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What to look for when choosing flooring

Materials for decorative finishing of residential premises must meet the following requirements:

• Environmental friendliness. Some coatings emit substances, prolonged contact with which provokes allergies, migraines, dizziness, exacerbation of chronic diseases of the respiratory system. This is not critical if the material is used in a large volume room - an office or a production workshop. However, such coverage will quickly make the apartment uninhabitable;
• Durability. Unlike wall and ceiling finishes, floor finishes are updated relatively rarely, which is partly due to the higher cost of such materials. As a rule, the service life of the coating should not be less than 7-10 years;
• Thermal conductivity. The cover should reduce heat loss. In addition, walking barefoot on a cold floor is very unpleasant;
• Aesthetics. Flooring is as important an element of interior design as decorative wall coverings or furnishings.

Linoleum is one of the most common flooring materials.

In practice, all of the above requirements can be implemented if you pay attention to:

1. material type;
2. wear resistance class;
3. coating manufacturer;
4. additional features.

Screed floor in the kitchen

And for someone it is better not to find a self-leveling floor. Indeed, the characteristics of such a design are enviable.

1. It has high strength and high resistance to abrasion;
2. Such a coating is almost impossible to scratch;
3. Thanks to large-format printing, virtually any pattern can be applied to the floor surface.

The advantages of self-leveling floor in the kitchen are: no connecting seams, glossy surface, resistance to mechanical damage, and durability

But it can’t do without minuses, and the main minus of this floor is its high cost. The technology of mixing components, the technology of pouring are quite complex, from which it is logical - the cost cannot be cheap.

What should be the floor in the kitchen requirements

Before choosing a material, get acquainted with the basic requirements for flooring, they will guide you in your choice and will not allow you to purchase a coating of dubious quality.

What floor should be in the kitchen:

1. Moisture resistant. After the bathroom, the kitchen is the second room in the house where relatively much water accumulates. It is unlikely that you will feel comfortable in the kitchen, where any spilled drop of water equates to an emergency.
2. Hygienic. The floor covering should be easy to clean from dirt and grease. So easy, you'd spare five minutes to clean up every time you cook.
3. Shockproof. And this is an important point - the floor should not be deformed if you accidentally drop a kettle or a frying pan on it.
4. Wear resistant. If the floor covering has already worn out after a year, scratches have appeared on it, laying it was a mistake.

How well you prepare your floor in the kitchen will depend on its service life. Therefore, if you do not understand this matter, it is better to contact a professional

In a word, practicality, that's what you need to focus on when choosing a coating. And if you rarely enter the kitchen, then you can fork out for delicate, beautiful materials that have excellent decorative properties, but their functionality is exhausted by this.

Ceramic and stone floor tiles is it worth laying tiles in the kitchen

Advantages of ceramic and stone tiles

• Solid overall appearance.
• High moisture resistance - tiles are not afraid of water.
• Also, the tiles are not afraid of chemicals, hot splashes of grease and sunlight.
• The tile is not subject to deformation.
• Cleaning is easy - tiles are easy to clean.

Disadvantages of ceramic coating

• Ceramic tiles are afraid of hitting heavy objects. She will not survive the fall of a hammer or a cauldron.
• Dishes that fall on the tiles will break in 99% of cases.
• Stone tiles are more impact resistant, but here the downside is its high cost.
• It's cold on the stone and ceramic floors. If you are used to walking barefoot, then for this coverage you should buy yourself slippers, a moisture-resistant rug or a warm floor system.

What should be remembered when choosing ceramic and stone coating?

• When choosing tiles for your kitchen, look for options with a surface finish that won't turn your floor into a skating rink when you cook.
• If you have children in your house, or you're just worried that you might accidentally drop something, then buy tiles with a margin. In case of damage, replace the chipped element with liquid nails.

Wear resistance class and coating manufacturers

The surface of floor coverings is gradually erased during operation. As a result, the material loses its decorative properties and collapses.

Advice. It is easy to check one or another synthetic material (linoleum, laminate or carpet) for compliance with environmental standards. To do this, it is enough to smell it. Poor-quality coatings exude a pungent chemical odor. Usually it does not weather even after several years of operation.

Operating conditions and loads in industrial, office and residential premises vary significantly, so it is not possible to create a universal coating. However, it is quite simple to calculate typical loads. Based on these data, it is possible to vary the strength of the material depending on its purpose.

