The kitchen isn’t just a cooking space anymore. It has become the hub of the modern home, serving as a gathering place for family and friends and a focal point for all sorts of activities. With all that happening in the kitchen, it’s very important that your flooring choice is able to handle foot traffic as well as all the inevitable spills and spatters. Of course, it also has to suit your personal style and fit within your budget.

What to Look for in Kitchen Flooring?

Of course, everyone has different needs and preferences, but the main factors to look for when floor shopping include:

• Durability – To able to survive dropped skillets without damage and to withstand frequent spills without staining, you need a floor that’s tough enough;
• Water-resistance – Kitchens are like semi-wet rooms, so the flooring should be able to withstand the occasional spilled glass of juice and water;
• Scrubbable – Messes are inevitable in the kitchen, so the best kitchen flooring is one that is easy to keep clean;
• Design-friendly – You want your kitchen to look as good as the rest of your home. With all the flooring options available today, it’s possible to have an attractive kitchen floor that is resilient to boot.

Flooring manufacturers now offer a wide assortment of flooring materials that are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. The following kitchen tiles are the most desirable choices for contemporary kitchens. Consider them when planning your kitchen redo.

What Type of Tile Is Best for Kitchen Floors?

Vinyl Tiles

Vinyl is one of the most popular flooring options at the moment, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Still, many people looking for kitchen flooring know nothing about modern vinyl flooring. No, it’s nothing like with the sheet vinyl your grandparents used to have. Vinyl flooring today is offered in tiles and planks, and popular varieties will be referred to as LVT or LVP, which stands for Luxury Vinyl Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank. No matter which one you choose, both kitchen floor tiles are good options.

In the vinyl acronym world, the most important thing is the reference to vinyl as WPCor SPC – Wood Plastic Composite or Stone Platic. Both refer to the core of the vinyl flooring. WPC uses wood and polymers in the core for strength and stability. SPC, on the other hand, has a stone/plastic composite core, made largely of stone dust, stabilizers and PVC to strengthen the tile. Both have a foam or cork backing to soften the floor underneath and deaden sound. The vinyl layer from where the floor gets its name is the prominent feature of these floors, showing the near-infinite colour and patterns, and they’re topped with a layer for added protection from scrapes and spills.

Vinyl kitchen flooring is fully waterproof and can be installed floating above the subfloor. While they are a bit softer than some other options, they’re still a tough, durable flooring solution. The most popular variant of vinyl is the wood look. Vinyl kitchen floor tiles that mimic solid hardwood are a common option, offering customers the look of wood, with a softer yet extremely durable product.

And if you are looking to achieve a more eco friendly-kitchen, vinyl flooring is one of the most environmentally friendly options around. Made with sustainable practices (many containing recycled content and all fully recyclable after use) vinyl flooring also lasts a long time – up to 20 years.

Ceramic Tiles

Also a durable kitchen floor option, ceramic tiles are made from clay and baked to a finish. Available in a wide range of styles, shapes, colours and patterns, ceramic tiles can handle splatters, spills and messes dished out in most kitchens. While these messes don’t damage the tile, they can stain grout, so where possible, they should be cleaned up as soon as possible.

One popular style of ceramic tile is porcelain. Porcelain tiles are 100% waterproof and can handle just about any stain. What makes porcelain harder than standard tiles is the higher temperature baking process, which strengthens the tile for durability. That durability can make them slippery in some finishes, so if you opt for this kind of tile, make sure it’s slip-resistant or come with non-slip features like patterns or texture. These features are commonly found on ceramic and porcelain tiles designed to look like wood or natural stone, which can be difficult to install.

Stone Tiles

On the higher end of the price scale, stone tiles offer a variety of colours and patterns to choose from. The most popular options tend to feature colours and patterns that occur naturally. Unlike the previous options, natural store requires a bit more care – typically they need to be sealed following install and re-sealed at regular intervals as time progresses. However, with the right care, stone tiles are a beautiful and tough surface for kitchens.