What type of flooring would you use in a kitchen and dining room that are open and connected?

Question

I was going to use some wood look vinyl flooring, but after pricing it out, I'm not so sure. I know laminate isn't right for the kitchen and I hate the feel of tile underfoot. What would you suggest? The kitchen and dining room are connected and there is no wall separating the 2 rooms.

Please and thank you!

Answer 1

I have a tile looking vinyl and it looks very nice but you get what you pay for the laminate wood look sure is precious.  My third choice is heated flooring with travertine tiles.  Good luck.  

Answer 2

Laminate is fine for a kitchen if it's done right. I had a kitchen done in some interlocking laminate by Wilsonart that looked like terra cotta tiles. It was 1-foot-square interlocking pieces that the installers put a thin foam sheet under for moisture protection and sound dampening. It also made the floor flex just a bit, so that it was not as fatiguing to stand on as tile. It was very easy to clean and was shaded just right so that it really looked like terra cotta tile and grout. Even a tiling friend of mine had to get down on the floor and feel it to believe it wasn't real tile at first.

These tiles come in all sorts of patterns and colors. And, you don't have to pull up the existing flooring first, if you have like layers of old linoleum or something.

Just know that the most durable and waterproof surface for a kitchen is tile, if it's done properly. If you don't like how it feels, you can put small area rugs around where you stand a lot. It's also the best resale value.

Answer 3

I am a kitchen designer - I would not recommend laminate flooring for the kitchen.  More so than hardwoods (which if it were in the budget I would recommend most highly for a seamless look for the two rooms!), if you have a leak or flood it will warp and bubble.  Laminate flooring is essentially a paper - like particle board with a print on it.  Tile would be one of your next most economical options. There are many different tile options out there & they can have different feelings underfoot.  Porcelain with a bit of texture can feel better than a smooth, flat ceramic.  Porcelain has excellent scratch hardness, is impervious, and extremely durable.  Since it seems like a pretty big space, you can consider larger tiles, 18x18 or 20x20s.  Try a local tile store and ask to borrow some samples to get a feel for them.  And another option which feels great underfoot is cork flooring.  I've included a couple of links below.  Good luck!  

Answer 4

I have had laminate flooring in my kitchen, and I just bought a new house and put new laminate wood in the kitchen and connecting dining room. I have never had any problems!! I buy the interlocking type that are pre-glued and have a foam backing. They are made specifically for kitchens and bathrooms. Obviously if you have a dishwasher leak or something, you are going to have problems regardless of which type of floor you choose except maybe tile.

Anyway, I would suggest laminate. Talk to the salespeople at Lowe's or Home Depot, and they can explain how different they make it now so that it can withstand being in the kitchen, unlike the old stuff!

Good luck!

Answer 5

When you say tile, I don't know if you mean all tile or just small tile. So sorry if this doesn't help! I have a maroonish color tile.  They are BIG tiles and I personally love them!!

Answer 6

Wood is always a good choice...natural lineoleum is also beautiful - and it now comes in click tiles.  Check out the following web site page for a  quick-click flooring guide - it branches off to 15 different pages on about every choice you can imagine!

http://www.building-your-green-home.com/...

Hope it helps to have all the flooring information accessible in one place.  You might also want to consider the resale value as well as the material make-up of the various products.  More info is on the above site!  

Answer 7

Actually laminate is fine for a kitchen, dark wood looks really good (depending on your cabinets and countertops)

but for more info on decorating your kitchen visit

loveyourdesign.blogspot.com

Answer 8

Crazymam they make laminate for kitchen & bath now if you can afford, it is beautiful. Vinyl comes in all colors, some has marble look.  If you want the best check link below.

Good Luck

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stor...