flooring in a Kitchen in 2021

Masala

What would the recommendations for a floor in a New build kitchen with underfloor heating. There is also a Washing machine and Dishwaster built in.

Are the latest laminate somewhat waterproof as have a fear that a leak fr9m the appliances will cause long term damage and the floor might hav3 to come up. Am worried about under floor heating cracking a tile....

The other half wants laminate as she feel it will give a warmer feel alround.... I just want something tha5 is not going to cause me problems down the line.

Any9ne else have these decisions recently.... all help appreciated

DublinDilbert

If you have underfloor heating surely anything you put down will be warm?

Amtico is a good option as its non slip, much better than tiles IMO.

sky6

I wouldn't go with Tiles especially if there is Children. I've seen some nasty accidents in Children from items being dropped on the Floor.

Lino or Laminate should be fine and its reasonably cheap to have done.
Also no matter what you do she will get tired looking at it.

...Ghost...

I've laminate in the kitchen/dining room. Spills need to be cleaned up quick enough, or the laminate will start to absorb it. It's down about 3 years and is doing well with plenty of spills.

For underfloor heating, tiles will give the best result if you tend only to use it some of the time. They conduct heat far more effectively and quickly. The heat is highly unlikely to damage the tiles. Improper installation is far more likely to cause breakages. If the UFH is on a lot, then laminate will be fine too. Glass breaks on laminate and kids find ways to give you a heart attack no matter how safe you are.

listermint

I've an AC5 laminate down in ours. Not that it's anything particular waterproof about it. It's just s thicker board and more durable for traffic and drops.

As with any laminate anywhere in your house if something spills mop it up.

Ours is down 3 years and not an ounce of problem with it. I dislike tiles tbh for all the reasons pointed to above. And they're not simple to change should you want. It's alot of effort.


You could got for a LVT or SPC vinyl floor if you are super concerned about moisture. SPC is the latest trend

...Ghost...

That SPC flooring looks like a great idea if considering laminate floor. I'd be looking for the brands with UV protection, or you might find parts badly discoloured after a couple of years.

Back to tiles though. I've never been one to follow the "tiles are cold" or "dangerous for kids" stuff. I grew up in house where every room downstairs was tiled and there was no UFH. I survived and I didn't die of pneumonia. If something breaks (more likely on tiles) then clean it up. If something spills, then clean it up.

The bigger challenge for someone choosing tiles is choosing the right ones for their family and for at least the next decade. I wouldn't lay tiles unless they were going to stay put for at least that long, so pick something that won't date. Stay away from the latest trend and pick something room appropriate.

So, you don't want to be laying thick 60x60 white matt marble tiles the kitchen because they will absorb stains and spills like paper. Likewise, you don't want those large 30 x 60 or 60 x 60 polished porcelain in your kitchen because they are more slippery and it will only take one dup to fall at the wrong angle to crack a tile, especially if the installer went light on the adhesive and left voids under the tiles.

FWIW, if you do choose tiles downstairs, they are great for UFH and are the best for wear and tear if chosen right. I was faced with this decision in 2017 for a 40SQM kitchen/dining room. I chose a good laminate and have no UFH to consider. I used to work in the tile industry and understand their strengths and pitfalls more than most. Had I chosen tiles (and I strongly considered them) I would have chosen a porcelain tile with a natural mimic such as marble, or wood print. There is a large selection of tiles that look very much like laminate wood flooring. My only reason for choosing laminate in the end was consistency. I wanted a similar material throughout the ground floor level. Choosing tiles would have meant ripping up the wooden floor in the hallway and living room, so laminate was an easier bet and was cheaper as a result.

jrosen

We've always had tiles in the past in the kitchen and once you get the right ones with under floor heating they wont be cold to walk on. I would avoid the high shine porcelain tiles, they are slippy when wet and according to anyone i know who has them a nightmare to clean and keep clean. Smallest drop of water marks.

My go too with tiles is larger tiles, I find the less grout needed the better. Less dirt to gather.

We currently have a laminate all throughout. I dont remember exactly what one but one year later and no issues. My one recommendation would be if you get wood flooring have it delivered to the house before its being laid so it has a chance to warm up.

...Ghost...

jrosen wrote: »

I would avoid the high shine porcelain tiles, they are slippy when wet and according to anyone i know who has them a nightmare to clean and keep clean. Smallest drop of water marks.

Very easy to clean....the easiest actually due to low friction. The low friction is what makes them slippy when wet too. And only the cheapo polished porcelain will mark, as it is "B" grade stuff and sold at a discounted price for a reason. The proper stuff will be from €60 per SQM and will not be porous. The €30 per SQM is to be avoided unless its going onto the walls of an under the stairs loo, or ensuite.

jrosen wrote: »

My go too with tiles is larger tiles, I find the less grout needed the better. Less dirt to gather.

I prefer larger ones too. 30x60 and keeping the same size throughout and using a thin grout line of 1-2mm.This means using the same size tile throughout, or using dark grout....ideally anti microbial and sealing it. Again, getting good grout makes all the difference. People cheaping out on this is what leads to dis-satisfaction costing thousands of Euros redoing the job prematurely. Do it right, do it once.

Masala

Have seen a. Pic of a wood effect tile .... a long rectangle tile that was about half length of a laminate plank

As it was a singular pic - am trying to get my head around if there will be a visible grout line seen. Do tiles come in a ‘click’ format nowadays???

...Ghost...

Masala wrote: »

Have seen a. Pic of a wood effect tile .... a long rectangle tile that was about half length of a laminate plank

As it was a singular pic - am trying to get my head around if there will be a visible grout line seen. Do tiles come in a ‘click’ format nowadays???

Most of the laminates have a 1mm chamfered edge. The grout lines are generally 2mm on the wood effect tiles and when done properly, using grout to match the tile, they look great. I prefer the matt effect ones, or hazed ones.

I would think they don't come in click format as these would be easily broken prior to and during installation. Not unless you are talking about non ceramic/porcelain/natural stone tiles.