The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the home. From cooking and cleaning up to unpacking groceries and enjoying a meal, most Americans spend a little over an hour a day in the space. Kitchen floor materials need to be resilient, durable, and water and stain-resistant to hold up to everyday heavy foot traffic.
If you’re replacing your floors or starting a kitchen remodel in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, or a nearby community, we’ve put together the best kitchen flooring options to delight – and last.
What Is the Best Flooring for a Kitchen?
Americans spend roughly 53 minutes preparing food in the kitchen each day; assuming those hard-working meal preparers sat down and enjoyed the fruits of their labor, we’re spending over an hour in the kitchen. That restricts your kitchen floor options to products that are tough enough to handle the traffic!
The Top Flooring Options for Kitchens, Ranked
1. Luxury Vinyl Tile and Vinyl Plank
Luxury vinyl flooring products are engineered to offer exceptional water resistance (some are waterproof), making them nearly impervious to minor spills and leaks. They are also resistant to scratches, dents, and stains, and can safely support heavy appliances.
If you love wood or tile flooring, LVP and LVP products mimic these premium flooring materials, balancing the aesthetic you’re looking for at a lower price point.
2. Porcelain Tile
There’s tough, and then there’s tile. Porcelain tile is effectively waterproof if you use the right grout and have it professionally installed. As one of the hardest materials available, it’s resistant to impacts, stains, and scratches. Its timeless appeal and longevity make it one of the best kitchen floor materials for ROI too.
3. Engineered Wood
The fact that two types of flooring recreate the look of wood flooring is a testament to its appeal, but engineered wood, like LVP, has a leg up on solid wood in the kitchen. The surface veneer on engineered wood is usually solid maple or oak, but the underlayers are designed to be more stable when exposed to moisture or temperature fluctuations. While it’s not waterproof, it’s better suited to minor spills and leaks than real wood.
Other Flooring Options for Kitchen
Other flooring materials can hold up in busy kitchens, but you’ll need to be very careful with spills, pet nails (all the scratches!), and other considerations. If you’re looking for cost-effective options like laminate or sheet vinyl, make sure you discuss your options with a Design Associate.
Kitchen Flooring Tips
There is no one-size-fits-all choice for kitchen floors, and the best type of flooring for your kitchen will depend largely on a few factors:
- Lifestyle: Young children and pets can take a real toll on your flooring everywhere in your home, but kitchens take the brunt of it. Prioritize water, stain, and scratch resistance with vinyl or tile, if they align with your budget.
- Maintenance: All of our top three options share one additional characteristic beyond water-resistance: they are low maintenance. Tile, vinyl, and engineered wood are easy to clean with regular sweeping and occasional mopping.
- Budget: Premium flooring, while durable and long-lasting, can be more expensive upfront. Your Design Associate can help you balance value and longevity, and also assist you in accessing competitive financing options.
Bring Your Dream Kitchen to Life with Floor Coverings International® of Spokane
There are many things to consider ahead of any home project, and kitchen flooring has more variables than most. Our experienced team takes immense pride in helping homeowners in Spokane and North Idaho find the perfect kitchen floor coverings and make the entire process simple.
For exceptional customer service and a wide selection of kitchen flooring products, schedule your free in-home consultation today.
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