Time To Tile Your Kitchen

A kitchen is one of the central components of a home. Families gather there for daily meals as well as large family events. The flooring must be able to withstand frequent foot traffic, dropped dishes, and silverware not to mention food and drink spills. However, the kitchen flooring must also have a pleasing aesthetic that coordinates with the rest of the house. Before you start weighing the most popular varieties of kitchen flooring, review a few key factors that go into the decision of choosing the right kitchen flooring for your home.

For very small kitchens, you should consider small floor tiles (e.g. 300x300mm) to create a good flow. Larger format tiles (e.g. 500x500mm and greater) 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).

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Kitchens need to be a place of hygiene, which tiles certainly offer. With their ‘fresh’ appearance and ‘easy wipe’ surfaces, hygiene is one of the first things that come to mind when using tiles in the kitchen.

The kitchen is perhaps the most frequently used room in any house, often being an entrance to the garden, sleeping areas for pets, and storage for heavy domestic appliances. For this reason, it is important to choose a floor tile that is hard-wearing (look for tiles that have a minimum PEI rating of IV).

Glazed Ceramic Tile vs. Porcelain Tile 

Glazed ceramic tile is often used in bathrooms because it is water-resistant and less expensive than other tiles. Easy to install and repair, Glazed floor tiles make up more than half the tiles sold in the US.

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They’re available in a seemingly endless variety, with glazes that vary from rough to smooth. The smoothest are slippery when wet, so choose rougher glazed tiles for bathroom floors. Look for a tile with a coefficient of friction (COF) rating of at least 0.60, dry and wet.

One of the densest, most durable tiles on the market today, porcelain tile is fine for all floors, walls, and countertops. Created from compressed clay dust fired to extremely high temperatures, the color goes all the way through and porcelain tile will not stain, scratch, burn or chip easily. Any chips and scratches that do occur can be buffed out- which will not happen with glazed tile. However, glazed porcelain tiles are often slippery and sometimes even when dry. Also, porcelain tile will generally cost $1 to $2 more per square foot than regular ceramic tile.

We have a variety of tiles to offer such as handmade tile, trim, and moldings that our talented staff can help you pick out the tiles for your kitchen. Contact us today for your perfect kitchen tile!