Creating Your Ideal Kitchen Floor
Dec 12, 2018
1. Prepare your budget
As we’ve mentioned before, the first thing to do when undertaking any home improvement project is to determine your budget. A well thought-out budget will provide you with a guideline of how your renovation can proceed and everything that you can accomplish within it. It’s easy to underestimate the cost of replacing your floors, especially if you don’t consult a professional. You should first measure and determine the square footage of the entire area of floor you’re looking to replace. After you’ve done that, don’t forget to account for things such as the grout, adhesives, protection, insulation or underlayment. Consult with an expert to figure out everything that will be needed in order to fully replace and remodel your floor and create your budget accordingly.
2. Decide on a look
The most important part to consider when planning your new kitchen floor is the materials that will be used to create it. This will depend largely on what you feel will best work with the kitchen you want to create, as well as the different upkeep and cleaning the various materials require. The most common and popular choices for kitchen flooring materials are tile and laminate, although others prefer hardwood floors for a more rustic look. Linoleum and vinyl are also options that you may want to consider. All the different types of materials are available in several different versions, so you will have the opportunity to be even more specific in creating the perfect floor.
Once you’ve made your choice of the material you’d like to choose you should look into the different ways you can customize it to maximize its fit to your ideas and the style of kitchen you want to have. The type of colors or patters you choose for your kitchen floor can have a transformative effect on the entire room. You should first decide on the general feel you’d like to have in your kitchen whether that’s modern, rustic, minimalist or any other aesthetic. Then, consider the colors and design of you appliances and other surfaces. You want to choose a floor that will complement and enhance them, rather than clash or overshadow them.
3. Prepare for a mess
Whether you’re a novice cook or an expert chef you are certainly aware that cooking is a messy business. With this in mind it’s easy to see why you should consider the ease with which your floor can be cleaned. You don’t want to choose flooring that is prone to staining as it will be ruined after the first spill. Also, keep in mind that the floor will often be exposed to water and other types of liquids so it’s important that you choose a type of flooring that won’t be ruined because of this.
4. Durability and comfort should not cancel each other out
Replacing the floors for a whole room, of even just one part of it is a time-consuming affair. If you’re already investing your time and money into creating a new floor for your kitchen you should want and expect the new one to last. Nothing is forever, but you should still be aiming to make your new floors last as long as possible. A large part of this is choosing a durable flooring style and material that will withstand the test of time. After all, the kitchen is one of the busiest parts of the whole house.
However it’s also important to consider the level of comfort your choice material will offer. When you’re already spending a few hours every day preparing meals an uncomfortable floor can wreak havoc in the cook’s feet, knees and ankles and in extreme cases even lead to health problems. Tile is the most common culprit for this, it’s highly durable and easy to clean which is why it’s considered ideal for a kitchen floor, however its hardness can cause a discomfort that can’t be ignored. Look into an alternative, softer option, if not for the entire kitchen, at least for the areas that are most used for food preparation.