What's the Best Flooring For a Kitchen?

This is another question we get asked a lot over the phone, in the store and especially at home shows! So what is the best flooring for a kitchen?

These are just my opinions! I'm sure there are varying thoughts out there but I try to take a very practical approach on this one.

When looking at kitchen floor applications I think there are three main considerations. Water on the floor, ease of cleaning and dents - scratches.

I think the two best overall options are luxury vinyl plank and tile or ceramic tile. I'll explain why.

Luxury vinyl plank and tile are very heavy commercial rated, individual planks or tiles of vinyl. These are not your typical sheet good vinyl products nor the peel and stick junk you see at the home improvement stores. This is the same stuff you are standing on in the clothing section at the nation's largest retailer (when you're at W*&mart and in the clothing section, look down at what you're standing on, it will look like wood). If it can handle their traffic it will certainly handle the traffic in your kitchen! The tiles as well mimic ceramic, slate or stone and look as awesome as the wood plank look. These planks and tiles go down individually so it doesn't have the appearance of the cheap stuff. Luxury planks and tiles hold up great with water spills, far better than hardwood or laminate. If you have ever had laminate in your kitchen and had a water leak under the dishwasher you certainly know what I'm talking about! LVTP (luxury vinyl tile and plank) also performs very well against scratches and dents. The kitchen is a place where things tend to get dropped or scraped and can be a problem area if you're not careful. LVTP is super easy to clean as well! With a cleaners on the market by manufacturers such as Bona Kemi and others, a simple damp mop does the trick. My favorite LVTP products are by Karndean (knight Tile-Warm Oak, pictured upper left), Nafco and for the budget minded, Earthwerks Pacific plank is hard to beat.

Ceramic tile holds up better than virtually anything else with water issues. Ceramic tile is apt to crack or break if you drop something very heavy on it, but at least tiles can be replaced. Regular foot traffic does nothing to ceramic. It is susceptible to scratches from dragging the fridge etc, but hopefully you won't do that! Ceramic can also add value to your home, whether real or buyer perceived and that can mean something later. Ceramic is pretty easy on day to day maintenance. Just make sure a good sealant is put on the grout when you have it installed.

So why didn't I mention hardwood or laminate? Let me say that I love hardwood! Hardwood and laminate have their place in the home. The potential of water issues can be a problem. One big leak from your icemaker or sink and your beautiful Brazilian Cherry Wood Flooring or laminate floor is toast. Wood can be very susceptible to denting. It's not as bad as it used to be with the newer aluminum oxide finishes but it can dent. Laminate in most cases is hard to scratch if little weight is applied, but water is a killer for laminate.

My thoughts on this are just that, thoughts. If you are dead set on hardwood flooring in the kitchen, than go for it! It's your kitchen and you need to be happy with it (just make sure you give us a shot at your business!!). If you can only afford an inexpensive laminate floor, then by all means, put it in. I just wanted to give you a little up front information to think about so your decision isn't an impulse buy on how nice something looks or the color matches the cabinets perfectly. When choosing a floor for a kitchen there is a lot more at stake than what just meets the eye.

Be sure to check back soon for an update on our carpet squares designing tips!

Give us a call at BecklersCarpet.com, 1-800-232-5537! We can help you with any of these options, vinyl tile or plank, ceramic tile from Daltile, Emser and others, all species of hardwood flooring, and laminate as well. You can view all of our vinyl plank and tile offerings at BecklersCarpet.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Earthwerks Vinyl Plank - A Great Looking Floor!

Earthwerks is a manufacturer of Hardwood, Laminate, and Luxury Vinyl planks and Tile. All of Earthworks products are designed around the natural look to create a beautiful look for your home or room.

BecklersCarpet.com features Earthwerks Luxury Vinyl Planks as a great choice for for those wanting the look of real wood, desire a high performance floor but without the maintenance and worries about scratches that come with hardwood flooring. If you have pets or children, luxury vinyl planks are an awesome option that you should consider!