The wear resistance class is indicated by a two-digit number. The first digit indicates the type of room:

The second digit indicates the intensity of the loads from 1 (low) to 4 (very high).

So, material of class 21 of wear resistance is suitable for a pantry or a bedroom in an apartment, and class 44 is suitable for an industrial workshop, in which equipment and all kinds of mechanisms move quite intensively.

Advice. The division into wear resistance classes is conditional. Industrial and office coatings may well be used at home. In practice, a reasonable margin of safety should be maintained. Many manufacturers have stopped producing materials for class 21-24 flooring, as their use in apartments is impractical. It also makes no sense to lay coatings for industrial use in residential premises, but because of an excessive margin of safety. It should be remembered that increasing the wear resistance class increases the cost of the material.

On the territory of Russia, floor coverings produced by domestic and European companies are widely used. Products of foreign firms are leading in the premium segment. The goods of Russian manufacturers are practical and cheap, but do not cover the elite segments of the market.

Linoleum is the most practical and cheapest option

We spoke in detail about linoleum in the article - “laminate or linoleum”. Here we will touch on the main advantages and disadvantages of the coating. In the same category we include PVC tiles, which have the same characteristics and properties as linoleum.

First about the pros:

• Excellent water resistance.
• Wear resistance.
• Not afraid of falling heavy objects.
• Cheap product price.
• Soft and warm.
• A wide range of colors and patterns (see photos).
• Easy to clean and wash.

Variety of colors and patterns

Now let's talk about the cons:

• Afraid of exposure to high temperatures.
• Afraid of caustic cleaning products.
• There is a possibility of tearing or cutting the coating.
• It fades and attracts dust.
• Synthetics.

In fairness, it is worth noting that all these disadvantages relate to vinyl coatings, while real linoleum, the so-called marmoleum, is devoid of these disadvantages. Unfortunately, natural linoleum is much more expensive than a synthetic counterpart.

Requirements for the distance between the lags for the floor under the plywood

For a plywood floor, you will need wooden planks - logs. Dried wood is used as such bars. At the same time, the dimensions of the planks should be 70 mm wide and 40-50 mm high. You also need to take into account the lining under the logs. Their width is 100-150 mm, thickness - 25 mm.

The length of the lag should be at least 2 m. In this case, the bar should not have defects, flaws, irregularities. Before installation, the beam must be kept for 10 days at room temperature. After that, you need to make sure that there is no cracking of the wood due to drying.

The best types of wood for logs are coniferous or deciduous trees.

Choose the distance between the lags for the floor is depending on the thickness of the plywood

The installation of the beam depends on the placement of the plywood joints. They must lie down on the logs. Therefore, when installing the base, you need to build on the dimensions of the plywood sheets. The optimal interval between lags is 30-40 cm. Changes in this indicator depend on the thickness of the formation. The gap between the plank and the wall is 3-4 cm.

Dimensions of plywood sheets:

• Square layer - 152.5x152.5 cm;
• Rectangular - 122x244 cm.

It is optimal to install logs across the room, since the joints are placed near the window. Sheets of plywood should lie in the direction of travel. For apartment buildings, it will be right to put soundproofing material under the logs.

What to put on the floor

Of all the surfaces, the floor is most exposed to abrasion, pollution, and mechanical damage. It follows that it must have good functional characteristics. However, the choice of flooring also depends on other factors.

For example, price. Not everyone can afford natural laminate or artistic parquet, so you have to choose what is more affordable. Sometimes it is impossible to make a concrete screed in an apartment, since an additional load on the floors is created, emergency situations are possible.

The composition of the family is also important. If there are many children in the house, there are pets, it is necessary to select the floor primarily for reasons of practicality, hygiene, and ease of cleaning.

Foundation varieties

In order to start laying the top flooring, you need to make sure that the base on which the laying will be carried out is perfectly flat and does not have pronounced reliefs, height differences, mechanical deformations, etc. That is why, the instructions for repairing the floor at the initial stage provide for the construction of a screed.

Types of screed that can be used in the apartment

1. Dry screed is relevant when leveling the base with large level differences. By means of this method, most often, cheap floors in the apartment are leveled. The fact is that this method allows you to quickly and with a limited budget achieve optimal results.

Installation of drywall on expanded clay backfill

The base leveling technology is as follows: dry backfill is poured and leveled on the rough base, in some cases polystyrene is spread. After that, a coating of gypsum fiber boards or boards of wood origin (plywood, OSB, fiberboard, etc.) is laid.

