Kitchen Flooring: Rugs – Okay, Carpeting – Nope
In today’s blog, we’ll cover something that may seem obvious to many, but still warrants talking about: Why carpeting has no place in a kitchen. You may be cringing right now, but if you’ve ever wondered about what this would look (or smell) like, then read on for why a couple of rugs over floor tiles is a far better choice.
KEEPING OUT THE CARPETING
Today, we see carpeting in as little square footage of a home as humanly possible. If history is any indication, however, we can see that all trends circle back and become popular once again. If a growing population of folks decide they (for some reason) want carpeting in their future kitchens, they should innovate a new type of carpeting that overcomes the following barriers:
DAMP & DANK
Kitchens, just like bathrooms, are places where wet and mess are more of a state-of-being than an incident. As you use your kitchen sink, inevitable splatters find their way on the counter and floor, kids drop and spill things, and even the most careful cook occasionally drops, splashes, or splatters. The end result? A floor and counter that need to be regularly wiped to keep from becoming sticky, slippery, and smelly.
The problem is that you can’t really wipe up a liquid when the flooring is carpeting. By its nature, carpeting absorbs moisture, rather than relinquishing it to a towel or mop, as floor tiles or even wood floors do. Even if water were the worst thing you could spill on a carpeted kitchen floor, it would still eventually begin to mold or mildew, given that it has no easy way to evaporate. Imagine discovering a damp spot on your kitchen carpet and wondering how long it’s been there and what it may even be — yikes.
GENERALLY UNSAFE
As mentioned above, carpeting creates a safe space for mold and mildew growth, which is generally unsafe, but even more so in the kitchen. The spores from mold and mildew are dangerous when inhaled, which is a problem for the meeting place of your home in itself, but these same spores can also settle on dishes and food preparation surfaces for even more dangers. While a tile or other solid surface flooring material can become slippery when wet, a carpeted surface, it can be easily wiped or otherwise cleaned once sullied; a carpeted floor allows no such avenue of escape for contaminants. This more or less means that whatever is spilled on your carpet will stick around forever – to some degree, at the least.
SPILLS HAPPEN
At the end of the day, this is most worrisome because spills happen. In the kitchen, spills happen a lot. Most homes feature a flooring surface that is easy to clean and manage, so it can be easy to overlook how often things spill, splash, drip, and splatter. Think about it, how often do you notice a sticky spot or smear on the floor that you have no recollection of dropping? All the time, right? Now imagine never discovering that spill or smear until it is a stain on your kitchen carpet – or not at all. Yuck!
The point is simple here: Spills will happen in your kitchen. Sooner or later, a pot is going to bubble over, grease will splatter, or a sink pipe will leak out – leaving you with a damp or ruined carpet and tremendous risk of mold or mildew growth.
JUST GO WITH TILE
While foregoing carpeting in your home’s kitchen may be a given, there are other choices that are just as unsavory for you to choose from. In reality, nothing compares to the versatility and durability that floor tiles offer your kitchen. With dozens of colors and styles to choose from – plus a near infinite look and feel created by grout options and tile orientation – floor tiles can also be chosen to match or highlight just about any type of kitchen and any style of home. Flooring tiles can be expected to last about 20 years, far more if well maintained, so you definitely can count on getting your “money’s worth.”
VISIT TRANSWORLD TILE
At Transworld Tile, our entire staff is committed to helping you find the best possible flooring choice for your home. We find that most often this means flooring tiles, but we’re not opposed to helping you choose a completely different flooring option – if it is right for you and your family. Each member of our team is well-versed in home flooring materials, so you can rest assured that the advice and inspiration you’re receiving is based upon years of successful service to the local community.
Stop in and visit our showroom to see the best selection of flooring tiles in the San Fernando and Thousand Oaks area. Here, you’re sure to find the perfect flooring material to complete (or begin) your next home project!
