What is the best long-lasting flooring for a kitchen?

By Nicola Martin 23rd November 2015

The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home; busy, noisy, with lots going on and a constant throb of activity and people. We all know that we put our kitchen floor through its paces each and every day.  Spilt milk, dropped pans, muddy pets, lots of feet… this is the room that needs a floor to stand up to every possible element of wear and tear.

And because you spend so much time in there, often to eat, drink and entertain as well as cook, nourish and fuel, you want it look stylish and clean quickly and easily!

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) For Kitchens

At Perthshire Flooring we’d go straight to Luxury Vinyl Tile – or LVT - as our first choice for kitchen floors.  LVT has been around since the sixties but the difference with today’s modern brands like Karndean and Moduleo, is quality and finish.  

Both of these leading brands are very protective of their values and standards and insist on sales teams and fitters holding specialist certificates before they will approve a retailer as a brand stockist.  This guarantees quality advice and service from start to finish and anyone looking for LVT should ask to see this seal of approval.

Because of the specialist training, Karndean will offer a lifetime guarantee on all LVT floors which is why we can say that, without exception, this flooring is extremely durable and easy to care for.  You will pay a little more, but it is a long term investment and well worth the extra few pounds per square meter.

The choice of designs and finishes on the market today is vast and far removed from the scrappy looking Linoleum of yesteryear. Quite simply, they look fantastic and because it’s laid in tiles, any dents or tears from a particularly bad drop can be replaced easily (and under that guarantee!). 

Add to this water and slip resistance as standard and you’ll see why quality LVT from a leading brand is our go to choice.

Sheet Flooring For The Kitchen

A great alternative to LVT, sheet flooring is particularly good for kitchens because there is no joins for water leakage.

We stock Marmoleum at Perthshire Flooring and this is a natural and environment friendly floor made from 97% natural raw materials and has a 43% recycled content. Besides its natural character Marmoleum is a very durable floor and is very easy to clean; the special production methods used by Forbo ensure colour won't fade over time.

The big selling point though, is that Marmoleum is great for people with asthmatic allergies and similar disorders. It is anti-static, which is why it's so easy to keep dust-free, and its proven bacteriostatic properties inhibit micro-organisms.

The new ranges come in a great variety of stylish finishes – in fact, our sales manager has just laid this in his Mum’s kitchen!

Hardwood Flooring For Kitchens

People who like wood, want wood. There’s no denying that wood adds a warmth to a room and looks superb in big spaces and older properties. The debate about using it in kitchens rages on but we say as long as you place an extra emphasis on quality and choose a topof the range, hardwood floor that has been well laid and well-sealed, it should withstand scratching and dents.

Our best options for wood in a kitchen is the superb waterproof teak range from Panaget.   This is fitted with rubber strips between the wood, a technique taken from ships decking. It is sold as their waterproof range and we can promise, it looks every bit as fantastic as it sounds.

Wood lovers might also want to look at Bamboo; the woodpecker range is excellent and although similar to hardwood in look and feel, bamboo is slightly harder, and more resistant to moisture and water damage, which can make it a better option in the kitchen.