Kitchen floor tiles come in many styles and can withstand the heaviest use your family can dish out. On top of that, they can be arranged in multiple patterns, which make your kitchen floor unique to your home.
However, given the plethora of kitchen floor tiles available on the market, choosing the right one for your kitchen can be difficult. After all, there are many factors to be considered.
Types of Kitchen Floor Tiles
There are two types of kitchen flooring– porcelain tiles and natural stones. Their hardness makes them desirable as kitchen floor surfaces since they are durable and will not be easily scratched by your pets and/or children. Let us take a closer look at the following types of floor tiles.
1. Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are produced by firing the clay mixture at high temperatures and pressure. This process makes them harder, denser, and less porous, which is ideal for installations in the kitchen, bathroom, and even outdoors.
At Soon Bee Huat, there are many types of porcelain tiles designs available, such as marble effect, stone effect, wood effect, and also decorative tiles.
- Marble Effect
One of the most elegant types of flooring, marble effect tiles add a touch of luxury into your kitchen and give it a timeless and lasting upgrade.
- Stone Effect
A classic, stone effect tiles are simple and great for kitchen floors. This design boasts the modern and luxurious aesthetics of natural stone and is minimalistic enough to fit in with and complement almost every kind of interior design.
- Wood Effect
Wood effect tiles are a wonderful way to add warmth to your kitchen. With soothing colour tones and designs, wood effect tiles add a relaxing mood like nature can give.
- Decorative
Nautic Black 33.15x33.15cm, Matt R9
Create a unique kitchen with decorative tiles. The combination of colours and patterns offers a fun and energetic effect that enhances the look of your kitchen.
2. Natural Stones
Natural stones such as granite, limestone, travertine, and marble usually cost more than porcelain tiles. Most of them are porous and require finishing with a quality stone sealer to maintain their appearances and properties.
Choosing the Best Floor Tiles for Your Kitchen
Now that you have learned about the two types of kitchen floor tiles, the following are some characteristics to consider when choosing the one for your home:
1. Water resistance
Some tiles are more porous and tend to absorb water easily, making them less suitable for your kitchen. If your kitchen is prone to moisture, choose polished tiles as they can better absorb moisture.
2. Texture
Polishing enhances the beauty of your tiles, adding a sense of extravagance to your kitchen. Polished tiles also reflect light and brighten up your kitchen, giving the illusion of a bigger space. However, polished tiles are more slippery, especially when wet. If you are worried about slipping on polished tiles, consider placing mats in areas of concern, such as in front of the sink.
Meanwhile, matt tiles provide more texture and grip, preventing slipping. They can also better conceal dirt, stains, and scratches since they reflect less light.
3. Cleaning and Maintenance
Compared with natural stones, porcelain tiles are much easier to clean as you do not have to worry about water or stain marks.
Polished tiles are also easier to wipe clean than matt tiles due to their smooth surface. Although dirt can easily be concealed by matt tiles, it does not prevent them from accumulating on the tiles.
4. Other parts of the house
To make your house look bigger, you may consider using the same or matching tiles for your living room and kitchen floor. Having a consistent design throughout keeps the flooring continuous and creates a larger sense of space.
Still cannot decide after reading this article? You can visit Soon Bee Huat's concept boutiques to see your kitchen floor tiles in person. After all, we have the largest tiles and stones variety in Singapore, with technology offering a unique design experience for everyone. As we pride ourselves as one of Singapore's tile and stone specialists, you can trust us to complete the home of your dreams.