Your kitchen floor is one of the biggest investments you may make. This is the heart of the home where family members often gather and move in and out of. This surface gathers the most dirt and has the most chemical baths. So we are not just considering appearance, there is a lot more to it. Of course you want to get the most for your money so there are a number of options and plenty of kitchen floor ideas to really make each one work for you.

Laminated flooring – it looks great and cleans well, two good points here already. It is also less expensive than genuine wood unless you already have a restorable wooden kitchen floor. What is particularly convenient about this type of flooring is that it can be fitted over a concrete floor and made to look like the real thing. Another benefit of this type of flooring is that it has a reputation for lasting exceptionally long, more so than many other surfaces. Older houses that were kitted out from front to back with wooden flooring usually had concrete kitchen floors. So without digging up half of the foundation you can now have a kitchen floor to match.

Wood – real wood floors for many are the ideal. Sand them down and seal them and they will give you a lifetime of joy. If they have been properly prepared they are a breeze to clean and their durability is largely based on your chosen sealant. Choosing a wooden kitchen floor is a larger initial investment but can increase the value of the house by far more than any other kind of kitchen flooring. Installing wooden floors may cost more than it is worth if there were no wooden floors to begin with. In a case like this laminating may be the way to go. An important thing to remember here is to use free standing kitchen units over fixed ones. This means that the floor won’t be damaged by fixing cupboards to it. The most popular types of wood used are oak, pine, oregan pine and teak. While pine is the least expensive of all of these it can be stained and varnished with added effects to make it appear like a more expensive version for example maple or yellow wood for example

Vinyl – vinyl comes in sheets and tiles. Sheets can be plain, coloured or patterned. These are nice to slip over a concrete kitchen floor; they are easy to clean, very cheap and can be replaced without the help of a professional. Vinyl tiles are nice if you would like to have a customised pattered effect. While vinyl in the kitchen may have gone out of style, black and white checks can bring it back in. Linoleum is a very similar product to vinyl. There are loads of shapes and colours to choose from, it comes in tiles or sheets, can be cut to size, installed and replaced with no hassle. The only real difference is the quality and of course the price.

Hardwood – this substance is very versatile and can be prepared with durable paints or varnishes. It can also be patterned in a parquet like fashion. It makes a great topping for any floor beneath it and will protect wooden floors that may have been too expensive to renovate. This type of flooring can be installed by a do-it-yoursel’er because it can be purchased in its already finished form.

Stone flooring – a slightly unique choice your kitchen floors that will attract a certain amount of attention. The installation is very specific and needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing. Stone floors need to be sealed and it is the sealer that makes the floors so easy to clean. Regarding durability, nothing compares. Regular sealing from time to time keeps them in great shape.

Tiles – there are many variations in tiles and with this you can change the shape and size of the tiles to create an effect on your kitchen floor. You get ceramic tiles which are very popular, easy to clean and when filled properly, exceptionally hygienic. They are usually chosen for their ability to sustain more wear over a greater period of time. What makes tiles special is that they are able to effectively imitate other materials, for example, stone or marble with the texture to go with it. Tiles also vary in price and are readily available in most forms, shapes and colours. Despite its long lasting properties, ceramic tiles have the propensity to crack easily and likely to break if anything is dropped on them.

Marble - also a durable choice for flooring is one of the most expensive materials used for flooring. Though in Greece marble is very cheap and can be found in absolute abundance, it is so heavy that it is the transportation of it that adds heavily to the price. Marble can come in any texture. A smooth finish is ideal for counter tops while flooring is best done in a non-slip form. However marble looks wonderful as the colour choices are varied and highly attractive.

Carpeting – while not a recommended choice for kitchen floor specialists it is the number one requested option for those who are using the kitchen and doing a great deal of standing about. Spills cannot be wiped up and unless the carpets are steam cleaned on a daily basis this makes for a very unhygienic surface for children or toddlers who are in close contact with it. What most would suggest is to alternatively use scatter carpets or rugs around the kitchen that can easily be washed in a machine as often as is needed.

There are many kitchen floor ideas to choose from. Each has their own unique benefits depending on your household habits. Having children in the house or large amounts of traffic through the kitchen can cause you to lean more towards an easier to clean surface or one with more durability while a single person may enjoy the feel and comfort of a carpet surface beneath their feet.