High quality vinyl is terrific in my book. We just installed Mannington Naturals #17222 in our large mudroom/entryway/laundry and the adjacent bathroom right off our kitchen (that has existing fir flooring). Everyone who sees is comments on our wonderful rustic tile! It's practical, hides the dirt, handles the wet and didn't break the bank. We did all those areas in one continuous piece. Love it!
[My house is in rural New England]

We put a very nice Armstrong vinyl sheet flooring in our dd's bathroom. It is very low gloss and quite hardy. However, ours has no "grout" lines and doesn't look like tile.We bought it from Lowes when the special order flooring was 20% off and dh installed himself, so it was very economical- even though it was one of their "best" rated floors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our vinyl flooring

We put in a good vinyl floor 18 years ago in the entry that comes into the kitchen from our garage. We run a market garden business from our home, and this entry takes daily heavy traffic with dirt, mud, and even pebbles. The floor looks as good today as it did when it was put in and all I do is clean it with a rag and water.

I have never regretted our choice for a second. It is easy and looks great.

THANK YOU, everyone, for your feedback. I appreciate it.

If we go with vinyl, I will definitely get a high quality product. I know that makes a vast difference.

Does anyone have any photos to share of their beautiful kitchens with vinyl flooring?

Thanks again!

My old house had Amtico vinyl flooring. They were little brick sized tiles laid in a herringbone pattern. They have got to be 20+ years old and they look great! Armstrong makes a great product called Shinekeeper that I used to get them looking showroom new.

I have hardwood in my kitchen now, and love it. I also did not want ceramic tile - even though I love it - because I am prone to dropping things. The wood adds great warmth to the kitchen - but a really good vinyl tile will do the same.

I wouldn't go with a sheet vinyl, though. It would be hard to replace just a section if something were to damage it.
Good luck

We put down a high-end vinyl last year throughout our down stairs, except for the family room which has carpet. We replaced carpet in the dining room with wood laminte and will be doing the same with the living room.

I can't tell you how much I love this vinyl. It's a neutral slate look and everyone thinks it's real tile. We get alot of compliements on our "tile" floor. Some people actually touch the floor to ensure I'm not fibbing when I tell them it's vinyl.

We use our garage door 98% of the time to enter the house and that area, like yours, gets alot of use. I have a rug down in front of the door to catch dirt as much as possible, but that area still gets the most abusive.

Our vinyl is so easy to clean, looks great with our new cabs and granite. My DH wanted tile, but I was against it. It's cold, hard of the feet, and cleaning it is a bear, quite contrary to our vinyl. Since our vinyl has been down, he's quite pleased with it.

Go with your gut and what feels right for your household and yourself. I did (even after many people said not to get vinyl), and the outcome is perfect for us. If you go with a neutral, it'll last for years to come and still be in style.

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I forgot to mention that our vinyl is sheeting, NOT individual tiles. We replaced single vinyl tiles with sheeting and I'll NEVER get singles again. Hate that stuff.

Our entire kitchen remodel was DIY except for the floor and granite installation.

If your vinyl floor is installed properly, you shouldn't have issues with it.

Here's another pic.

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Debi, thanks for the photos! WOW, beautiful floor!

If I go with vinyl, I will definitely go with sheeted vinyl rather than individual tiles. The idea (with the vinyl) is to avoid potential cracks and crevices for water/moisture to eventually work its way down into!

IF I decide to go with individual tiles, then I would most likely get the Duraceramic tiles. I love the look of those.

BUT... I really am leaning towards a vinyl. Hope to see more pictures!!! ;o)

Debi's flooring was my inspiration. We went with Armstrong Natural Fushions X3010. It has a texture, easy to clean, great on the feet, and has fooled many people who thought it was tile. I'm definately happy we went with sheet vinyl.

Natesgramma, Thanks for the photo. Lovely floor!

Wow, I LOVE seeing these sheet vinyl floors in photos.

Why do so many people discourage the use of sheet vinyl in kitchens, anyway???!!!

