What to Consider When Choosing Kitchen Flooring Materials

When you plan a new kitchen, you naturally focus on cabinets and appliances first, even though the floor deals with constant use and regular spills. The material you choose affects how the kitchen feels to live with; how simple it is to clean and how well it ties into the rest of the house.

Most households narrow the decision down to a familiar set of options: tiles and stone, vinyl and LVT, wood and laminate, and seamless systems such as resin kitchen flooring or microcement. Each can work well in the right setting. The important step is to match the floor to the way you use your kitchen every day.

As resin specialists, we spend a lot of time helping clients compare these choices. This guide highlights the main points we discuss and shows where resin kitchen flooring often makes sense in a domestic setting, so you can have more focused conversations when you start to plan a project.

What should kitchen flooring cope with day to day?

Kitchen floors work harder than most surfaces in the home. Over the course of a day they take foot traffic between hob, sink, fridge and table, deal with spills from cooking and washing up, and pick up wear from pets, children and visitors, so they need a finish that holds up under regular use.

Tiles and stone

Tiles and stone stay popular because they are durable and cope well with heat from ovens and underfloor systems. The trade-off is that grout lines collect dirt and can stain, and the hard surface can feel unforgiving if you spend long periods cooking in one spot.

Vinyl and LVT

Vinyl and LVT offer a wide range of patterns and colours. They often feel warmer and softer underfoot than tiles, and they can work well when you choose a good product and prepare the subfloor properly.

Wood and laminate

Wood and laminate bring a warm, familiar look that many people like in open-plan spaces. They link kitchen and living areas visually and suit more traditional schemes, but they are more sensitive to moisture and movement.

Resin kitchen flooring and microcement

Resin kitchen flooring and microcement sit in the family of seamless systems. Resin is a poured surface that creates a continuous floor across the room. Our recommended product systems are called Quartz Carpet and Microcement.

Microcement is a thinner coating that delivers a similar look at a lower build-up. In domestic kitchens, these systems work well when you refurbish from the subfloor upwards and want a contemporary, minimal finish with few visible joints.

If you want to check what is realistic for your layout or subfloor, you can speak with our team at any stage. Get in touch with Flexflooring and we can run through your plans with you.

How does your subfloor affect your kitchen flooring options?

The condition of the subfloor often decides which materials are realistic. When we survey a kitchen, we frequently find cracks, old latex screeds or uneven screed that only show up once we run a straightedge across the floor.

Traditional materials such as tiles, stone, vinyl, LVT, wood and laminate all need a stable, level base. Movement in the substrate can lead to cracks, gaps or noise, and ridges and hollows can show through thinner coverings. Putting the base right first reduces the risk of tiles working loose, boards moving or coverings showing every ridge.

With resin kitchen flooring, preparation is just as important as the final pour. The system follows whatever is underneath it. On domestic projects we check the substrate, any existing toppings and the levels between the kitchen and adjoining rooms. Resin often makes sense when you already plan to remove old finishes, repair the screed and set consistent levels between the kitchen, dining and living areas. In that situation you can use the new build-up to correct levels and create one continuous surface through the space.

Which kitchen flooring is easiest to clean and safest when wet?

Most domestic kitchens we work in have predictable spill zones around sinks, dishwashers and hobs, so we look at those areas first.

Tiles and stone cope well with moisture, but grout lines can stain and collect residue, so they need more detailed cleaning. Vinyl and LVT handle everyday spills reasonably well, though seams and edges must be fitted carefully so that water does not creep underneath. Wood and laminate need more care in wet areas because repeated exposure can cause swelling at joints.

Resin kitchen flooring offers a continuous surface in the main spill and traffic zones. Most homeowners we work with keep resin surfaces clean with a quick sweep and a light mop because the finish does not trap residue or harbour dirt in joints.

From experience, slip risk tends to rise in front of sinks, dishwashers and patio doors, and we often specify a slightly textured finish there for homes with children or pets. Many vinyl and LVT products include built-in texture, while wood or laminate can become more slippery if spills stay on the surface. Resin systems can be specified with different finishes to provide more texture in key areas. Early conversations about how you use the kitchen help the installer recommend a build that balances easy cleaning with reliable grip.

What is the best kitchen flooring for open-plan homes?

In many homes the kitchen opens straight into dining and living areas, and on open-plan refurbishments we often see multiple materials meeting and level changes creating small steps that become more noticeable once you live with them every day.

Resin kitchen flooring and microcement offer a way to run a single surface through the whole space. For clients who want the kitchen to feel like part of a wider room rather than a separate corner, this keeps the layout simple and avoids threshold strips breaking up the space.

Which kitchen flooring works best with underfloor heating?

Tiles and stone conduct heat well and can feel warm underfoot when the system is running. Vinyl, LVT, wood and laminate need guidance from the manufacturer on suitability and temperature limits.

Resin kitchen flooring can work over underfloor heating, but we check screed depth, insulation and heat-up cycles before confirming it is suitable. Those checks help prevent movement or cracking as the floor warms and cools over time.

Tiles and resin systems usually involve more preparation and curing time, while vinyl, LVT, wood and laminate can be quicker to fit once you prepare the base.

When does resin kitchen flooring make the most sense in a domestic kitchen?

Resin kitchen flooring is not right for every project. In our experience it works best when:

• You are refurbishing from the subfloor upwards or building a new extension
• The design includes an open-plan kitchen that flows into dining or living areas
• You want to avoid grout lines and joints in the main spill and traffic zones
• The household values straightforward cleaning and a consistent look over time

In other projects, a different material may suit you better. A simple refresh over an existing floor, a tight programme that does not allow for substrate repairs or a strong preference for the warmth of natural timber can all tilt the decision towards tiles, LVT or wood-based products.

How should you discuss kitchen flooring choices with a specialist?

A short conversation with a flooring specialist helps you check your plans and confirm what is realistic for your kitchen.

When we speak with homeowners, floor plans and a note of any issues you have had with previous floors are very useful, because uneven spots, movement or staining guide our recommendations. We look at the subfloor, moisture levels, thresholds, any underfloor heating and how the space connects to the rest of the house.

In the end, you want to match the material to your layout and budget so you choose kitchen flooring that fits the way you use the space, whether that turns out to be resin kitchen flooring or another material entirely.

Contact us if you are comparing options for a new kitchen or refurbishment, we can help you understand what will work in your space and what preparation is required.