1. Semi-dry screed is the arrangement of the base of the floor with a cement-sand mortar with a low water content. Water in solution is used only for hydration of dry components.

In the photo, the manufacture of a semi-dry screed

Important: Due to the low moisture content, complete drying of a semi-dry screed occurs within a week. In addition, you can do the installation yourself without the need for special equipment.

1. Bulk floors are laid using special self-leveling mixtures. Mixtures are poured onto a pre-laid heat and sound insulating layer.

• The mixture itself is leveled on the rough base;
• The screed is characterized by a small thickness;
• Drying occurs in a short time;
• High strength and wear resistance of the finished coating;
• Relatively low cost.

Which floor is better to make parquet, parquet board or cork in the apartment

When deciding what to put on the floor in the apartment, fans of environmentally friendly materials choose between piece parquet, cork flooring and parquet board. For elite urban apartments, these floor coverings can be competed with artistic parquet, which is distinguished by its exquisite design and high cost.

Parquet and cork panels are an expensive floor covering for a room, the choice of which should be taken with special attention. Block parquet is made from hardwoods of the best grades.

Its service life exceeds 50 years, the material is not afraid of high loads, and sanding can restore its ideal appearance during scheduled repairs. The disadvantages of the material include its cost and the need to involve specialists in laying.

Cork flooring is available in two types - tiles and panels with a lock. For self-installation, the question: which flooring is better is rhetorical. Cork veneer tiles must be glued to an ideal surface and then varnished, like parquet. The lock cork flooring is laid according to the laminate principle and this work can be done without the involvement of craftsmen.

natural wood

Awesome choice! In addition to the expensive appearance and comfort, having decided once and for all which flooring in the kitchen is better, you choose style and respectability. But it seems that this is where the advantages of wood flooring end ...

In order not to make a mistake in choosing this material, read carefully about the cons ...

1. High price, which is why the middle class cannot afford it.
2. Natural coating requires special care and treatment with special equipment.
3. Moisture intolerance.
4. Dislike for high temperatures.
5. Susceptibility to mechanical influences such as, say, rearranging furniture.
6. On this expensive coating there are stains of various origins (from juice or wine, etc.).

In a word, it is advisable to weigh everything more than once if you finally decide how to lay the floor in the kitchen and choose natural wood. Although, if you have money, why not treat yourself, because it will be very beautiful!

Very controversial material, meanwhile, very popular, including when it comes to the kitchen. But how is it for this room? When deciding which flooring to choose for the kitchen, in particular, we are talking about laminate flooring, did you understand whether it is suitable?

The ideal option - there are many positive aspects.

• A variety of colors.
• Feeling the presence of natural wood.
• Different styles.
• Ease of installation.
• Low cost coverage.

Every detail matters!

1. If you do not choose a class that is not afraid of temperature and mechanical stress, you will get a headache.
2. Humidity. In the kitchen, it is always overpriced. Once on the laminate, moisture instantly deforms it.
3. In terms of ecology, laminate is far from cork and wood.
4. You also need to take special care of the laminate (at least in order to see in time whether water has hit the floor or not, otherwise you will have to change the coating).

It is advisable to look at the percentage of exposure to moisture. Many, changing floors in the kitchen, stop at the combined option. That is, they lay tiles in the working area, and a moisture-resistant laminate in the dining area.

Combination of floor coverings in the kitchen

If you cannot decide on the choice of material, then think about the option of combining coatings. It will not only allow you to lay both coatings you like, but also visually zone the kitchen. For example, cover the work area with tiles that are not afraid of moisture and grease, and the dining area with cork. What you need to know when combining flooring in the kitchen?

• Materials suitable for the working area: linoleum, PVC tiles, ceramic tiles, natural stone.
• Materials for the dining area: carpet, cork, parquet, parquet board.
• Do not forget about the thickness of the materials - they must be equivalent. Or you will have to level the floor in one of the zones in accordance with the thickness of the materials.
• Transitions and joints should not only be aesthetically pleasingly hidden, but also protected from injury. The hostess should not stumble when moving from one zone to another.

Ceramic tile

Yes, we, in search of an answer to the question: flooring in the kitchen - which is better, we started with ceramic tiles, one of the leading materials for flooring in the kitchen. Why is she so in demand? - everyone will ask.

