A durable and practical floor is essential for the function of any commercial facility, and it is especially crucial for a kitchen. With a high concentration of foot traffic and regular exposure to dangerous temperatures, the kitchen can be a hazardous place. The material you choose for your commercial kitchen flooring can ultimately make or break the success of your business.
What viable options are available to those looking to construct or renovate their commercial kitchen flooring? And more importantly, why choose one material over another?
Our Favorite Options for Commercial Kitchen Flooring
As a custom builder with vast experience in kitchen construction, VPC Builders knows that choosing the right flooring is crucial for creating a safe, hygienic, and long-lasting workspace. The first step is to examine your options so that you can make an informed decision.
Here are some of our favorites:
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is one of many popular flooring options for commercial kitchens due to its durability, water resistance, and ease of maintenance. The tiles are made from mixed clay and fired at high temperatures, making them extremely durable and able to withstand heavy foot traffic, moving equipment, and regular impact. They’re also naturally heat-resistant and water-resistant, making them ideal for areas like kitchens, where hot equipment and spills are common.
Ceramic tile flooring is typically easy to clean and maintain, requiring little more than a damp mop and a mild cleaning solution. Best of all, the tiles come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and sizes, providing aesthetic options for your commercial kitchen flooring.
Quarry Tile
Quarry tile is another excellent option for commercial kitchen flooring, as it offers many of the same benefits as ceramic. However, unlike ceramic tiles, quarry tiles are made from natural, less refined clay that is extruded and cut to size before firing. They are typically available in earthy tones like red, brown, and gray, and have a rough texture that provides natural slip-resistance.
Quarry tiles are often more durable than ceramic tiles due to their thicker and denser composition. They’re also less expensive than the ceramic alternative, making them a more cost-effective option for commercial kitchen flooring. The warm tones this material offers make for an excellent rustic aesthetic in any kitchen.
Vinyl Flooring
Unlike the previous two materials, vinyl flooring is entirely synthetic, made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) resin and other similar materials. For that reason, vinyl flooring is available in a much wider range of colors and patterns, making it an extremely versatile option for commercial kitchen flooring. Like ceramic and quarry tile, vinyl is also water-resistant and generally easy to clean and maintain.
Vinyl flooring is also slightly cushioned, providing a more comfortable environment for cooks who tend to be on their feet all day. It’s durable enough to withstand the foot traffic common to commercial kitchens.
However, vinyl tiles are not quite as durable as ceramic or quarry tiles, meaning they may need to be replaced on occasion. They are also marginally less heat-resistant, and may not be optimal for all situations.
Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy is a type of resin-based material applied in layers to create a durable and seamless surface for commercial kitchen flooring. It’s highly durable and more resistant to impact, chemicals, stains, and abrasion than most flooring alternatives. Like most materials, it can be finished with a slip-resistant surface layer for added safety.
Like its competition, epoxy is easy to maintain. It’s also one of the more heat-resistant options, making it ideal for use around cooking equipment. It comes in a wide variety of color options, although it lacks the potential for pattern work that may be available with tile.
Epoxy flooring can also be more expensive than other commercial kitchen flooring options, and will require professional installation.
Concrete Flooring
As far as commercial kitchen flooring materials go, concrete is effective, low-maintenance, and about as durable as it gets. Concrete is made from a mixture of cement, sand, and water, and can be finished with a variety of textures and colors.
Compared to other common materials, it’s extremely durable and able to take a serious beating without much wear and tear.
Like the other options, concrete flooring is water-resistant and generally slip-resistant, making it a safer option for kitchens with lots of spillage. It’s fairly easy to maintain — after all, it is just concrete — and won’t require too much work to keep clean. As a flooring option, concrete can often be customized with different finishes and colors, giving it the added benefit of aesthetic versatility.
Find Your Ideal Commercial Kitchen Flooring Today
With all of the excellent commercial kitchen flooring options available to you, it can be a tough decision to land on just one material. Still, an informed decision is far preferable to a guess.
If you’re in need of advice or assistance for your commercial kitchen flooring, remodeling, or renovation, you’ve come to the right place! VPC Builders has years of experience with building state-of-the-art kitchen facilities, and we have the expertise to ensure your new custom kitchen is a well-earned success.
Want to discover your ideal commercial kitchen flooring?
Contact VPC Builders today.