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
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?
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.
Hi Alan,
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is most likely a product defect. Your flooring is probably factory sealed with aluminum oxide or something similar – the finish should be uniform. I’d give the manufacturer a holler.
Can you explain a little more about this aluminum oxide? What would that product do to the laminate causing a non-uniform finish? The flooring is called Easy-Clic. I’m calling the flooring dealer tomorrow, but, I’d like a little more knowledge under my belt. Thanks so much for your input!
Alan
We have just installed a new kitchen with light wooden doors and black granite effect worktops we have replaced previous tiles with lightish brown/fawn mottled (sort of!) we wre intending to paint the walls primrose or similar.The problem is deciding on the colour of the floor..area approx 12 sq. metres.Do you think matching the worktop colour would be a step too far as going for a lighter colour one needs to be a bit careful not to clash with the light wooden door colour.The room has plenty of natural light.Any ideas?
Hi Alan,
You can do some research by going to google.com and using the search terms “aluminum oxide” (in quotes – just like I have typed it) and something like the word flooring — you should get some info that way.
Keep in mind, I’m not saying that for sure that’s what it’s coated with, but chances are it is. I’m sure it’s something that is sprayed on at the factory, run through a machine. Factory machines do malfunction. Spray heads could get clogged, or run low on the sealer, causing imperfections such as no/not enough finish on each piece. Very possible.
Hi Robin,
Wow……… I really think either would work. What I would do is get a sample of one dark and one light flooring product that you like. That way you can take them home and see which you think would look best.
Do you ever do any photo-editing? You could take a pic of your kitchen and then play with your software, making the floor dark, and then making it look light. It might give you a better over-all idea of how the whole floor would look and hopefully make it easier to decide.
I did google ‘aluminum oxide’. The store manager was here and decided that there is a defect with the coating on these floor boards. Now a factory rep will come out. I’ll probably be getting another new floor. What do you suggest for cleaning laminate?
Alan
Hi Alan,
Glad to hear a factory rep will be coming out – I hope he’ll do the right thing. As far as cleaning your new floor, I’d suggest just using a vinegar/water mixture (1 part vinegar to 15 parts water or more) and use a microfiber mop. I always have a second one on hand that is clean & dry to kind of buff the floor with to get it really dry and avoid any streaking or smudging that can happen with these floors. A clean, dry microfiber cloth will do just as well too.
Good luck!
I am thinking about Dura Ceramic, but have read of many problems. Do you have any experience with this product?
Thanks,
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
No, I’ve personally never used it. What types of problems have you heard about? Often, problems arise from the owner not taking care of it properly.
I found this page discussing doing laminate in the kitchen. We did this about 2 years ago, and I am having mixed opinions now.
We have two dribble monsters (aka black labs) who drink then process to water the floor with all the water in their fur around their mouths..
So, my wife’s solution was to put rugs nearly everywhere in the kitchen, and now the kitchen is covered in rugs, some blue, some maroon, and one that has a pattern.
I really think it’s just ruining the look of the rest of our beautiful kitchen.
What solutions do you suggest to deal with this? Mine is to put kitchen flooring vinyl back on the kitchen, but there has been all sorts of arguments about doing that.
Really frustrated in VA !
Hi Marty,
Seriously, I would suggest using a different area with the house for your dribble monsters to eat and drink, maybe then your wife would be willing to toss the area rugs out of the kitchen.
Basically, it’s all going to boil down to the two of you being able to achieve some sort of a compromise. Yes, water and laminate flooring don’t mix, but if you love the look of and don’t want to have to hide it, then the dogs feeding area needs to be moved elsewhere, like maybe a laundry room or garage if practical.
We have cherry-colored oak cabinets. We are getting ready to remodel the whole kitchen and will be adding new green quartz countertops to the pre-existing cabinets, but will be doing something totally different to the floor….we plan on using wood laminate, but don’t know whether to match the cabinet color (which is dark), go darker, or go a few shades lighter??? We picked up a few flooring samples at Lowes and Home Depot, but still confused. Thanks for your help.
Hi Kathy,
Don’t worry, there are no ‘rules’ about whether or not the wood flooring and wood cabinets have to match. You can go a bit darker or lighter……. or even the same shade! Good luck deciding! ;~)
Hi Kathy We are considering laminate flooring for our family room and kitchen. We currently have engineered flooring n the family rm and with three older English bulldogs – slobbery, etc. Husband was thinking of having it all removed and putting in tile – but suggested we go laminate – what do u think?
Hi Nancy, I think you would be very pleased with laminate flooring because of it’s durability and its resistance to scratches. It really is a good choice for kitchen areas.
New kitchen addition. Have always had vinyl on floor. Husband would like ceramic tile, but hardness gives me a backache. I would like laminate tile because it has a little “cush” to it, but confused on qualities. Have seen Permaplex (Wilsonart Flooring), high pressure laminate and direct pressure laminate. I know I am going to avoid direct pressure laminate, but is high pressure good enuf? Is the Permaplex more water resistant?
Kathy,
It is true that Permaplex does have some cushion to it. I would consult a local professional with your health concerns as they can help you find the type of flooring that will all your requirements.
I’m considering a laminate kitchen floor, but I often drop cans/heavy objects and have been told that laminate will dent and can not be easily repaired. I have Wilsonart wood flooring in my livingroom for 10years and it still looks beautiful, however, I haven’t dropped any heavy objects…
advise?
Marianne,
Any floor can be damaged when a heavy object is dropped on it, although some are more durable than others. My advice would be to pick what looks and functions best for you and be sure that it is well sealed for the best protection possible. Another suggestion may be to use kitchen rugs in the area that you are most prone to dropping things (like under the can cabinet), and protect the floor.
Various sites say not to install laminate flooring under kitchen cabinets. What about under appliances?