Vinyl in the kitchen
They're durable, moisture-resistant, and easy to clean and maintain. Kitchen spills and splashes from cooking and washing up are no problem for vinyl's durable and water-resistant surface. Vinyl flooring is also warm and soft underfoot.
Con: LVP May Dent
Luxury vinyl flooring can dent and even scratch or scuff, especially from heavy appliances, furniture, or other weighty objects. Just because it's resistant to something doesn't mean it's impervious to it. However, do know that LVP resists scratches better than real hardwood.
From a distance, both types of flooring even look similar. Neither type of flooring is better than the other across all categories. Vinyl flooring is best in high-moisture areas and it's easy to keep clean. Yet laminate flooring offers a wider variety of style choices and has a higher resale value.
In general, you can rely on vinyl flooring to last anywhere between 10 and 25 years. A lot of it comes down to how well you look after the flooring, but there are some other factors.
Since the kitchen is a high-traffic area, you need a durable flooring material that can withstand wear and tear. Consider materials like ceramic or porcelain tile, natural stone, or hardwood floors that are strong enough to handle foot traffic and heavy furniture.
Vinyl flooring is known for being resilient. This means that most vinyl flooring is water-resistant and very low maintenance, with long-lasting durability.
In this case, the thicker the plank/tile, or sheet, the sturdier it is. The rule of thumb is to use 4mm to 6mm thickness in heavily used areas of the house and 4mm and below for areas like the bedroom.
The two main types of vinyl flooring – luxury vinyl flooring (also known as luxury vinyl tile or LVT, and luxury vinyl plank or LVP) and vinyl roll (also known as vinyl sheet) – are both highly suitable flooring options for your kitchen.
Durability. Laminate and LVT/LVP flooring are both extremely durable, but they have their weaknesses. Laminate is prone to scratches and chipped corners over time, so vinyl is probably a better choice for your home if you have pets. LVT/LVP is scratch-resistant, but it's more vulnerable to denting and tearing.
While luxury vinyl flooring has come a long way from its creation and has increased in durability and visual appeal, unfortunately vinyl may decrease your resale value in the long run. It's important to recognize that while you may spend less on vinyl vs.
Some disadvantages of vinyl flooring include: Cannot be repaired. Can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Shorter lifespan than wood floors.
LVT will never look “cheap” — it will make your life easier and enhance the look and comfort of your home.
Most vinyl floors don't need an underlay. If the surface you're laying on is level and smooth, a well-cushioned vinyl floor should be fine on its own.
As a rule, install permanent cabinets first, then install vinyl flooring. If you install the flooring first, use only specific types of flooring under certain conditions.
The average cost of vinyl flooring for a kitchen is £530 – based on a floor area of 18.5 square metres. However, the exact costs for your kitchen will depend on the size of the floor area and the design and quality of the vinyl you choose.
A traditional tile floor can create a timeless foundation for the rest of your kitchen that won't go out of style and can fall back and let other elements like kitchen backsplash tiles to shine. Decorative floor tile can give a small kitchen presence or add personality to a minimalist space.
Ceramic Tile
It's a hard and durable flooring material that's impervious to water and stains, making it an ideal kitchen flooring option. Ceramic tile is also resistant to heat and breakage. Under normal conditions, ceramic tile can last indefinitely with little change to its appearance or function over time.
Wear Layer Thickness
The thicker the wear layer, the better the overall quality and the longer the flooring will last. Pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations for the wear layer. As a rule of thumb, 8 mil is a good choice for a residential area with moderate traffic.
In recent years, LVT (luxury vinyl tile) has established itself as one of the toughest surfaces in the flooring world. Major manufacturers, including Armstrong (with their Diamond 10 Technology), Shaw, Mannington and Congoleum have embraced its durability, stability and wide range of design options.
Rigid core vinyl plank flooring is equipped with a dense composite core engineered for longevity and durability in high-traffic areas.
Problems include crumpling at the edges, as the adhesive has loosened, or, as in case of LVT, problems with abatement chemicals which can react adversely with these flooring materials. If you are installing click-lock vinyl planks, uneven substrate can lead to lifting of the flooring's edges and joints.
“Tile is the highest-rated flooring among the categories we test,” says Enrique de Paz, who leads flooring testing at Consumer Reports. “It doesn't wear out, scratch, or stain. Its color doesn't fade, it's waterproof, and it is surprisingly slip-resistant, even when wet.