of flooring when used in the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry.

    Reply
  16. Maybe someone can answer this question: We have just had a laminate installed in the kitchen. It was cleaned and washed according to the box instructions – however – there are highs and lows in the finish. Some planks are shiny, some dull, and not due to an excess of cleaning product. Has anyone else encountered this? Product defect? Thanks…

    Reply

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