Home Kitchen Design – Flooring

There are tons of flooring choices, and there’s something to suit everyone’s taste, but there are a few things to consider before you buy. Learn how to choose the right flooring for your kitchen in this video by House & Home:

Lifestyle is an important consideration when selecting flooring for a room. Do you have children and/or pets? Is it a high traffic area? Another thing to consider is how easily the floor will scratch, especially if you have pets. If it does scratch, will the scratch show up easily or will it add to the flooring’s character?

Pale floors are trendy right now and really brighten up a room. They’re also a perfect contrast to dark furniture. Medium tone floors are often seen in traditional or country homes. They are very forgiving and really warm up a space. Dark floors are very elegant and perfect for modern or traditional homes, but remember that they do show dust and require a bit more maintenance.

In high-traffic situations, some laminates offer the longest wear. Laminates can stand in for a lot of other materials like stone, tile or wood and can be almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

To get the best product for your needs, be sure to ask about the thickness, durability and life expectancy of the flooring you’re thinking about.

The most common way to install flooring is in a straight staggered pattern. It is the most cost-effective and the most straightforward to install.

With floating floors, it is very important to have an underlay. The underlay acts as a vapor barrier between the surfaces and also helps to absorb the sound.

When it comes to flooring direction, the most popular way to lay the planks is along the longest length of the house instead of the traditional way which would be from the front door through to the back of the house.

Most flooring materials on the market today combine low maintenance and durability which are important qualities for consideration in your kitchen.