Tile and Laminate: 2 Covers on One Floor (Kitchen)

Who hasn’t come across the word “choice” in renovation? If in the days of our parents and grandparents it was practically absent, then today the market is overflowing with a variety of materials. But creative personalities were always born who combined the most primitive, familiar things with each other, obtaining a unique result. Now even a combination of the incongruous is a trend.

The floor in the kitchen is subjected to serious tests: the daily presence of people in it, the hourly preparation of the festive table, spilled juices, broths, broken cups, plates... This is not the whole list of what the floor “sees” during life together with human. Hence a logical question follows: which floor covering is better? Despite the large number of options (parquet, linoleum, laminate, board, ceramics), we will focus on two of them - laminate and tiles.

Comparison of laminate and ceramic tiles on the kitchen floor

Figuring out what's best for your kitchen floor - tile or laminate - it is hardly possible to answer unequivocally, because each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, before approaching the issue of combining two floor coverings, consider their pros and cons separately.

Advantages of laminate

• Easy to install, so you can do the laminate flooring in the kitchen yourself.
• It keeps warm well, it is pleasant to walk with bare feet.
• Absorbs sound, so after accidentally dropping cutlery or other utensils on the floor, there will be no loud ringing.
• After dropping glass or porcelain onto the laminate, there is a chance that the dishes will not break.

Disadvantages of laminate

• After prolonged exposure to water, it loses its shape, swells, collapses. Since something is constantly spilling and splashing in the kitchen, laminate is not the best choice as a floor covering.
• The surface of the laminate is vulnerable to accidental mechanical damage, for example, if a knife falls with a point on the floor. The resulting chips cannot be removed, and the “wound” will become a place of accumulation of dirt and moisture, which will gradually lead to an unaesthetic appearance of the coating.
• Improper installation of laminate flooring can cause floors to squeak and “move” while walking. Also, skewing can occur under the influence of moisture and high temperatures.
• If heated floors are installed in the kitchen, the laminate heats up for a long time and “keeps” a lot of heat in itself, without giving it to the room. At the same time, for warm floors, it is better to purchase a laminate that is not afraid of high temperatures. This is indicated on the packaging using special icons. Otherwise, the laminate will deform when heated.
• Any laminate flooring evaporates some formaldehyde, so it is not considered environmentally friendly. If we turn to the composition of the laminate board, then we will see wood chips plus acrylic and melamine resins, most often phenol or vinyl. Among all this chemistry, only sawdust is a natural component.

Advantages of ceramic tiles

• Moisture resistance. The tile is not afraid of grease, water and other liquids - the material does not absorb moisture at all.
• Durability. Even after 10-20 years, the tile will not wear off, wear out, and will not lose its shape.
• Strength. The tile is able to withstand a powerful impact from falling heavy objects. However, it is not omnipotent - in the worst case, after a strong blow, cracks will appear.
• Environmentally friendly material. It can contain up to 20 natural components, among the main ones: clay and quartz sand.
• Not afraid of temperature changes, even if they occur constantly.
• Heats up quickly and gives off heat to the room, especially if the kitchen has a heated floor system.
• Does not absorb odors.

Disadvantages of ceramic tiles

• Dishes (plates, glasses) will break to smithereens after falling on the tiled floor. The chances for a fragile item to remain intact will be almost zero.
• Cold surface. Walking barefoot on such a floor without heating is unlikely to be comfortable and healthy.
• Relative fragility. Keep this in mind when transporting and installing. Falling tiles will result in its complete destruction or an unpleasant chip. Even after installation, a dropped heavy object (such as a hammer or large frying pan) can crack the tiles.
• Poor sound insulation. Any dropped object will be accompanied by a loud ringing sound.
• Smooth surface tiles are dangerous when installed in the kitchen. If water or fat accidentally gets on it, a person has a high chance of slipping and falling. It is better to choose textured matte floor tiles.

Why are two floor materials combined in the kitchen?

Why is repair done using different floor coverings - laminate and tiles?

• For visualization. The unusual transition from tile to laminate is a creative process. And thanks to the various geometric shapes of materials (rectangle, polyhedron, rhombus, square, etc.), surface texture (smooth, textured), pattern (stone, marble, complex patterns), you can create a unique kitchen, unlike any another. The variety of floor coverings allows them to be used on kitchens of different styles.

• For practicality. Kitchen floors during their entire operation have been exposed to a large amount of contamination (food, drinks, water), including chemical, as well as mechanical influences (dropped plates, pots, devices). At the same time, in the cooking area, near the sink or stove, cutting table, it is wiser to lay out ceramic tiles that are not afraid of moisture and high temperatures. At the same time, having dropped glass, porcelain and other objects, they will have no chance to survive after falling on the ceramic floor. The “meeting” with the laminate gives the mug a chance to remain intact.

• For functionality. Most often, the combination of laminate and tiles on the floor is performed for zoning large space - in studio apartments, combined kitchens with living room. However, this does not mean that both coatings cannot be applied on small kitchen. The main thing is to approach the issue responsibly and wisely.

However, such combinations of floor coverings do not always satisfy the owner. Here it is necessary to take into account some of the difficulties that may be encountered even before the start of the repair:

• Tile and laminate in the kitchen should be combined with each other, echoing the overall style of the kitchen (if present). Even if the emphasis is on the kitchen floor without regard to the style of the kitchen unit and other interior, the two coatings should not be “on their own”.
• But the combination "tile-laminate" may not be combined at all if they are integral parts of different areas of the room. For example, a kitchen area in scandinavian style with ceramic tile floors, and a living area in classic style - with laminate.
• The transition from ceramic to laminate must be “perfect”. Various materials are used for the joint of materials. And now about this in more detail.