Thanks,
Lynn

Debi,
What is the style and color of your floor.... beautiful!

I'll also be bucking the trend and going with a new vinyl floor this year for my ktichen, laundry, rear entry dining room. The rest of the floors are pine and I don't want to deal with the grout issues of tile.

We did vinyl here for the same exact reason - we have the basement door and an exit door which leads to a driveway. We have original hardwood in the rest of the house and I wanted a seperation. But, I got cheap vinyl and taped it down so I can replace it anytime I want to for a new look and not feel guilty - ok, the real truth was I couldn't decide, this looks nice so it stays as I needed something at the time and sick fo the plywood (we were DIY). A year later, I love the vinyl as it is easy to clean and care for and would do it again. I hate grout as I don't like to clean (but do keep the kitchen clean) so I refused to do tile and I didn't want hardwood...vinyl works.

Oh, I didn't read all the other responses but depending on what is under your old floor if you have to replace your subfloor, use plywood and not luan - luan is a form of paperboard - spend the extra money and get a better subfloor.

pcjs,
Thanks for the head's up. DH has already replaced the subfloor with plywood, so we are good to go, whatever we decide!

Our back door opens to a small (3' x 4' landing) with the basement steps going straight down, and two steps going up into the kitchen. That landing and those steps get used literally dozens of times a day... some days, I swear hundreds!!! I really think I need to be practical and get flooring that can stand up to the *challenge*!!! (And perhaps save my sanity in the meantime?!) haha!

Lynn

Lynn, We tried to save ours - ok, husband did, I wanted to replace it all - it was pretty funny what he did - he belt sanded it and well.. someone came to buy the dishwasher and said to replace it, so we did and we did a 1/2 inch plywood and then a 1/4 furniture grade but we have a tiny kitchen - so, we just screwed them down with deck screws so they will not rust and covered the holes and gaps with the floor leveler. Then we made a template out of the brown paint paper, cut, taped down and trimed out... all done. :) We probably should have glued down the boards to the floor joists as they make a few noises but oops and we didn't want it that permanent in case we have a flood or something. (Plus, as many screws as I used, it isn't going anywhere). I did 99% of the floor myself except lifting the plywood and trim (husband), so it is a really easy job.

Our never to be finished kitchen:

I never had a problem with cracks and crevices or moisture in my individual tiles. Maybe the install was just so well done, but they are so perfect ...
I did have to replace one that had a nasty scorch mark on it. It was very easy to do. Had it been sheet vinyl, I would have been out of luck!

Not really, chefnewbie. We had sheet vinyl in our kitchen when I was growing up. There were at least two times that my Dad had to patch the floor (once because he was installing a new fridge and made a big gash and one other time from a burn). It's just about as simple as replacing one tile.

I chose to do hardwoods in our kitchen (they will eventually be in most of the house but we're starting here) because 1) I wanted a natural material to match my stained wood cabs and granite counters. 2) Wood can be refinished if we ever decide to change colors. 3) I just love the look and feel of wood.

That's me and what works for my life, though.

pcjs, luaun is not a form of paperboard (you may be thinking of masonite). Luaun is actually very thin plywood and is a very good surface to put down under vinyl flooring because it is so smooth.

I think high grade vinyl is a great floor for high traffic or wet areas. Even though the rest of my house is hardwood, I'll use vinyl in the sunroom.

My friend is a flooring installer and he said that it is surprisingly easy to repair a section of a vinyl floor. Just cut out and glue down a "patch", is how I *think* he explained it.

BTW, please keep those opinions and input (and photos!) a'comin' !!! ;o)

Thanks,
Lynn

tiskers - that's exactly what my Dad did. The trickiest part was cutting out a piece for the patch that would blend in. IIRC, there was even a product he used to seal the edges.

I have Amtico vinyl wood looking planks in my kitchen. Vinyl has a bad rap because cheap vinyl doesn't hold up well. My floor is almost 5 years old and it doesn't have a single nick or tear in it. It is also very easy to clean. I never have to worry about water and it's soft and comfortable to stand on.

