Ceramic Kitchen Flooring ideas and Options

Ceramic flooring is a very popular choice for kitchen installations due to the durability, versatility, and functionality of this material. Made from clay mixed with water and other small sediment materials, it is kiln fired to create a final product which can withstand most of the rigors associated with the kitchen, including heat, stains, and water penetration.

Cost Of Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tiles: $4 - $10 per square foot. $5 - $8 per square foot additional for installation costs.

Durable: Ceramic is a material that is so strong and resistant that it is used as shielding on space shuttles. Ceramic flooring may not be quite as durable as the materials made by NASA, but it is one of the most resilient hard surface floor tiles that you can purchase.

When properly installed and maintained, ceramic kitchen flooring can easily last for decades.

Despite it’s strength, on occasion cracks or chips may appear in individual ceramic tiles. Luckily, it is a relatively easy process to remove, and replace broken tiles with new pieces, in order to restore the seamless look of your kitchen floor.

Stain Resistance: In its natural unglazed state, ceramic flooring will be prone to stains and water penetration. This can be sealed to protect the surface of the material. However, when a glaze is applied to the surface of ceramic, it creates a nearly impervious layer over the material. This will make the tiles extremely resistant to any staining damage that can occur in the kitchen, from spills to splashes.

Floor Cleaning and Maintenance Articles

Water Resistant: The surface of a glazed ceramic floor tile cannot be penetrated by water, which prevents the growth of mold and mildew within the material.

However, the grout lines between the tiles are not impervious to water, and need to be treated with a sealer in order to protect them.

Fire and Singe Resistance: Ceramic is a material that does not burn or singe. That means that even if a heated instrument or tool is dropped on the floor, the material will not be harmed. Ceramic flooring can also help to prevent the spread of any fires that may accidently start in the kitchen.

Further Reading On Kitchen Floors

Hardness: The hardness of ceramic is great for durability, but can be terrible on your back. You spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen, and the unyielding rigidity of ceramics can actually be both painful, and fatiguing over time, cutting down on your effectiveness. This can be offset to some extent through the use of throw rugs placed in strategic positions.

Slip Issues: The glaze that is applied to the surface of ceramic tiles is a type of melted glass that spreads over the material, creating a smooth, perfect, nearly impervious protective layer. Unfortunately this glassy glaze can be quite slick, especially when wet, which can be an issue in kitchens where spills are common place.

Breakage: Ceramic tiles are very durable, and it takes a lot to break them, but it can be done. A sharp strike by a hard object, dropping something particularly heavy, even having a chair leg come down too fast on the wrong spot can all cause chips cracks and scratches. Luckily, it is relatively easy to repair ceramic kitchen flooring, and tiles can be removed, and replaced, even by an amateur do it yourselfer.

The beginning of a ceramic floor’s life will ultimately determine how long it will last. During installation, you want to ensure that each tile is perfectly bonded to the subfloor with a quality adhesive. The subfloor itself also has to be perfectly flat, smooth, and level.

This is done to ensure that gaps and bubbles don’t form between the tile and the substrate. Normally when an object pressed down on a floor the pressure goes from the tile to the adhesive bed to the substrate. However, if a gap has formed, the tile will have to bear the entire weight itself, and can crack, chip, or shatter.

DIY Versus Professional Ceramic Installation: This is ultimately a question that comes down to your confidence in handling a project of this size. Installing a ceramic kitchen floor is something that can be done by an amateur, but it is also messy, laborious, and time consuming. Averaging at $5 per square foot just for installation, having the work done is not cheap, but is something you have to consider against your own abilities.

Probably the biggest reason that ceramic flooring is so popular in kitchens is that it is really easy to clean and maintain. Unglazed tiles will need to be sealed periodically, but glazed ceramic kitchen floors will be basically impervious to stains and water penetration. All you have to do is sweep or mop them regularly, and spot clean with a mild ph balanced detergent as necessary.

The most vulnerable point in a ceramic floor is its grout lines. These are necessary, because they allow the tiles to expand and contract at different temperatures without cracking. However, they are also vulnerable to staining, water penetration, and the growth of mold and mildew, which can all be particularly nasty issues in a kitchen environment.

Sealants can be applied to grout lines on occasion to protect them. You can also spot clean grout lines using bleach, vinegar, and other cleansing agents. In extreme cases grout lines can also be removed completely, sawed out, and then replaced with a fresh installation.

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