What is best for the kitchen – tile or linoleum

The most popular flooring in Russia is, according to statistics, linoleum. It is a cheap and durable material, which, moreover, is easy to care for. Ceramic tile occupies only the third place, giving an honorable second laminate. But when it comes to the kitchen, few people buy a laminate, because this material is afraid of moisture. So, you need to determine what is better – tile or linoleum for your kitchen.

Advantages and disadvantages of linoleum

This floor covering is made of polyvinyl chloride, which is heterogeneous and homogeneous. Heterogeneous polyvinyl chloride consists of several layers. The first (lower) layer is the base of felt, polyester, jute, PVC. The second layer (there may be several of them) is fiberglass, vinyl foamed. The third (upper) layer is a transparent layer of heavy-duty vinyl.

Pros of linoleum

• A wide variety of designs and colors. Any construction store will offer more than 20 variants of this coating, and its color will be what your heart desires: with geometric figures, patterns, marble or wood, tile or laminate.
• Costs linoleum inexpensively. The lower price threshold is from 120 rubles per running meter.
• It is very easy to work with the material, even a person who is far from repair work will be able to lay this covering.
• Linoleum is easy to care for, it does not require any special detergents.
• The material is pleasant to the touch, not as cold as a tile. The floor, covered with linoleum, is elastic and at the same time quite soft. The coating is quite strong, especially when it comes to wear-resistant linoleum.
• Linoleum, designed for places with high traffic capacity of people, serves for decades, without losing its attractive appearance. Household linoleum will also serve for quite a long time, if you handle it carefully.

Linoleum minuses

• If the room is a lot of sunlight, any linoleum can lose color (burn in the sun).
• The material is not resistant to mechanical influences. If a knife or fork falls on it, and if you walk on it in shoes with stilettos, this can cause damage to the floor covering.
• Linoleum does not tolerate a temperature drop.
• It may appear stains. For example, fat, acetone, paint and other unpleasant substances are washed off the surface of the linoleum very badly. But the stain does not appear, if instantly react and wipe out what has dripped or spilled.
• Linoleum is afraid of chemicals. It can be spoiled with some aggressive detergents. There are stains, stains, and even bald spots, so use only linoleum remedies for washing the floor.

Ceramic floor tiles in the kitchen

The kitchen is considered a room with high traffic, so as a floor covering, many use ceramic tiles. Consider the merits and demerits of this material.

Advantages of ceramics

• The tile is much stronger than linoleum. It can serve for decades, and at the same time its appearance will remain attractive.
• A huge range of colors and textures. In the construction shops you can see not only ceramic tiles, but also various types of porcelain tiles, as well as glass tiles. Ceramic tiles can have a matte or glossy surface, be decorated with a pattern for wood, stone, metal.
• Ceramic tiles are resistant to temperature changes, so it can be laid both inside and outside the premises (for example, on a porch or an open terrace).
• The moisture resistance of the material is high. The tile will pass without any problems any flood, if any.
• The tile is resistant to stains and chemicals. You will simply take care of the floor on which the tiles are laid, because the material is not afraid of any chemistry, and the stains to it “do not stick.”

Disadvantages of tile

• Despite all the advantages, tile has several drawbacks. And the main of them is its coldness. The tiles can only be heated by installing a “warm floor” system.
• High (in comparison with linoleum) price. Sometimes, to buy a floor tile, you need to lay out a significant amount of money, especially if you buy expensive high-quality tiles, rather than cheap Chinese counterfeiting.
• Tile is a rather complicated material. And if with linoleum not only a novice builder will cope, but even a person far from repair works, then only a skilled tile expert can put quality tiles. Tile installation is a complicated and laborious work, and if you want it to be laid beautifully, you will have to pay not only for the tile itself, but also for the work of a specialist.
• Grout quickly loses its appearance. If the tile retains an attractive appearance for decades, then the grout for the intertitic joints breaks down quite quickly. Therefore use a grout darker, and choose special means for care of intertile seams. Excellent spray SILIT BANG for tile care. It removes mold and all kinds of dirt. It should be sprayed onto the tile and seams, left for 10 minutes and rinse with water.
• Danger of injury. If a bright child running in the kitchen falls on the linoleum floor, it will not hurt as much as falling on the tiled floor. In addition, the tiles on which water is poured become very slippery. But most manufacturers have already paid attention to this, and to solve the problem, create a tile with a special relief coating. Thanks to him, you can feel confident even on the wet floor.

Which is better – tile or linoleum: we draw conclusions

Summarizing all of the above, it can be noted that both of these materials are suitable for styling in the kitchen. However, linoleum, probably, will fail quite quickly, because any unsuccessful fall of heavy and sharp objects, which is used in the kitchen abound, can cause its damage. The same can be said about the spots. A sandwich, spilled juice, coffee or hot oil can leave stains.

Tile – finishing material, which is ideal for the kitchen, if you do not take into account its coldness. Although, if you go to home shoes, you do not care. The main thing is to buy a tile with a matte surface, as glossy can cause injuries.

Thus, the tile is stronger, more reliable and durable than linoleum. But this does not mean that linoleum in the kitchen can not be used. Just have to be careful with this coating. And you can even combine these two materials, putting a strong tile in the work area, and linoleum in the dining room, pleasant to the touch.