• Because she, first, no wear!
• Immunity of products to various kinds of influences (physical and temperature.
• An abundance of options for floor tiles - everyone can choose for themselves something that suits their kitchen, its design.
• The ceramic coating is damaged with great difficulty, you will not find dents. What can not be said, for example, about linoleum or laminate.
• If we talk about the price of the issue, then even here the ceramic competitor of more modern floor coverings wins - it is often inexpensive. True, there are instances, for a square meter of which you will have to pay more than one hundred dollars.
• Yes, in the case of a poor-quality product, heavy objects can form cracks when dropped. But after all, everything is simple here - it is enough to restrict ourselves to replacing a broken element.

Therefore, many who started repairs or bought an apartment, but want to do everything their own way, and do not know what to lay on the floor in the kitchen, choose ceramic tiles. It's more rational. And another strong argument in favor of ceramics in the kitchen is its availability in material terms.

Well, you can always find them everywhere, but you can also eliminate them!

So, the ceramic floor is a little cold, and you can’t run barefoot on it. This option is not very suitable for families with children. You can put rugs, but it is better to use underfloor heating in combination with ceramic tiles. Get ready to make your kitchen floors more expensive!

If you have already decided what floor to do in the kitchen, moreover, you want do-it-yourself tiles... Then immediately send the idea away - you can't do it yourself! If you take the risk, then expect problems in the form of distortions - and this is at best ... You will have to call the master, and these are additional costs. But it's worth it!

Laminate in the kitchen is better than others or not

Of course, laminate is one of the most popular floor coverings today, and not only in the kitchen space. Moreover, it is possible to purchase a waterproof laminate.

You can compare a waterproof laminate with a multilayer sandwich, where one layer is responsible for water resistance, the second for heat, the third for color, etc.

An important and main property of the laminate is the ability to make warm floors in the kitchen, because everyone loves comfort and coziness.

By the way, there are two types of laminate, similar in name. Moisture-resistant laminate withstands splashes, water droplets and even small puddles. A waterproof laminate can withstand a spilled glass of water for up to 360 hours, and its quality will not fall from this.

When purchasing a laminate, consider the following information:

Laminate class 32-33 consists of 5 layers - decorative paper layer, acrylic resin, moisture resistant film, then HDF backing and again moisture resistant film.

A wise decision is to combine materials. For example, under the sink, where a leak could theoretically occur, lay a tile, and on the rest of the area - a laminate.

PVC floor tiles for the kitchen flooring, easy to install and operate

In fact, this is the same linoleum, but cut into strips or tiles. Accordingly, the main advantages and disadvantages are similar to the properties of linoleum. Advantages of PVC kitchen floor tiles

• Adhesive backing for quick and easy installation.
• Easy replacement of tiles in case of damage.
• Ease of combination, in comparison with rolled linoleum.
• Imitation of expensive material for little money.
• The material is pleasant to the feet.

• A large number of seams after laying, into which moisture enters after. As a result, the tiles peel off, and the floor covering loses its aesthetic appearance. To avoid this, all seams should be treated with a moisture-proof compound.
• Over time, swelling around the edges is possible.
• Damaged by falling sharp objects.
• Blooms in the sun.
• Short service life.

Parquet and parquet board in the kitchen in the practice of the hostess

What should be remembered? Moisture-resistant wooden parquet, which is produced using new unique technologies, is not afraid of moisture. Neither a parquet board, nor even a two-layer parquet, will suffer even from a sudden flood in the kitchen (unless, of course, the consequences of the flood are immediately eliminated)

When choosing parquet, pay attention to hardwood flooring - they are highly wear-resistant and durable. The parquet board must be treated with a composition that prolongs the durability of the material

Also, a thick layer of high-quality varnish will protect the tree from various negative influences. Advantages of parquet, parquet board

• The wooden floor is the natural warmth in the kitchen.
• A wide range of wood species, colors and plank laying options.
• Additional comfort in the house.
• Ecological purity.

Disadvantages of parquet, parquet board

• Despite the moisture resistance of modern parquet boards, it is desirable to protect the coating from excessive exposure to moisture.
• Heavy or sharp objects falling on the parquet leave marks, and the coating has to be restored.
• High price.

Cork flooring

To buy this particular coating, it is important to know what good they have!

