Is Rubber Flooring Good For Kitchens?

The kitchen is one of the most vital pillars of a home. It is where you prepare food for yourself or to entertain guests, store groceries, as well as wash up after eating is done. This means that whatever material the kitchen floor is made of needs to not only possess operational properties such as heat-resistance and impermeability, but also be stylish.

In today’s construction market, there are many options for kitchen flooring that offer these properties, from vinyl to ceramic tiles. However, another material, rubber, is proving to be a viable choice in kitchen floors. Let’s now see whether rubber flooring stacks up as a good choice of flooring in kitchens.

What Type of Floor Is Best for Kitchens?

Not all kitchens are made the same. In order to determine the right flooring for your kitchen, you first need to gauge how often you use the kitchen. 

For example, a kitchen in a busy restaurant may require a hardy floor that can handle the heavy equipment as well as high foot traffic. On the other hand, the kitchen of a studio apartment will be subjected to less demand, and therefore may be better off with flooring that is more attractive than hardy.

Qualities of a Good Kitchen Floor

In order to accurately judge how good rubber is as kitchen flooring, we first need to take a look at the general qualities that a proper kitchen floor should have.

A good kitchen floor should be:

1. Fire retardant

According to the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Home Structure Fires 2019 Report, cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires, accounting for 48% of all reported residential fires.

The kitchen is the part of the house where fires are started every day. It is only right that the floor be made of material that does not spread fire quickly, such as raw wood.

2. Resistant to insects and microbes

Build it and they will come – Wherever you build your kitchen and pantry, insects and other critters are bound to appear at your door, trying to get a piece of your food. When you have flooring that’s easily burrowed into, insects can easily hide and come out when no one is around. Flooring that has deep seams can also trap food particles that attract bacteria and insects, making your kitchen unsanitary. 

The perfect floating for a kitchen would be something inorganic and seamless that insects can’t build their homes in. 

3. Durable

Kitchen floors take a lot of beating, from spills of hot liquids, to heavy foot traffic and sometimes water floods. Ideally, you want kitchen flooring that can withstand such conditions and still last for many years. 

Part of durability is proper installation. Poor installation can cause problems such as chips, cracks, and tears in even the best flooring.

4. Easy to clean

Whether it is cooking oil, a whole pot of food, sticky stuff like honey, or just water, any spill in the kitchen should be easy to clean with the appropriate flooring. 

Even if it’s not just one wipe, it shouldn’t take you hours to get rid of a stain or spill. 

5. Visually appealing

The kitchen is a room you will likely visit every day that you live in your home. If you’re an entertainer, your guests are also going to want to see what’s cooking. Finding the right balance between flooring that is functional but still attractive is crucial. 

6. Impermeable

It is important for your kitchen flooring to be impermeable for two reasons. One, it prevents the underfloor of your house from being damaged by liquids. Secondly, it prevents mold from forming in and under the flooring. Preventing mold growth is important because it is invisible and you might end up inhaling it, causing you health issues.

7. Anti-slip

While in the kitchen, you are going to be handling hot food or liquid, as well as precious crockery. To prevent injury, wasted food, and broken dishes, your kitchen floor should have a good grip to prevent slips.

Can You Use Rubber Flooring in a Kitchen?

Rubber is a great option for kitchen flooring due to it being affordable, comfortable, water resistant, and long-lasting. It is a material that is high-performing but still easy on the eyes.

Pros and Cons of Rubber Flooring in a Basement

Pros:

It come in many styles

Rubber flooring is available in various shapes, sizes and colors that can fit into any interior design theme. You can use interlocking rubber tiles, or cut rubber rolls to the dimensions of your kitchen. Rubber flooring is also available in different thickness and density, depending on the feel you are looking for.

Moisture-resistant

Rubber flooring does not absorb liquid, meaning you won’t have to worry about mold, rot, or any kind of fungus developing in your kitchen.

Long-lasting

Rubber flooring is made strong to last long. It has the ability to accommodate heavy loads and large impacts without denting, tearing, or cracking easily. 

Sustainable

Generally, rubber flooring is more environmentally-friendly than other flooring options. This is because as opposed to synthetic flooring like vinyl, natural rubber comes from a renewable source – trees. 

While some of the rubber used to make flooring is synthetic (artificial), mixing it with reclaimed rubber from old tires makes it still relatively sustainable.

Microbe and insect-resistant

Rubber is resistant to insects, bacteria, and other microbes that tend to lurk in kitchens. Organic material like soft wood would be affected by fungi and termites over time.

Cons:

It is not seamless

Rubber flooring mats and rolls can have seams in between that trap dirt and grime. The good thing however is that due to the elasticity of rubber, the rubber flooring pressed against each other to make the seams almost unnoticeable.

Bulky

Rubber flooring, due to its high density, is fairly heavy and therefore can pose a challenge during installation.

Initial strong smell

Before the rubber surface becomes weathered, it emits a rubbery smell. Fortunately, it goes away after a short period.

How Do You Install Rubber Flooring in a Kitchen?

Rubber flooring is available in a few different forms for which installation is almost the same. 

Due to the irregular shape of a kitchen floor, installation of rubber flooring is not as straightforward as it would be on the plain rectangular floor of say, a bedroom. What’s important during installation of rubber flooring in the kitchen is to place the rubber as tightly as possible in order to avoid large seams. 

• Installing interlocking rubber tiles

With rubber tiles, all you need to do is clean and smooth out the subfloor, then lay the tiles while locking them together. Use a cutter to fit the tiles into irregular edges. 

• Installing rubber mats

Rubber mats come as large square or rectangular flooring pieces. To install them you need to measure and cut them to fit the area of the kitchen. Make sure to fit them snugly to avoid large seams.

• Installing rubber rolls 

Rubber rolls are basically the bigger version of the mats. They may not be suitable for residential kitchen flooring due to their bulkiness and length. 

Get premium rubber flooring for your kitchen

Ready to line your kitchen with a durable, affordable and good looking rubber floor? Rubcorp offers you the best rubber surfacing solutions, from premium EPDM to top-of-the-line resins. 

Get in touch today to learn more or place an order.