Earthwerks offers several lines of luxury vinyl planks. Pacific Plank is an amazing value for an entry level vinyl plank. With a light commercial rating, it will hold up well for any residential traffic. Pacific plank also creates a wonderful floor with the look of real hardwood. Don't confuse this with the peel and stick variety that you see at the home improvement centers! This floor will last a long time and will stay down when installed properly. For more information on Earthwerks vinyl plank or tile, please call us at BecklersCarpet.com, 1-800-232-5537.

BecklersCarpet.com also features Karndean Luxury Vinyl, Nafco, and many other major brands of this exciting new flooring option. BecklersCarpet.com will also be glad to send out FREE samples on any of these products, just let us know!

Of course, we also carry a wide variety of hardwood flooring if you're looking for the real thing! Give us a call at 1-800-626-6936 for any flooring projects you have. We look forward to hearing from you!

Luxury Vinyl Plank options

Beckler's is continuing to expand our Luxury Vinyl Plank options. We've been very successful with our Karndean line, which is the Cadillac of vinyl planks. We've also seen an upswing in Nafco and Earthwerks products. BecklersCarpet.com will soon be announcing a new Luxury Plank in the $1.29/per sq ft range! This is not a peel and stick, low end product! It will look great and hold up tremendously well compared to standard vinyl sheet flooring or other low end vinyl planks you might see at the big orange box store. With all of the advantages of luxury vinyl compared to laminate and hardwood, this new product we are going to be carrying will be a big hit.

Luxury Vinyl planks are extremely moisture resistant, much more so than laminate (no laminate in kitchens, a sink leak will kill the floor!) and solid wood. They are also very easy to clean and look amazing due to the individual plank design.

Stay tuned for more Flooring Information!

Be sure to call us for any luxury vinyl plank or tile needs you may have, 1-800-232-5537.

Why consider Luxury Vinyl Planks and Tiles

A recent trend in flooring is the advent of Luxury Vinyl Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank. These products are not your Momma's kitchen floor! This style is also not to be confused with the Vinyl Peel and Stick products you find for .$99 at the big box stores. Luxury Vinyl is typically manufactured from virgin PVC, has a tough wearlayer, and also has a more robust backing system than standard vinyl sheet goods.

Why consider Luxury Vinyl Planks or Tiles?

First of all, durability. The products will not chip or dent as easily as a real wood product or even some laminates. The surface should hold up as well or better than anything else for most pet's nails too. They also hold up better than hardwoods and laminates in potentially wet areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, mud rooms, etc (no laminates in the kitchen please, from my own personal experience!). If you aren't using Ceramic tile in the wet areas, Luxury Vinyl is the way to go. To give you an example of durability, the next time you are in W**mart, go to the clothing section and look at what you are standing on. If it looks like a wood plank, but doesn't sound quite like you are walking on wood, that's Karndean's Luxury Vinyl Planks. If it is good enough for that kind of traffic, it should hold up in a home just fine.

Second is the look and feel. These are textured to look like the real thing, Wood, Ceramic, or Stone. In our Kardean Vinyl center at Beckler's carpet, people are blown away by the look. Unless you have seen it yourself, it's hard to believe. You can do anything from formal to rustic. Even add designs and floor borders. When you walk on Luxury Vinyl, it doesn't have as much of that "cold" feeling as Ceramic or Hardwood. Some consumers even say it is "softer" and more quiet to walk on.

There is a drawback. I would not recommend this as a do-it-yourself project. A heavy roller is required for installation and to make sure you fully get the warranty, you need to follow installation instructions to the letter.

The three leaders in Luxury Vinyl are Karndean International, Nafco Vinyl, and Eartherks. When comparing the three be sure to check specifications on wearlayers, warranties, and design versatility.

Luxury Vinyl may never outsell some of the other floorcovering options, but it is a heck of an alternative that makes sense and is here to stay.

Please call us at BecklersCarpet.com, 1-800-232-5537 for great deals on all brands of luxury vinyl tile and planks!