Kitchen Designs

Choosing Kitchen Floor Tile

When it comes to kitchen flooring, tiles are amongst the best choice you can make. Tiles are now available in different sizes, colours, textures, materials and designs, giving you the chance to create a unique environment, tailored to your specific tastes. Tiles which are unglazed are much more difficult to keep clean than glazed tiles. Because our lives are packed with so many chores the last thing you want to do is worry over keeping your kitchen floor tiles clean.If you see a wall tile that you really love and think it would look really nice on the floor, whatever you do, resist this urge. Wall tiles are designed for walls; they are light and not thick enough to withstand people walking all over it. Only ever install floor tiles on your floor. They are much thinker and sturdier.

You might think that ceramic floor tiles are a bit cold looking or slippery. Your alternative here then is stone or terracotta. These have a much more natural and homely look compared to ceramic. However the downside is that they are naturally porous and are not perfectly flat so tend to attract dirt more easily. In order to protect your stone or terracotta tiles is to use a sealant or in some cases a wax. This will help keep them in the condition you bought them and reduce your need for constant cleaning.

An item that must also be considered when laying tiles on your kitchen floor is grout. Although buying a dark grout can show up the dirt less, it might look ugly if you choose a light colored tile. By using an epoxy grout you’ll be able to protect against stains and marks, when cleaning you should only use a grout cleaner.

Which size tiles should you choose for your kitchen? For very small kitchens, you should consider small tiles (e.g. < 30×30cm) to create a good flow. Larger tiles (e.g. 45×45cm +) look best in kitchens that have a lot of floor space where many tiles can be laid without cuts. Large floors also welcome ‘multi-format’ tiles – tiles of the same design that are laid in 2, 3 or 4 different sizes (as a continuous pattern).