Cabinets and countertop are finally done and we're ready for the next stage...flooring. Four dogs, four cats, galley kitchen with lots of foot traffic. We don't want ceramic tile or wood. MUST be easy maintenance, feel good underfoot (in bare feet), and be able to withstand rolling the fridge out occasionally for cleaning.
Oh!...and affordable.
What do you suggest? What do you caution me to avoid?

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Central VA

Plastic laminate flooring. Tough as nails, easy install, lots of appearance options (mostly wood look), not expensive.

Was it you with the cabinets of different shades of white? Did the company fix it for you?

Why do you not like tile, if I may ask?
You might check out cork, but laminate will probably be the least expensive option.
I have had a ceramic tile kitchen floor for over 20 years and it is the easiest floor to keep clean and looking good, but if you don't like tile, you should get something else.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I've had ceramic tile, vinyl tile, wood, sheet vinyl, carpet and cushionstep vinyl (the sheet vinyl with the foam under) .
Given all the pluses and minuses and as much as I dislike the little dents in the floor from the kitchen table and chair legs I'm considering foam backed vinyl again when I rip this carpet out. I won't be doing the non-smooth surface with the texture design that holds dirt again, though.

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
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Our last house had Ceramic Tile, we called it the Dishkiller/ GlassKiller. Nothing survived a fall, not even plastic. Walking on it barefoot would leave one sore after a day.

Current house is pier and beam with Wood floor, feels like pine. We put linoleum in the kitchen for easy cleaning purposes, but next time would go with laminate.

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San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


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A cork floor is forgiving and comfy on the feet. I don't know about denting ease or what scratches little claws might make.

CJ,

My parents have laminate in their kitchen. It ha lasted for decades. My old apartment had wood floor in its kitchen. It's been holding up well. However, it requires maintenance and care and there was always the worry of disaster if something spilled on it and/or there was a leak. Never again.

Our new apartment has tile. Not sure what kind but it's been great. Durable. Easy to maintain. Easy to clean. You name it. Walking on it in bare feet is a non-issue. If it ever becomes a problem, it's easy enough to drop a nice looking mat by the sink and a cheap area rug under the table.

As a result, my choice when I renovate the kitchen in the new apartment? Porcelain tile. Very durable. Easy to maintain and clean. Can be found in a _huge_ variety of styles including ones that mimic other materials, i.e. natural stone.

For what it's worth, I don't worry about what happens to dishes and such that fall on the floor in the kitchen. Doesn't matter what material. The likelihood of the item surviving intact is slim in my experience. Even then, if the item doesn't break, I'd worry that it's been compromised and toss it anyway. That and if it has something in it, I want the flooring to be easy to clean and maintain, which brings me back to porcelain tile again.

Robert



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2014 09:30PM by Robert M.

What Robert said.

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“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.” -- François de La Rochefoucauld

"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

We have ceramic tile and I'm about ready to rip it up and go with poured/stained/sealed concrete - I'm SO over grout!

We have four giant dogs and a parrot to clean up after!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2014 08:15PM by vicrock.

Linoleum.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

I’d probably do with luxury vinyl planks or squares; cheap, long lasting, easy to clean, comfy, and when it’s time to replace it you won’t feel too bummed.

Agree with Robert M. We have hardwood on the first floor . The kitchen has area rugs and runners over the hardwood. So far so good. Traffic... Well, the floor is 12 years old and due for a refinish .

I'm facing a kitchen re-flooring project too and am leaning toward linoleum. It's resilient, easy on the back and knees, and actually looks better with time. Lots of cool color options. It's also considered a "green" choice if that matters to you: derived from natural products. The only reason I'm not adding hardwood to our short list is that the kitchen abuts a dining room that's hardwood and I don't want to deal with matching the two.

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space-time
Was it you with the cabinets of different shades of white? Did the company fix it for you?

Yes, that was me. They FINALLY fixed them Friday. I had to wait longer for the replacement doors, etc. than I did for the entire kitchen! I won't say it's "perfect" because now my senses are on hyper-alert to any and all subtle differences in the finish (and there are), but yes, it's definitely better. I'm satisfied. I can look at my kitchen again.

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rgG
Why do you not like tile, if I may ask?

To put simply...We don't like the way it feels underfoot and don't want to deal with grout.

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We've been looking at the luxury vinyl tile (like Armstrong Alterna and Mannington Adura--leaning toward the latter), but hubby is concerned about the cost. I'm concerned about its ability to withstand heavy traffic and muddy feet.
Sheet vinyl would handle that easily, but the comfy "squishy" kind we like would be prone to developing dents in the floor where the fridge would sit and hubby wants to be able to roll the fridge out periodically for cleaning.

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Central VA

Sheet vinyl.