We had a top of the line Tarkett vinyl floor in our old house, was made to *look like* ceramic tile; even had "textured" "grout" lines. I always loved that floor!

I thought maybe I should go a bit more "upscale" ;o) in my new (to us) house and new kitchen... but... it looks like maybe a great vinyl CAN be "upscale"!

Thanks again, everyone!

Lynn

What ever Luan was it looked like junk to us and looked like it wouldn't last so we opted for 1/4 nice smooth plywood for our top layer. It is what is recommended, but it looked like it wouldn't last at all. For a little more money, we wanted real plywood.

My Mom just put in a Tarkett Fibrefloor in her new kitchen and she is really happy with it:

She wanted something very easy to keep so it had be laid in one piece and she didn't want the embossing that is used on a lot of product that replicates tile and wood now so she went with an overall pattern. She also wanted something soft (hers' is laid over concrete slab) and matte that didn't require any maintenance. I don't really care about the practical but I really do like the look of it, hers' doesn't get mistaken for anything else but many of her friends and neighbours have been very surprised by how nice it looks. The HD installer who has seen it all was quite taken with it (though he didn't like the loose lay installation).

This is an Amtico floor, Norwegian Silver Slate if I'm remembering correctly. Individual tiles, plus the "grout" which comes in strips (you can get the grout in different widths and colors, or skip it altogether). It's a very tough floor and practically maintenance free. My flooring needs were pretty basic: it had to be warm and comfortable to stand on, and easy to care for (emphasis on the latter!). Cork and linoleum were contenders, but Amtico had the look I wanted. Go vinyl!

We're getting ready to tear up my kitchen vinyl floor, and I'm going to miss it. We're going with crossville color blox ceramic tile, so it will be a nice change.

I have no idea why people here don't use vinyl anymore, maybe because of all the new flooring out there? What I do know is it's pretty, it comes in many colors and it's easy on the feet. Most of the new floors in homes these days are all the same color.

I'm really big with color on the floor though, so I'd get a vinyl with some diamonds in it or something to give color. Kitchen floors are the best place to add color to a home!

I'm doing a rust and dark cream checkerboard pattern, 12" x 12" squares, and I cannot wait! Had I not found the crossville, I was going to do vinyl again.

My Mom's floor was purchased through Centura Floor and Wall Fashions who are a distributor and retailer. My experience with them is excellent, they really only carry quality product (in a variety of price points) and I was looking at displays the other day and they sell Amtico which is a ringing endorsement in my opinion.

frankoma, great looking floor.

GBSIM:
Our floor is a Mannington product though you wouldn't know it because that name is not on any materials in the store or website. It's a StainMaster Resilient Floor. The samples on their website don't do it justice. You can get this at various flooring store; mine came from Flooring America.

Here is a link that might be useful: StainMaster Vinyl

Count me in--we installed high end mannington sheet vinyl (Soccorro Slate pattern in "fieldstone" color) WE LOVE IT!
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Oh! More photos!!! Thanks everyone, those are some KILLER floors. I am getting LOTS of ideas, thank you all!

When the time comes to shop for flooring, I will be readt and well prepared to *give vinyl a [fighting] chance* !!! ;o)

More pictures, anyone?!

Just wanted to mention that another benefit of vinyl (or hardwood) over real tile is it's easier on your legs and back if you're on your feet a long time while you're cooking!

Whatever you do, don't get vinyl like this:

Note that even Nova disapproves. Living with this (awful peel and stick that was full of gaps) is a part of why I didn't want anythign like vinyl this time around.

We have the Metroflor vinyl tiles in a slate look in our kitchen, that we installed in 2003 and love. Looks great against the surrounding oak flooring.

