Kitchen floors: types, choices, interesting solutions

Kitchen floors are the most important component of high-quality finishes, a guarantee of comfort and a kind of visiting card of a designer. It is the flooring that guests who come to the house for the first time and people living in the apartment see. The modern kitchen allows a variety of stylistic decisions, but there are some requirements for flooring that ensure safety, facilitate cleaning and ensure the durability of the selected decor.

The choice of available options allows you to meet almost any budget. Bulk, cork, combined from tiles and laminate, polymer and marble, wooden floors and their variants from other materials have an attractive appearance and, under certain conditions, are suitable for use in the kitchen. How to make the final decision and choose the best coverage option? To begin with, it is worth considering all their features in as much detail as possible.

The kitchen floor should have a certain set of properties that will allow it to easily withstand contact with hot and cold objects, mechanical damage and intense stress. The ideal coating is that which easily withstands changes in temperature and humidity, is easy to clean, and lasts a long time. In addition, the aesthetics of the selected material is also important - it should be in harmony with the general style of the interior, have a presentable appearance, create a certain mood in the space of the room.

Liquid bulk or polymer floors managed to gain popularity both in commercial interiors for which they were originally developed, and in residential spaces of houses and apartments. Instead of laying the coating on the prepared base in this case, the material is poured. It can be based on an epoxy or polyurethane polymer, methyl methacrylate or a cement-acrylic compound.

The finished coating is transparent, but can be painted using additional components in the composition. The floors are made with photo printing and original ornaments, the decor can be fancy, for example, with filling in the cover of natural materials or any other elements - from coins and shells to artificial flowers. So you can get a completely unique decor.

Among the floor coverings for the kitchen, the combination of tiles and laminate is the most popular. This decoration option is highly reliable and functional, inexpensive, allows you to effectively zoning the space when creating complex interiors. Practical moisture-resistant tiles are usually mounted in the "wet" area of ​​the kitchen. The material used is ceramic or porcelain stoneware, laid by the sector along the headset cabinets.

Outside the sanitary zone, a laminate floor is mounted. Coatings with a high level of wear resistance should be selected. Among the advantages of this solution can be noted the absence of problems with pushing softer floor materials with furniture legs, functionality, ease of cleaning. The joint between different floor elements in structure is closed with a decorative strip or overlay; you can also equip a podium in this area. Combinations can be contrasting or selected in the same gamut of colors and textures.

Cork flooring has already ceased to be exotic in the interior of a modern kitchen. This finish option looks impressive, has a nice texture, strong and durable. Environmentally friendly material does not emit hazardous substances into the atmosphere, has a unique pattern, but needs a protective varnished coating. The cork oak from which the floor is made has an antistatic effect, suitable for rooms where people with asthma or allergies to dust live.

Ready-made lamellas, on which the array is cut, easily fit, such a floor does not require additional insulation. The coating has a high level of sound insulation, which is important for the kitchen.

Natural or artificial-based (PVC) material is widely used in kitchen decoration in cottages and economy class apartments. Its practicality is highly appreciated, and the variety of design options allows you to achieve harmony in the design of the room. But not without minuses. Linoleum, especially artificial, burns well, in contact with a fallen match it will definitely leave traces. It is quite soft, so over time the surface will sag a little under the weight of the furniture. In addition, in terms of abrasion, most of these materials are much inferior to other options - laminate, board, stone, tile.

A unique design option for flooring. Bamboo floor coverings are now available in three versions - in the form of boards, parquet or tile. The characteristics of the material are such that it is suitable for rooms with different levels of traffic. The durable floor made of this natural coating is characterized by increased resistance to wear, it is not afraid of moisture, refractory, and looks spectacular.

For the manufacture of bamboo tiles, parquet or boards, the fibers are glued and pressed, forming a base that is not inferior in its characteristics to the wood mass. The color scheme of the material ranges from straw yellow to coffee. The strips on the floor are mounted in a groove, are available with a ready-made locking connection, which allows you to quickly and efficiently mount the coating.

Natural marble is hardly a good choice for the kitchen. But under certain conditions, this material can easily be mounted in the interior of a room with high humidity. But marble easily absorbs dirt, is unstable to acids. Material, especially in light colors, can quickly lose its original appeal. But if you conduct a special treatment in a timely manner, protecting the marble from moisture, you can use the magnificent natural stone in the interior of the kitchen without unnecessary difficulties.

Natural wood is well suited for use in the design of the kitchen of a country house. In combination with the walls of logs, timber, lining, this material looks natural and attractive. Expensive and valuable wood species are suitable for use in premium interiors. In the kitchen, a parquet board with a lock joint or sheet pile coated with oil or varnish is usually laid to increase moisture resistance.

Wooden floor is not very suitable for rooms with high humidity, temperature extremes. When the state of the environment changes, the natural material can swell, change geometry, and crack. The protective coating will have to be updated regularly, protecting from moisture and dirt. In addition, the mass of wood is difficult to combine with other materials.