Comfy on the feet, easy to clean (no grout to stain), and regardless of what others have posted there's a good chance glass/ceramic dropped survives.

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CJsNvrUrly
hubby wants to be able to roll the fridge out periodically for cleaning.

Tell him you'll handle that from now on.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

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CJsNvrUrly

Sheet vinyl would handle that easily, but the comfy "squishy" kind we like would be prone to developing dents in the floor where the fridge would sit and hubby wants to be able to roll the fridge out periodically for cleaning.

Anything thin and hard (plywood underlayment, even a couple layers of cereal box chipboard ) helps stop the track marks
If you do go with the soft on the feet squishy stuff get a square of linoleum underlayment and put on the floor where the fridge will go so the rollers don't sink in. It will roll out easier, especially if you use that same underlayment to roll the fridge out onto .

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

Another vote for ceramic tile.

Our's is now 10 years old and looks like the day we put it in. Absolulely trivial to clean. No problems with the grout - except for one line along the back door threshold. But that was an easy fix.

Our linoleom floors looked like crap after a few years - the dirt grinds into the soft surface and never comes out.

There's a mat by the sink for standing purposes, and we installed radiant heat under the floor. The wife loves walking on it in the winter.

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.

I have porcelain tile, that looks like wood. Yes things will break if it you drop them, it's not soft. Grout lines are very thin. It looks great, is easily cleaned, and is extremely durable. If you have not looked at porcelain tile I highly recommend it.

we have hardwood now. we had vinyl. don't like either for comfort and wear.
I'd probably choose bamboo or cork based on the experience of friends.

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!#$@@$#!

Porcelain tile just put in 1.5 years ago. I have a padded mat for where I spend the most time standing when prepping or baking. In fact I tiled my entire downstairs. Tile is pretty indestructible and one can use area rugs and mats for high traffic areas. They are much easier to replace than flooring.

Grout is the enemy. We have a cork floor and it is holding up nicely, now going on 7 years. Minimal maintainence, no obvious dog damage or wear and tear. It is not the cheapest option up front, but does seem to stand the test of time.

Hi everyone,

I guess maybe I'm lucky. Keeping the grout clean in the kitchen (and bathrooms) is very easy. Then again, I wash the floors at least once a week. Clean up spills immediately. Pine Sol is my friend! - lol! And, once every quarter or so, I break out a steam cleaner and hit the floors with it. The kitchen has dark grout lines. So, maybe dirt and schmutz just isn't as noticeable on it. That and not letting it build up is key to keeping it looking clean.

Robert

Hi everyone,

Just wondering.... Based on CJ's post, it sounds like the cabinetry has been installed and they're doing the floor around the cabinetry. Isn't that the reverse of how it should be done? Floor first and the cabinets? That's how it's done in the kitchen and bathroom of the old place and how it is done in the kitchen and both bathrooms of the new place.

Robert

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Robert M
Hi everyone,

Hi Robert!

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New forum user map 8/2015: [www.zeemaps.com]

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Robert M
Hi everyone,

Just wondering.... Based on CJ's post, it sounds like the cabinetry has been installed and they're doing the floor around the cabinetry. Isn't that the reverse of how it should be done? Floor first and the cabinets? That's how it's done in the kitchen and bathroom of the old place and how it is done in the kitchen and both bathrooms of the new place.

Robert

I'm curious about this too. At home we're starting to price out a kitchen update - flooring, cabinets, and countertop.

Jeff

With all those animals, tile would go to the top of my list, grout or not. And, I don't think breaking glass is that big of a deal.

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billb

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CJsNvrUrly

Sheet vinyl would handle that easily, but the comfy "squishy" kind we like would be prone to developing dents in the floor where the fridge would sit and hubby wants to be able to roll the fridge out periodically for cleaning.

Anything thin and hard (plywood underlayment, even a couple layers of cereal box chipboard ) helps stop the track marks
If you do go with the soft on the feet squishy stuff get a square of linoleum underlayment and put on the floor where the fridge will go so the rollers don't sink in. It will roll out easier, especially if you use that same underlayment to roll the fridge out onto .

That sounds like a great solution! I'll mention it to Waitin4CJ. Thanks!

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Central VA

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kj4btkljv

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Robert M
Hi everyone,

Just wondering.... Based on CJ's post, it sounds like the cabinetry has been installed and they're doing the floor around the cabinetry. Isn't that the reverse of how it should be done? Floor first and the cabinets? That's how it's done in the kitchen and bathroom of the old place and how it is done in the kitchen and both bathrooms of the new place.

Robert

I'm curious about this too. At home we're starting to price out a kitchen update - flooring, cabinets, and countertop.