One of the biggest advantages of sheet vinyl is that you don't need to level the subfloor. Our subfloor in our master bedroom is wildly uneven. When I went to the flooring store to just casually look at what's available in sheet vinyl, there was one that really caught my eye. Since we're not ready to change out our W2W yet, I didn't write down the name of it, but it's a random pattern/texture that looks very much like a colored concrete floor! I did note that it was an Armstrong Solarian. Really liked it and it is a strong contender when we finally redo the master bdrm.

I love seeing all the beautiful vinyl in this thread! When I was starting to plan my new kitchen, I wasn't sure what kind of floor I wanted. We'd had cheap sheet vinyl when I was a kid, and it looked awful, always curling up at the ends. (I think my mom didn't want it glued down - not sure why.) But I was still willing to consider vinyl since I liked its easy-care properties. I also read good things about linoleum in Consumer Reports.

But every contractor who came to bid on my job said I should get tile. Every single one (and I interviewed about six of them)! They just thought vinyl wasn't up to the standards of the rest of what I wanted to do in my kitchen - the stone countertops, the tile backsplash. (Though I wasn't quite up to SS appliances yet - I was still talking about keeping my old white refrigerator.)

They convinced me. And I'm not sorry - I like the tile I got - but it *is* hard to stand on. (I don't think I really understood what that meant till I actually stood on it!) And I think some of the better vinyls would have looked really good too.

So if you want vinyl, go for it! You all rock! :-)

I have vinyl in two bathrooms. LOVE IT. Soooo, I campaigned heavily for it in our new kitchen. Husband thought it was to downscale. I have beautiful hardwood, but they require baby-ing. Can't mop them, have to wipe spills up immediately et cetera. Not only that, but they already have scratches.
I love my new floors, BUT if you can find a vinyl that you like, I'd say go for it. The newer vinyls are a dream to clean. Unless you think it is likely that they will get gouged by ordinary abuse, I encourage you to go for it and enjoy the time you'll save from not having a high-maintenance floor.

I love my vinyl floor so I wanted to post some pictures but it's exactly the same as natesgramma has! People do get it confused with real tile except it's so much easier to take care of and inexpensive. Don't be afraid of it, just make sure the vinyl you get is a good quality and you like the pattern :)

For those of you with vinyl...what type of kitchen rugs are you using and where did you get them? I hear that some backings make the floor discolor and I don't want to mess it up.

Petra, what a coincadink! Please post pics in your space.

We used IVC Flexitec cushioned vinyl in our bathroom and in our upstairs loft area/bedroom. It was really easy to DIY and looks great. A lot of people have been fooled by it. It's easy to take care of, as well, and is holding up well to all our traffic! They have a pretty decent selection of colors and patterns.

This might not be the best picture but...

I use latex-backed rugs all the time in my kitchen atop our Metroflor vinyl tiles. No problems in 20 years. They're runners from JCPenney.

Don't ever use rubber-backed rugs indoors, however. They trap moisture!

Also, vinyl flooring is not UV resistant. If you have a high UV factor in a room, expect discoloration except for where the rugs are.

Yes, jkom51 is absolutely right... it is RUBBER BACKED rugs that can ruin a floor... not latex-backed. My bad, so sorry!!! (And I don't even know if you can get rubber backed rugs any more, anyway? Anyone know?)

Good reminder about the UV factor. We had a clear UV film professionally installed on all our windows when we moved in, I love that... no need to worry about floors, furniture, quilts, etc., getting faded.

Rubber backed rugs are common for outdoor use, so yes, they are sold in many places. Entryway rugs are commonly rubber-backed, and should only be used on flooring such as tile or sheet vinyl. Oddly, even concrete isn't a good idea with rubber-backed rugs, because concrete can wick water, thus trapping it against a rubber backing and creating mold conditions.

I was told by the floor store NOT to use latex backed rugs, so I don't. After awhile, they will leave a discoloration on the vinyl that won't come up.

I just use whatever coordinates with my kitchen that has no backing. It's difficult to find nice ones though. Ours move a bit, but that's to be expected. They're not heavy in weight.