When we think about renovating our kitchen we think about new gleaming tapware, shining benchtops and maybe highly functional modern features like loads of cabinet storage, pantries, and island benches.
What we don’t often think about is flooring. But that is a mistake, and giving thought at the outset to flooring and how it will work with your kitchen renovation can have plenty of positive effects in the long run.
Costing Accurately
The first thing to understand when thinking about flooring is the impact on your budget. Many people who are renovating their kitchens will prepare a budget accounting for all of the obvious features like those we mentioned above. But the more “hidden” or less top of mind considerations like flooring are those that can blow out a budget and take it beyond what is affordable very quickly.
Practical Problems
One practical problem to consider has to do with tiled kitchens. Older homes often have tiles in the kitchen areas, which can pose a problem when renovating. This is because, in the course of the renovation, the footprint that is taken up by the bench and cabinet space might change.
If the footprint of your cabinet spaces shrinks, the tiles that have been used in years gone by are notoriously difficult to match. Even if they can be matched, the years of wear and light on old tiles will mean that the contrast to any new tiles will be very easy to spot and completely throw off the consistency of the flooring.
This is a consideration that many first-time renovators fail to make, and as with the first one we mentioned – accurate costing – the end result is additional costs, coupled with a delay in renovations as the problem is discovered and worked through.
What Comes First?
The simplest way to solve these problems is to start from the ground up at the time of your initial planning. Take advice if necessary, but decide what you want to do with your floors and be sure to cost them accurately, bearing in mind your existing flooring. Do you want to remove the tiles and replace them with new tiles or polish the floors underneath? No matter the flooring, are you able to remove it without damaging the structure underneath, which is particularly important in homes with wooden floors.
Simple Flooring Solutions
There are also more simple, budget-friendly flooring solutions for kitchen areas than ever before in the market. A reinforced take on floorboards is stick-on vinyl flooring. It is a solution that is both versatile and easy for a new or novice renovator to apply. The other advantage to this is that it can go straight over the top of existing floor space and it is devilishly easy to cut to size. However, be aware that if the existing floor height is raised, your skirting boards may need to be lifted and this can have flow-on effects throughout your house.
Laminate floorboards have also been around for a while now, but modern design updates and additional attention to detailing on them mean that they are now a strong option in their own right, not just as a budget-conscious choice.
To find out how to make the right flooring choices when you are thinking about starting on your own DIY kitchen renovation project, we invite you to visit one of our three showrooms in Preston, Maribyrnong and Kilsyth and have a chat with our friendly, experienced team who can point you in the right direction.