Jeff

You might put wood flooring and linoleum wall to wall and then put the cabinets in but you wouldn't put $25 12"x12 inch tiles under unless you had some funky exposed floor cabinets. ( did wall to wall laminate and then put Ikea cabinets on legs at my sister's, so sometimes it is easier to go under )

Under the cabinets makes cutting laminate/vinyl out down the road a cursing operation for some cabinets/countertop. . Someone who seams linoleum/vinyl well thinks nothing of the square for the dishwasher and fridge. If they don't just cut it in.

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

Quote
CJsNvrUrly

Quote
billb

Quote
CJsNvrUrly

Sheet vinyl would handle that easily, but the comfy "squishy" kind we like would be prone to developing dents in the floor where the fridge would sit and hubby wants to be able to roll the fridge out periodically for cleaning.

Anything thin and hard (plywood underlayment, even a couple layers of cereal box chipboard ) helps stop the track marks
If you do go with the soft on the feet squishy stuff get a square of linoleum underlayment and put on the floor where the fridge will go so the rollers don't sink in. It will roll out easier, especially if you use that same underlayment to roll the fridge out onto .

That sounds like a great solution! I'll mention it to Waitin4CJ. Thanks!

It's a pain in the butt babying the stuff and it may not last 40 years like tile and linoleum but it is nice under the feet. and toddlers knees.

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

BIll,

I disagree. I had to replace the toilet in the bathroom of my old apartment. The previous owner did not do wall to wall tile. Rather, the toilet was installed and tile was placed around it. Guess what? I couldn't find a toilet that matched the original footprint. So, they had to use other materials around the base. They matched the color of the tile to the best of their ability but it was immediately noticeable despite an otherwise great job.

Wall to wall tile in a kitchen isn't going to increase the expense all too much. The above experience alone taught me that it's worthwhile. But, the other benefit is containment of liquids in the event of a large spill and/or flood. Properly installed wall to wall tile can reduce the volume of water that exits the kitchen via the floor.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "Under the cabinets makes cutting laminate/vinyl out down the road a cursing operation for some cabinets/countertop."

To me, if the floor covering extends beneath the cabinets, I'd think it'd be easier for installation, removal and/or replacement. You don't have to deal with flooring that goes around the footprint of the cabinetry. Drop base cabinets into place. Done. Remove cabinets, drop new cabinets into place. Done.

One day, I plan to replace the cabinetry in my current apartment. It'd piss me off to no end if the previous owners didn't install wall to wall tile on the floor. It will make the replacement of the cabinetry more difficult since I'd have to deal with the footprint. I don't relish the thought.

Robert

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Robert M
...
One day, I plan to replace the cabinetry in my current apartment. It'd piss me off to no end if the previous owners didn't install wall to wall tile on the floor. It will make the replacement of the cabinetry more difficult since I'd have to deal with the footprint. I don't relish the thought.

What you do is put partial tiles or wood beneath the cabinets. The subfloor doesn't have to be completely covered underneath the cabinets, just enough to support them. Scrap pieces are OK. This saves money and time and when the cabinets get replaced, enough full floor should still be there that exact-same size cabinets aren't needed to hide the partial flooring underneath them.

Of course, if a new total cabinet layout is desired, you'd have to have floored the whole thing fully. But that implies other major layout/plumbing changes at that point, and dealing with a new floor likely wouldn't be a hardship in that case.

Deck,

We'll have to agree to disagree. Having seen what happens when a floor isn't done wall to wall, I'll definitely stick to my suggestion.

Robert

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Robert M
BIll,

I disagree. I had to replace the toilet in the bathroom of my old apartment. The previous owner did not do wall to wall tile. Rather, the toilet was installed and tile was placed around it. Guess what? I couldn't find a toilet that matched the original footprint. So, they had to use other materials around the base. They matched the color of the tile to the best of their ability but it was immediately noticeable despite an otherwise great job.

Wall to wall tile in a kitchen isn't going to increase the expense all too much. The above experience alone taught me that it's worthwhile. But, the other benefit is containment of liquids in the event of a large spill and/or flood. Properly installed wall to wall tile can reduce the volume of water that exits the kitchen via the floor.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "Under the cabinets makes cutting laminate/vinyl out down the road a cursing operation for some cabinets/countertop."

To me, if the floor covering extends beneath the cabinets, I'd think it'd be easier for installation, removal and/or replacement. You don't have to deal with flooring that goes around the footprint of the cabinetry. Drop base cabinets into place. Done. Remove cabinets, drop new cabinets into place. Done.

One day, I plan to replace the cabinetry in my current apartment. It'd piss me off to no end if the previous owners didn't install wall to wall tile on the floor. It will make the replacement of the cabinetry more difficult since I'd have to deal with the footprint. I don't relish the thought.

Robert

Most of us don't install toilets in our kitchens

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

Bill,

Seriously? You totally missed the point of my post.

Robert