Making the right choice with commercial kitchen flooring is critical. It must be safe, durable, economical, easy to clean and easy to install. With all these criteria in mind, plus the myriad of flooring products on the market today, it can quickly become a daunting task to find the perfect flooring solution for your commercial kitchen environment.
Vinyl flooring (or PVC flooring) is a popular flooring choice for commercial kitchens in 2021, due in part to cost-effectiveness and attractive appearance. Vinyl flooring consists of multiple layers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is available in the form of tiles, planks and sheets. The inherent resilience of vinyl makes it particularly well suited to commercial kitchen tile flooring environments and is available in a variety of patterns and styles, including realistic looking wood and carpet textures.
Ceramic tiles are also commonly found in commercial kitchens. Tiles are formed from clay fired in a kiln, which can be given a ceramic finish. Ceramic tiles are hard wearing, durable, easy to clean and require little upkeep. When used in commercial kitchens, ceramic is then treated with a molten glass glaze, protecting the surface from water, stains and wear and tear. Without this glazing, ceramic tiles can be brittle and can be more easily damaged in the high impact commercial kitchen environment. Manufacturers now produce glazed ceramic tiles with many different finishes, including wood graining. Should a tile be damaged, it can be repaired independently, meaning that there is minimal disruption to the kitchen.
When we contrast ceramic tiles with vinyl you can begin to appreciate why vinyl is becoming the favorite option for commercial kitchen floor tiles or sheet flooring. With a digital graphic film layer that is sealed as a base layer, vinyl flooring is long-lasting, heat resistant, water resistant and stain resistant. The top film layer can be printed with virtually any image, allowing vinyl tiles and sheet flooring to mimic natural materials such as stone.
Commercial kitchen floor tiles are highly durable and are being installed in a growing number of businesses across the country. This rise in popularity is in part due to its cost-effectiveness and low maintenance, but also because technological advancement has allowed for new production methods and finishing options. Now you can even purchase dedicated non-slip floor tiles for commercial kitchens to ensure that working environments are as extremely safe.
Commercial kitchen floor tiles are typically glued down to clean, dry, level, hard surfaces. This method helps to ensure minimal maintenance in the future.
When it comes to installation, the surface should first be rendered clean and free of dust and debris. The surface should register no more than 98% relative humidity (RH). Floor tiles should then be laid flat, with uneven joints and cracks in the substrate being repaired with an underlay or levelling compound.
Our kitchen flooring installation includes a cleaning kit with a hot water hose, foam gun, degreaser, deck brush and squeegee. Our floor cleaning manual contains all the details you need to properly use the products that come in the kit.