• It is pleasant to walk on this floor barefoot, because it not only looks warm.
• In addition, the naturalness of the product (made from cork oak bark (or chips), and its lower part from MDF board with a water-repellent coating) leaves a pleasant feeling.
• Due to the natural antistatic properties, allergy sufferers and asthmatics can not be afraid to put such floors in their kitchen.
• Cleaning such a coating is pleasant, because there are no problems with this.
• No matter how long something stands on it, due to its elasticity, the cork will quickly restore its shape.
• And then, when you decide what is better to put on the floor in the kitchen, you will realize that it is very beautiful, because the manufacturers have become very inventive. In the nursery, this floor is just perfect - warm, cozy, natural!

There aren't many of them, but they do exist!

1. Alas, the cork covering laid in the kitchen is impractical.
2. Secondly, and this plays a big role in the choice, it is very expensive (sometimes it reaches the cost of parquet!).
3. Plus, you can’t experiment here, like with wood or stone in terms of simulating surfaces.
4. Mechanical impacts and high temperatures are a scourge for cork coatings, here ceramics would give them a head start.

What will you choose, having dealt with the problem - what is better to lay on the floor in the kitchen, is it beauty, multiplied by a decent cost, or something else? It's up to you to decide...

What floor is better to do in the kitchen and in the bathroom

In the kitchen, droplets of fat often fly to the floor, and in the bathroom, the coating is operated in conditions of high humidity. From such loads, parquet, carpet and conventional laminate brands are quickly destroyed.

Ceramic tiles are suitable for the kitchen and bathroom. It does not deteriorate from constant contact with water and frequent cleanings using abrasive detergents and hard brushes. Linoleum has similar properties, but it is quite difficult to remove old grease stains from it.

Some manufacturers produce special waterproof brands of laminated parquet. They can also be used in bathrooms and kitchens. However, only the outer surface of the material is covered with waterproof protection. The joints between the panels must be carefully coated with glue, otherwise the laminate is deformed and becomes unusable.

Ceramic tiles are great for use with underfloor heating

When choosing laminate, linoleum and carpet, you should pay attention to the special markings and manufacturer's recommendations.

cement durable flooring for kitchen

Benefits of cement coating

• Surface variety. Not only boring gray color, but also pattern, speck, etc.
• Ideal for hot climates (the floor is always cold).
• High wear resistance. You can even say "indestructibility". Damage to such a coating can only be an explosive device.
• An ideal base for another coating if you get tired of concrete.

Disadvantages of cement coating

• Cold floor. You can't walk barefoot.
• Complex styling. You can't do without professionals.
• Porosity. And, accordingly, the need to create a special coating to protect against stains.

Linoleum

Linoleum is very practical

Linoleum is valued due to its versatility, because it can be laid in almost any room. It has a lot of advantages:

• moisture resistance;
• easy care;
• strength;
• relatively low cost;
• simple installation;
• heat and sound insulation properties;
• a wide selection of colors and patterns.

When choosing this material as a floor covering, you should pay attention to its quality, since poor-quality linoleum releases harmful substances into the air, and cheap options have low strength - they are deformed and torn as a result of mechanical stress

Conclusion our recommendation combination

We recommend that you combine flooring in the kitchen, using the strengths of each flooring. In addition to practicality, you can visually divide the kitchen into two zones, for example, into a cooking and eating area. It is very practical to lay tiles near the stove and sink, and in the place where the dining table will be, lay parquet or a good laminate. Let's take a closer look at what you need to know when zoning a kitchen. This option is also great for the hallway.

Surfaces suitable for the cooking area: ceramic and stone tiles, PVC tiles and linoleum.
Coatings suitable for the dining area: parquet, laminate, bamboo flooring.
The thickness of the coatings must be the same.
It is very important to make a beautiful transition of two floor coverings, we talked about this in detail in the article - "How to join parquet and tiles".

Combination is the best option

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What floor to choose for the kitchen?

When choosing flooring for the kitchen, you need to take into account a lot of nuances - ease of cleaning, resistance to abrasion and moisture, and much more. How to choose the right coverage, and what you need to remember?

Initially, you should answer the main questions:

• What exactly do you want?
• How much coverage will the budget cover?
• What coverage will be optimal in relation to the existing or proposed interior?
• Does the selected option meet the requirements that are put forward for kitchen flooring?
• Are the floors meant to be warm, or will you get by with the usual ones?
• Will one material be used as a coating, or will a combination of materials be considered?
• Do you need to visually expand the space, or is your kitchen large enough to allow you to choose the color of the flooring without restrictions?