Choose Right Flooring for Your Kitchen (1)
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Written by Worawit Pit
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Friday, 15 February 2008 |
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Before choosing a flooring color or design, choose the proper materials. The ground rules are price, wear and tear, maintenance comfort and the type of atmosphere you want to give the kitchen.
Terracotta, slate and wood acquire the lovely patina of use and age. Ceramic tile and granite are crispy functional, but less sound insulating than vinyl and linoleum, which are easy to lay and cheaper in price.
Timber
Wood is resilient, so it ‘gives’, making it kind on your legs and on things you might drop. It makes sense to buy timber from sustainably managed forests and sensible forestry can mean utilizing lesser-know species. Ask your timber merchant for advice. Wood is relatively easy to maintain and repair and will mature gracefully. Timber floors must be sealed to protect them from water.
Brick
Non-slip and waterproof, bricks can be laid in a variety of patterns on a damp-proof base. Brick is absorbent: if you spill drinks or goulash, these messes are liable to seep in. Sealing plasticizes brick’s character considerably but can be difficult to apply. Engineering bricks are fired to a higher temperature, becoming vitrified, and are not absorbent.
Tile and Stone
Two materials that invite treading, tile and stone are powerful summaries of earth turned into a versatile material. They resist water, heat and most household chemicals, re hardwearing and easy to clean. When properly installed, they ask for little in the way of maintenance.
Marble
For some marble is the epitome of elegance. It is rich in price and appearance, cold but gifted by nature with veins of character. Despite stony good looks, marble is a bit formal and slippery for a kitchen and can stain. It comes in slabs or tiles, including a stunning selection of inlaid tiles. Polishing can still prove a problem. To clean, scrub with nonacid cleaners.
Slate
This material is cold, hard, durable, water-proof and can be honed handsome or left rugged. Unlike marble, slate’s sleek, raw beauty is reasonably stain resistant, and some supplies advise against sealants.
Kitchen typically rely on one-size slate tiles in smooth or rippled finishes but slate floors can be custom cut without mush price differential. Random cuts laid in abstract patterns highlight the textural variations in the material.
Terrazzo
Restaurateurs and caterers like this aggregate of concrete and granular marble chippings because it requires little upkeep. Terrazzo is smooth and tough, and can be trowelled or rolled on, laid down in the form of slabs or as more durable hydraulically pressed tiles. It is basically non-slip, available in a range of colors, and washes clean with hot, soapy water.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 16 February 2008 )
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