Floor tiles can be ceramic, based on clay and porcelain, made of composite materials. This finish option has a lot of advantages. You can find decor for every taste, style and budget. Tiled floors are the most practical, durable and reliable; they are not afraid of temperature changes, moisture and pollution.

The coating can be selected with imitation of almost any material, laid in a checkerboard pattern or in other installation options. The surface texture is also allowed different - glossy, semi-gloss, matte. This floor is non-combustible, has a long service life.

Vinyl laminate is one of the most popular flooring options. The material is durable, practical, has a diverse decor, well suited for rooms with a high level of humidity. Such a floor is made by laying individual modules, it requires an even foundation, preliminary warming of the surface. The laminate is multi-layered, in its basis most often a mixture of PVC and quartz, it has a different classification. For the kitchen 31-43 classes are suitable, semi-commercial and commercial, withstanding intense abrasion.

Depending on the version, the laminate for the floor can be:

• classic - with a textured top layer and a lock or bottom for adhesive bonding;
• self-adhesive - with a removable protective tape;
• contesse - predominantly lockable, non-combustible, chemically resistant.

Rectangular vinyl panels often imitate the texture and colors of natural wood. Square make it look like natural stone.

When creating the floor in the kitchen, it is very important to consider what type of design will be created in the interior. If only one room is finished, you can do without the formation of additional architectural elements.The simplest option is a single-level floor with equal height over the entire area of ​​the kitchen. It is laid on an even cement screed or poured according to the selected technology.

A two-level floor is a good solution for combined rooms. The kitchen-living room or kitchen-dining room can be zoned with a modern podium. But for its creation in the interior it is very important to consider the initial parameters of the room. You should not do multi-level floors in kitchens with ceiling heights of less than 2.7 m. In addition, the height of the podium itself should be no more than 150-170 mm, for it you will have to fill in an additional screed or make another base, form a soundproof layer, calculate the change in loads surface.

When choosing a color scheme for the floor in the interior of the kitchen, it is very important to follow certain rules. First of all, you have to decide whether it will be contrasting or in tone with the rest of the interior. If you want unusual effects, a transparent kitchen floor with 3D effect or original photo printing can be used.

The simplest solution is a ready-made print medium with a transparent coating on top in the dining area. But to place it in close proximity to work surfaces and sources of fire is not recommended. Plain bulk floors look somewhat defiant and combine with the hi-tech or modern style, but it is better to choose concise black, white, gray solutions.

When choosing a color scheme, it is recommended to consider the following recommendations.

1. Light colors reflect light well, help visually expand the interior space. But in a room with a white headset, it can create an unnecessary feeling of monotony, facelessness. In addition, in the kitchen, a light floor is not too practical to use.
2. Dark tones create a bright contrast, serve as an accent in the interior. They are more convenient to use indoors, but require good lighting.
3. Bright, vibrant colors accentuate geometric solutions in the setting. They can be supported by stretch ceilings, effectively highlight the design of the podium. Tiled floors in bright colors look good in a country-style kitchen or in an avant-garde interior. Bulky juicy, green, blue, yellow floors look spectacular, go well with the decor of a bright, spacious kitchen in eco-style.
4. Pastel shades are used mainly in the decoration of the kitchen with natural materials. Wood, marble, tile here look quite impressive, while not striking.

The choice of floor color is recommended taking into account the shade of the headset, walls, ceiling and design style.

Among the most fashionable design options for the kitchen floor The following solutions can be distinguished:

• 3D with visual effects;
• in a cage - with a checkerboard and contrasting panels;
• natural and environmentally friendly, wood-like stone;
• with the effect of aging, brushing, brightening;
• in glossy monochrome design (bulk or tiled);
• in patchwork style, reminiscent of a patchwork quilt;
• from cork preserving the natural texture;
• with geometric patterns in the art deco style;
• under bare concrete, which is typical for a loft;
• with floral ornaments;
• with 2D photo printing (bulk).

These and other fashionable design options look interesting and stylish in the design of the kitchen, allow you to bring to the interior novelty or a sense of coziness and comfort.

When choosing a material for finishing the floor in the interior of the kitchen The following points must be taken into account.

1. Storeys of the building. In an apartment on the ground floor and in a country house, the foundation of the floor will require more complex work, additional thermal insulation. It is better to use natural materials - wood or cork.
2. Practicality. Ease of cleaning is an important advantage when it comes to kitchen materials.
3. Moisture resistance. The kitchen floor should not absorb moisture. All other options are best left for residential premises.
4. Durability. The service life of the material means a lot, especially if complex repairs are made with the construction of a podium or the union of the living room and kitchen.
5. Repair budget. If there is not much money for finishing the floor in the kitchen, you can consider options for laying linoleum or ceramic tiles.

• A good example of the combination of tiles and laminate in the interior of the kitchen. The coverage boundary passes by the level of division of functional zones.

• Stylish bulk floor with floral patterns. An exquisite and practical solution for a modern kitchen.

• The bamboo floor in the kitchen is an unusual and at the same time traditional finish.

You can find out how to make a floor in the kitchen with your own hands from the video below.