Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where the whole household gathers to cook, eat and socialise, so your flooring has to work hard!

When it comes to choosing the best flooring for your kitchen, you want something that looks great but can handle the inevitable mess and spills.

Your kitchen flooring ideas might have initially led you to solid wood. It’s undoubtedly a beautiful feature, however it isn’t always the right choice for your kitchen.

Luckily, there are several alternatives that provide the same look but offer more practical benefits.

To help you decide which kitchen flooring is right for you, we’ve explored the pros and cons of each type below.

Solid Wood Flooring

Pros:

  • Premium, high-quality look
  • Natural appearance
  • Lasts a lifetime

Cons:

  • More expensive
  • Harder to maintain
  • Can’t be used with underfloor heating

Solid wood flooring is one of the most luxurious floors you can buy and will give your kitchen a gorgeous, natural look. Though more expensive, its durability means it can last more than a lifetime, making it a worthwhile investment.

However, solid wood is of course a natural product, and with the constant exposure to temperature changes and moisture, it could start to perish over time if not properly maintained. To retain the look and finish of the wood, you would need to regularly clean the floor, and ensure you’re refinishing and sanding it as often as required.

Solid wood floors take a lot longer to install than other flooring types. This is something to consider as it means your kitchen will be out of action for longer.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Pros:

  • Solid wood appearance
  • Withstands temperature changes
  • Can be installed over underfloor heating

Cons:

  • Won’t last as long as solid wood
  • Can only be sanded and refinished a limited number of times

If you have your heart set on a solid wood floor but you’re put off by the price and upkeep, engineered wood flooring is a great kitchen flooring option.

Engineered wood flooring is made from layers of plywood and finished with a top layer of real wood. Available in various colours, styles and finishes, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring.

Engineered wood is better able to withstand temperature fluctuations, making it perfect for your kitchen, where the atmosphere is likely to change frequently. It’s also less susceptible to movement, because only the top layer is made of real hardwood.

Plus, engineered floors can be installed safely over underfloor heating, unlike solid wood.

It’s worth noting that engineered hardwood flooring can be sanded and refinished like solid wood. Yet, depending on the thickness, you may only be able to do this five or six times.

Laminate Flooring

Pros:

  • More affordable
  • Highly water-resistant
  • Easy to install and maintain

Cons:

  • Not as long-lasting
  • Can’t be refinished like real wood

One of the most affordable kitchen flooring options is laminate flooring. However, despite the low price compared with solid and engineered wood, it has a wealth of benefits for your kitchen.

Laminate flooring is totally synthetic, meaning it’s highly water-resistant. If you were to spill something, it would be easy to clean up and you wouldn’t have to worry about long term damage to your floor.

It’s important to remember you can’t sand and refinish laminate flooring, meaning it won’t last anywhere near as long as solid wood.

Yet with many different colours and finishes to choose from, laminate flooring could be the best kitchen flooring for you.

Vinyl Flooring (LVT)

Pros:

  • Waterproof
  • Stain-resistant
  • Durable

Cons:

  • Not as long-lasting
  • Can’t be refinished like real wood

Vinyl is another resilient option and ideal for busy families, as it’s waterproof and stain-resistant.

All our kitchen vinyl floors are made up of Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT). LVT is a man-made product that has a strong, rigid core, making the tiles seriously durable.

Available in an array of colours and finishes, the top layer of each tile has a textured surface to give the appearance of natural wood or stone. Each plank also has a handy click system making it easy to install your own kitchen floor.

Like laminate, vinyl tiles can’t be refinished, and don’t offer the longevity of solid wood. However if you’re looking for a stylish yet robust kitchen floor, vinyl can be a great solution.

Our Favourite Kitchen Flooring Options

We’re big fans of solid wood flooring as it looks amazing and will last a lifetime. However, it’s really important to remember that it requires an extra level of TLC to keep it looking its best over time.

For ease of care, engineered wood, laminate and vinyl are much better suited to a busy and messy environment such as your kitchen.

Need to see a few samples?

If you’re still unsure about which is the best kitchen flooring for your home, we can help! 

We offer unlimited free samples, so you can compare the colour and texture of all your favourite floors in your own home. All our samples are sent out by first class post, so if you order now they’ll be with you in the next few days. We have so many beautiful floors to choose from, so you’re sure to find your perfect match.

Plus, remember to follow us on Instagram for plenty of home renovation inspiration!