Kitchen Flooring Guide: Tiles, LVT, or Laminate? A Trade Supplier’s Honest Answer
Let me start by saying something that might upset a few interior designers: you do not need to spend £150 a square metre on Italian porcelain to get a kitchen floor that looks incredible and lasts a lifetime.
After 20 years supplying trade kitchens across Greater Manchester, I have seen every flooring trend come and go. I have seen beautiful solid oak floors ruined by a single dishwasher leak, and I have seen cheap vinyl tear the moment a fridge is dragged across it.
When it comes to kitchen flooring, you are balancing three things: how it looks, how it handles water, and how much it costs to fit. Here is the honest trade guide to the three main options, what they actually cost in the UK, and the reality check most retailers will not give you.
1. Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles (The Traditionalist)
Tiles are the default choice for a reason. They are completely waterproof, incredibly hard-wearing, and work brilliantly with underfloor heating.
The Reality Check: Tiles are cold, hard, and unforgiving. If you drop a mug on a tiled floor, it will smash into a hundred pieces. If you drop a heavy cast-iron pan, you might crack the tile itself — and replacing a single cracked tile in the middle of a finished kitchen is a nightmare job.
You also have to think about grout. Light-coloured grout on a kitchen floor will look dirty within six months, no matter how much you scrub it. Always choose a darker grout for a kitchen floor.
The Cost: The tiles themselves are relatively cheap (usually £15 to £30 per m² for ceramic, or £20 to £40 for porcelain). But the labour is expensive. A good tiler will charge between £150 and £250 a day, and they will need a perfectly level subfloor. Expect to pay around £360 to £800 total for a typical 14m² kitchen.
2. Luxury Vinyl Tile / LVT (The Modern Workhorse)
LVT (brands like Amtico or Karndean) has completely taken over the UK kitchen market in the last five years, and for good reason. It looks exactly like wood or stone, but it is 100% waterproof, warm underfoot, and much more forgiving if you drop a plate.
The Reality Check: LVT is brilliant, but it is only as good as the floor underneath it.
If you try to lay LVT over an uneven floor, the planks will unclick, snap, or show every single lump and bump through the surface. You cannot cut corners on the preparation. Your fitter will almost certainly need to put down a layer of self-levelling screed or flooring-grade plywood before they even open a box of LVT.
The Cost: The material itself costs between £20 and £45 per m². But because of the intense subfloor preparation required, the installation costs are higher than standard laminate. A typical 14m² kitchen will cost between £430 and £620 supplied and fitted.
3. Laminate Flooring (The Budget Option)
Laminate is the cheapest way to get a wood-effect floor in your kitchen. It is easy to lay, cheap to buy, and can be fitted by a competent DIYer or a joiner in a single day.
The Reality Check: Standard laminate and water do not mix.
Kitchens are wet environments. Washing machines leak, dogs spill their water bowls, and mops leave puddles. If water gets into the joints of standard laminate, the MDF core will swell up like a sponge, the edges will peel, and the floor is ruined. You cannot repair it; you have to rip it up and start again.
If you are going to use laminate in a kitchen, you must buy a specific water-resistant or waterproof range (like Quick-Step Impressive). It costs slightly more, but it is the only way to ensure the floor survives the reality of family life.
The Cost: This is where laminate wins. The material costs between £10 and £30 per m², and because it is a “floating” floor that clicks together, it is very fast to lay. A typical 14m² kitchen will cost between £450 and £855 supplied and fitted, making it the most cost-effective option.
The SJB Verdict
If budget allows, LVT is the best all-round kitchen flooring on the market today. It gives you the warmth and look of wood, with the waterproof practicality of a tile.
But whatever flooring you choose, remember the golden rule of kitchen fitting: always run your flooring under the cabinets.
Do not let a fitter lay the cabinets first and then cut the flooring in around the plinths. It traps your appliances (making it impossible to pull a dishwasher out for repair) and leaves vulnerable edges exposed to water. Lay the floor wall-to-wall first, then build the kitchen on top of it.
If you are planning a new kitchen in Greater Manchester and want some honest advice on how to make your budget stretch further, come and see us at our Oldham showroom. Bring your measurements, and we will show you exactly what is possible.
