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Flooring
The choice of flooring material is broad; vinyl in sheet or tiles, ceramic tile, wood floors and now, the new laminates.
Which is best for you ?
Each of the choices has its fans and some choices are more prevalent in one part of the country
more than others.
We hope that this page will help answer some of your questions on what material and style is best
for your home.
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| Options for Flooring Materials
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Things you will need to think about are if you have children in the home you should look for a kitchen
floor that can easily resist spills. If you will be spending a lot of time on your feet in the kitchen then
you will want to look for a kitchen floor style that would be more comfortable to your feet. You will also have
to make sure that the kitchen floor you eventually select can handle not just thousands of footsteps and kitchen
mishaps but that it will be durable through all of the redecorating you will do to your home over the years.
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Vinyl, Laminate, and Linoleum Flooring |
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Vinyl comes in tiles and sheets and can be installed on top of other flooring.
Vinyl is a great choice for busy families since clean up is a snap and there is no maintenance involved.
Laminates are mostly used in the kitchen and for good reason. Virtually as durable as vinyl, laminates give the
look of wood or stone with modern technology adhering a photographed image onto a fibrous material.
With quick installation and no maintenance, it's no wonder that more wood lovers are choosing laminates instead.
Linoleum is not the same product that it was fifty years ago. Deemed sustainable and environmentally friendly, linoleums are
made from natural materials. It's a great choice for people sensitive to allergens and comes in many color and style choices.
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Kitchen World carries a variety of flooring materials.
We carry hardwood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl sheet, tile and linolium from
Armstrong. Armstong's product
lines include Bruce Hardwood Floors and Robbins Hardwood Floors.
From Quickstep we carry laminate flooring
that feels and sounds exactly like solid wood flooring without the price of wood floors.
Hardwood & Linolium samples
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Wood Flooring |
Wood is a good option for people who want a warm environment in their kitchen. It's also a great choice if other
living areas flow to or from the kitchen. Wood comes in unfinished, pre-finished, and solid or engineered strips,
planks, and parquet squares. Even with a polyurethane coating, wood requires occasional refinishing and resealing.
Ceramic tile can be a relatively affordable option and doesn't need much maintenance. It can be cold and unforgiving
on one's back. Ceramic tile options range from large-size pavers and unglazed quarry to high maintenance glazed porcelain.
Stone tiles, cut from the middle of boulders, are also durable but require a sealant due to the porous nature of the stone.
Popular options include granite, limestone, and marble.
If you're considering Wood, there are a number of options available. There is natural wood, or engineered wood. Kitchen
World carries engineered Wood (which is still made of real wood) from Capella.
We also carry natural wood, and customized wood floor options from Armstrong.
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There are several species, colors and grain variations to consider. Other than the walls, the floor represents the
largest expanse of color or pattern in a room. Your floor should complement the fabrics, furnishings and accessories
already present in the space, as well as enhancing the unique personality of the room as a whole.
The most popular color : red oak natural, maple natural running second, but with today's eclectic decoration styles,
anything goes. Darker colors - Formal or traditional interiors,
Lighter colors - country, casual and contemporary settings. There are many choices when selecting the right floor for the rooms in your home.
There are several many species, colors and grain variations to consider.
A variety of woods and finishes are available to complement the decor and style of any room.
Oak and maple are the most popular woods, but some homeowners are investing in exotics such as Brazilian cherry and Purple heart.
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Ceramic Tile
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When considering ceramic tile, you should first understand its properties. Ceramic tile can be glazed or unglazed and waterproof or porous.
Glazed Ceramic Floor Tile
"Glazed" tiles are generally machine-made clay tiles, pressed in a die and fired in a kiln to provide color and a hard surface.
They come in a larger variety of colors and tones and are more stain resistant than unglazed tiles. Because of their surface,
glazed tiles are often used on walls or countertops.
Unglazed Quarry Tile
This variety brings the simple authentic looks of terra cotta into any design scheme.
Contrary to glazed tile, the natural color of Quarry tile is present from the start and is part of the tile itself.
They are naturally stain and slip resistant, and are available with an abrasive grain for even greater traction.
This tile combines durability and beauty. Quarry tiles come in sizes up to about 12 inches wide.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tiles are fired at a high temperature, making them very dense and durable.
Porcelain tiles are versatile – they can be used in any room of the house and are an excellent choice for outdoor conditions.
They don’t wear down quickly, even under heavy traffic and they are also amongst the most water-resistant of all tiles.
Terracotta (or Saltillo) Tiles
The tiles, from Mexico or Europe, come in both handmade and machine-formed varieties.
Terracotta offers a handcrafted look with a lot of character. They do however require a little more maintenance.
Terracotta is porous so needs a coat of sealer every year. They can be used outdoors, but only in nonfreezing climates.
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Ceramic
Tile Comparison Chart
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Glazed Ceramic |
Unglazed Quarry |
Porcelain |
Terracotta |
| Durability |
Some glazes can wear away with heavy traffic.
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Very durable, can be installed outdoors in nonfreezing climates.
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One of the most durable tiles.
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generally one of the least durable tiles
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| Water Absorbtion |
The glaze is resistant to water, but the tile body is susceptible at the edges.
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Water resistant but not waterproof.
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Rated vitreous – won’t absorb more than 3% water. Very wet locations must be waterproofed
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Varies with how tile is made.
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| Maintenance |
Clean simply by wiping with a wet cloth or sponge.
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Can stand up to industrial cleaners.
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Easy to clean with wet mop or sponge.
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Periodic application of sealer required. Once sealed, you can use a wet mop with special cleaners.
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Natural Stone Tile
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Marble, granite, and slate are common natural stone choices. Natural stones are available in two different surface textures:
Polished tiles which are shiny and sleek-looking, but slippery when wet.
Honed tiles which have a dull but less-slippery finish.
Marble Tile
This timeless stone classic can provide any interior space with elegance and beauty.
They can be honed or polished for the desired effect.
Granite Tile
Formed by volcanic action, the flecks of quartz, feldspar and mica give Granite its own special character.
Polished or honed, this tile is very distinctive.
Best use:Recommended for interior and exterior walls and heavy-duty interior floors.
Polished finish not recommended for exterior or interior floors subject to water or grease accumulation.
Slate Tile
This fine-grained metamorphic rock radiates a subtle, natural beauty.
Since slate resists fading, abrasion and chemicals and is impervious to freeze/thaw cycles, its beauty will last for years to come.
Best use:Recommended for both interior and exterior floor, wall and specialty uses, e.g., Stair treads
tabletops and cladding. Not recommended for exterior or interior floors subject to water or grease accumulation.
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Natural Stone
Tile Comparison Chart
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Marble Tiles |
Slate Tiles |
Granite |
| Durability |
Properly installed it can last virtually forever
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Properly installed it can last virtually forever
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Properly installed it can last virtually forever
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| Water Absorbtion |
Porous so can stain easily
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Varies from stone to stone
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Varies from stone to stone, some types of granite are very dense and stain-resistant
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| Maintenance |
Regular Dusting. Use a pH neutral solution, designed for natural stone, to damp clean with a mop.
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Regular Dusting. Use a pH neutral solution, designed for natural stone, to damp clean with a mop. |
Regular Dusting. Use a pH neutral solution, designed for natural stone, to damp clean with a mop.
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Ceramic tile or stone floors can turn ordinary rooms elegant and lend your rooms a new natural beauty.
The durability of tile flooring also makes it an excellent floor covering choice for any area of your home.
Investing in floor tiling can provide an option that not only brings luxury to the home but is also practical
and suited to the effects of everyday life.
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