Kitchen Floor Tiles in Ottawa – The Most Popular Types of Natural Kitchen Floor Tiles

 

For Ottawa residents planning on renovating their kitchen, it's important to choose kitchen floor tiles that will last in such a high-traffic area. It's an opportunity to bring the beauty of nature into a home by adding natural stone tiles. Choosing the right tiles helps refresh the look of a room that's used every day and may even increase the resale value of a home. The two most popular types of kitchen floor tiles are porcelain and natural stone.

 

 

Porcelain tiles are a mix of clay, minerals and feldspar, a type of crystal. Although it's more expensive than plain ceramic tiles, it's also more durable, has natural stain resistance, absorbs less water, and has even, pure colour.

 

Porcelain tiles are available in glazed or unglazed styles. Even within the glazed category, there's matte, semi-gloss, or high gloss. Glazed porcelain floor tiles are a great, low-maintenance choice for busy areas like the kitchen. They are stain resistant and provide better traction while still keeping water absorption low. Porcelain is even scratch resistant so when Fido and Fluffy pad through the room to their food bowls, the floor won't scratch easily.

 

 

Natural stones — like granite and slate — bring natural beauty to kitchen floors. The characteristics of each batch of stone tiles varies depending on where and when it was quarried so it's essential to pick up supplies from one supplier to keep the look of a room consistent.

 

Hard and dense, granite tiles are a great choice for a kitchen floor. It's available in thousands of colours and features unique veining and flecks of minerals. Granite is tough and scratch-resistant, making it perfect for busy kitchens and other well-travelled areas.

 

Also durable and dense, slate is another good choice for a beautiful, natural stone tile floor. Slate brings dark, earthy tones to the room. Choose naturally textured tiles or, if that's a little too close to nature for the family's tender tootsies, order tiles that have a smoother finish.

 

For those in Ottawa who absolutely can't live without a gorgeous marble floor that matches the countertops, that marble floor needs to be honed and finished on a regular basis. Since marble is a porous stone, it picks up stains easily. This means it will need annual care to keep it looking its best. Since its regular upkeep can be expensive, marble may not be the best choice for a busy kitchen.

 

Limestone and travertine are less popular choices for Ottawa homes. That's probably for the best since both types of stone tend to stain and scratch easily. Find similar deep, earthy tones when looking at slate.

 

 

There are three types of finishes found on most natural stone tiles — natural, honed, and polished. A natural finish really brings the beauty of the outdoors into the kitchen. It offers a textured, pitted surface and a duller, natural appearance that's closer to nature. A honed finish is usually the most recommended for kitchen floor tiles. Its smooth matte finish helps to reduce slipping and wear. Polished tiles are reflective but can be extremely slippery.

 

Homeowners should always discuss their needs with a Ottawa contractor or other trusted professional to ensure the proper material is used.