Types of Kitchen Flooring and Their Average Installation Prices

Kitchen flooring gets a lot of traffic, not to mention the spills and dish drops that age kitchen flooring faster than floors in other parts of the house.

Popular flooring options today include everything from self-adhesive tile to hardwood and porcelain. There’s a smart and attractive kitchen flooring style for every budget and design taste. Factors such as stain resistance, required maintenance, and installation cost can influence your choice when it comes to deciding on new kitchen flooring for your home.

This guide goes into popular types of kitchen flooring and their installation costs. And we list some pros and cons for each kitchen flooring type Sears Home Services offers.

Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Vinyl sheet flooring is a comparatively low-cost synthetic option for home remodelers who may want the look of ceramic or hardwood but don’t want the price tag of those materials. Vinyl sheet flooring comes in many designs with the appearance of stone, tile, and natural wood. It’s easy to install, and tends to be more comfortable underfoot than hard-surface flooring options.

Here are the major pros and cons associated with vinyl sheet flooring:

Pros

• Water- and stain-resistance: Vinyl sheet flooring is ideal for the kitchen because it will not warp or stain due to direct exposure to water or other liquids. It is commonly made of naturally water-repellent materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

• Low maintenance: With nothing more to cleaning than sweep and mopping, this kind of kitchen flooring requires no polish or wax to remain fresh.

• Durability: The same factors that help vinyl sheet flooring resist water damage make it long-lasting, as well. If properly installed, even with everyday kid and pet traffic, it can last upward of 20 years.

Cons

• Difficult to repair: If a significant gash, gouge, tear, or rip occurs in this type of kitchen flooring, the entire floor has to be replaced. The only other option is to cut out the affected area and patch it, but this can detract from the overall look of your kitchen.

• Discolors over time: Contact with rubber or protracted exposure to direct sunlight can diminish the look of vinyl sheet flooring over the years.

The potential damage from subflooring: If the underfloor on which vinyl sheet flooring is laid is not perfectly smooth and clean, any pebbles or small items protruding can eventually wear down the material. These items can even become visible at the upper layer of your flooring.

Vinyl Sheet Flooring Installation Cost

Ranging between $3 and $7 per square foot, the standard installation price of vinyl sheet flooring can land anywhere between $785 and $2,772, depending on the size of your kitchen.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered hardwood flooring is another budget-friendly and functional option for your kitchen remodel. Engineered hardwood is made of many layers of wood, with the grain of each layer perpendicular to the next layer. That cross-grain construction makes the floor stronger than solid hardwood and keeps it from expanding and contracting as humidity changes. The top layer is a wood veneer that looks the same as a solid hardwood.

Pros

• Waterproof: With a waterproof core and the additional protection of surface sealing, this type of flooring is among the most water resistant.

• Easy maintenance: Unlike traditional hardwood, engineered hardwood flooring does not need waxing or wood treatments to stay beautiful. It’s an excellent choice for families on the go or busy professionals, as it can look new with little more than sweeping or dry mopping.

• Flexible installation methods: Engineered hardwoods can be installed over a wood or concrete subfloor whereas solid hardwoods can only be installed over a wood subfloor using nails or staples. Engineered hardwood planks can be glued in place or simply snapped together over concrete. Over a wood subfloor, engineered hardwood can be nailed, stapled, glued or snapped together.

• Color and grain options. Sears Home Services offers engineered hardwood in more than 20 colors, with matching trim.

Cons

• Veneer lifetime: Engineered hardwood is as prone to scratches and nicks as solid hardwood, but because the surface is a veneer, engineered hardwoods can’t be refinished as often or as deeply as a traditional solid hardwood floor can.

• Quality of core layers: Make sure that your engineered hardwood flooring contains core layers cut from high-quality, real wood. Many manufacturers may substitute oriented strand board or fiberboard to reduce costs, but these shortcuts make a weaker, less stable floor.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Installation Cost

Ranging between $8 and $12 per square foot, the standard installation price of engineered hardwood flooring is typically significantly lower than hardwood due to its easier installation process.

Tile Flooring

Known for its glossy appearance and clean lines, tile flooring comes in several popular materials. Ceramic and stone are always on-trend, and porcelain offers a classic look, as well. Ceramic tile flooring is typically glazed, and the multitude of ways that stone and porcelain can be embossed or primed means design options for kitchen tile are almost limitless.

Pros

• Extreme durability: The hardness and natural makeup of tile flooring mean you will likely only ever have to replace it when you get tired of looking at it. Tile kitchen flooring represents one of the most long-lasting and impervious-to-life choices you can make in your kitchen remodel.

• Easy damage repair: Tile flooring is relatively easy to repair if damaged, because you only have to replace the affected tiles.

• Unaffected by stains or water: Dirt, debris, and even powerful cleaning chemicals will not phase tile kitchen flooring. Water can even pool on the tile without ruining it. If you are looking for the flooring choice that offers the most resistance to liquid and wears or tears, tile is your best bet.

Cons

• Cold and hard: Tile kitchen flooring will not absorb heat. This means you may love it in the summer for the cool reprieve that it offers your feet when you come in from outside, and you may hate it in the winter for the same reasons. Likewise, the tile is an exceptionally hard flooring surface. If you have small children or elderly family members residing in your home, and falling is a big concern, tile can pose a problem.

• Grout care: All forms of tile flooring rely on grout at points of jointure. While the tile is not vulnerable to dirt and mold, the grout is. A protective sealant will need to be applied at least once per year for optimal maintenance.

• Weight: Due to the materials it is made of, tile kitchen flooring may require you to check the load-bearing integrity of your subflooring before installation. This is a heavy-weight flooring option that may not be ideal for older houses, which can be more prone to structural weaknesses brought on by age.

Tile Flooring Installation Cost

For ceramic or porcelain tile flooring, the average cost ranges from $13.50 to $63 per square foot. You can expect to spend between $860 and $2,707, depending on the size of your kitchen.

Trust Sears Home Services for Your Kitchen Flooring Solutions

Whether you are in the process of a total kitchen remodel or just need some advice on what flooring supplies will be needed to realize your latest tile flooring project, Sears Home Services has the knowledge and expertise to lend honest, professional help.

Our experts can ensure that your kitchen flooring not only looks new but is also installed properly. Contact Sears Home Services today for an estimate tailored to your unique needs, and we will have you on your way to that kitchen flooring you’ve been dreaming of.