Joint between tile and laminate

A porch is not always the right decision, especially if the transition from tile to laminate will be located in the center of the kitchen. In this case, the more inconspicuous and smoother the joint, the better. Even in the process of choosing and buying materials for the kitchen floor, it is necessary to understand that they are produced in different thicknesses, while the methods of laying them are also different. As a result, after installation, the laminate may be lower than the tile or vice versa. Such a difference in height is difficult to eliminate.

It is also worth remembering the properties of the laminate, which over time, especially under the influence of humidity and temperature differences, increases in size. There should be a small gap between the tile and the laminate.

Since laminate flooring absorbs moisture, tiles should be the first to install!

However, for various reasons, work can start with a laminate. In this case, it is recommended to apply a sealant to the edge of the laminate that will come into contact with the tiles.

The most aesthetic joint between tiles and laminates. Video

Human imagination is limitless, so straight lines have not attracted us for a long time. The appearance on the market of multifaceted ceramic tiles forces craftsmen to come up with methods for cutting laminate and tiles in order to connect them on the floor as accurately as possible. It is from the transition lines (straight, arcuate, stepped) that the cost of the master's services will depend (if you do not lay the floors yourself) and the duration of the work.
So, what materials can be used to cover the butt joint?

Grout for joints

To begin with, we will do without a nut and other connecting materials. In this case, the level of the tile and laminate must be the same. In this case, the gap between them should also be minimal, not differ from other joints. To fill the space between tiles, tiles and laminate flooring, a classic inter-joint grout is used.

Cork sealant

Cork sealant can be placed in the same row as grouting. Their main difference is their composition. If the grout is a combination of a dry mixture based on cement, mineral fillers with the addition of chemical elements, then the cork sealant contains, in fact, a sealant and a cork crumb. Once dry, the cork joint will be elastic, unlike grouting. The natural color of the cork sealant is the shade of oak bark (light brown). However, it has a wide range of colors. At the request of the customer, the manufacturer will provide any color.

Porozhek

Installing the nut is still one of the common methods of masking the transition of one material into another in the case of a slight difference in flooring in height, inaccurate tile chipping, uneven cutting of the laminate and etc. At the same time, the manufacturer recommends installing it with a difference in the heights of the tile and laminate of no more than 1 cm.

When zoning a space, when it is necessary to enhance visual perception, sills will come in handy. A clear separation of one zone from another is what you need. The main drawback of the nut is difficulties with cleaning the kitchen, because small crumbs, dust and other debris will constantly be hammered into it. Also, hesitation about the bulge will not be uncommon.

There are several varieties of sills. The most popular ones are:

• Aluminum nut. It can vary in height, shape (flat, convex), color, texture. Since this metal nut cannot bend, it is used for straight joints. The material is fastened using self-tapping screws or self-adhesive parts.

• Self-adhesive nut. On the reverse side of such sills, a layer of glue is applied, located under the protective paper strip. Installation of the nut is easy to do yourself. In this case, it is recommended to gradually peel off the protective paper and stick the sill on the floor. In this case, the installation takes place under great control and ease of installation of the material.

• Flexible sill made of PVC (plastic). It is used for a joint of any shape. Depending on the situation, a flexible sill can connect multi-level and single-level floor coverings - the manufacturer produces two types of them. The recommended height difference of the coatings is no more than 0.9 cm.

• Flexible metal profile (aluminum, brass, stainless steel). Used for straight or curved joints, available in any color. Metal sills are durable and durable. The color scheme is varied: under bronze, gold, silver, and to imitate the material under natural wood, the nut is covered with a special laminated film.

• Wood nut. Most often used at the joints of parquet, but can be used when joining laminate and tiles. You will have to pay well for the naturalness of the product, as well as a significant drawback of this nut - swelling after regular contact with water, because no one is wet cleaning and accidentally spilled liquid canceled. In addition, the manufacturer recommends to properly care for the tree - varnish, wax.

• Cork nut (or cork expansion joint). The use of a cork nut is also a common way of joining two floor coverings. A thin strip of cork is used both in simple cases (straight transitions) and in more complex, curved joints of laminate and tile. In this case, the height of both coverings must be the same. Often the main difficulty is the length of the expansion joint, which may not be enough for a long joint. After all, everyone knows: the shortest distance is in a straight line.
  The use of two expansion joints "in a joint" is not always visually aesthetic, so you should immediately purchase or order a nut of the required size. The cork nut has good shock absorption and is resistant to deformation.

Designers recommendations

Each person is his own designer, but we will consider the advice of the masters of their craft, because they are faced with repairs every day.

• If the difference between the tile and the laminate cannot be avoided, you can think about erecting in your kitchen podium. The technique has its pros and cons, so you cannot insist on this option. The obvious disadvantage of the podium is its step, which in some cases can be quite high. Constant ups and downs from the podium is, on the one hand, a pleasant physical activity, on the other hand, a test for the leg muscles, especially for owners who are aged or with temporary health problems. An awkward dismount from a step sometimes even leads to various fractures. Be careful.
• Do not use bright tiles and laminate flooring at the same time. Flashy colors or contrasting patterns will interrupt each other. It is recommended to emphasize one thing - tile or laminate.
• In small kitchens, it is better to use light-colored flooring. it visually make the room more spacious. At the same time, tiles with a large number of complex, large patterns or geometric shapes will additionally load an already small area of ​​the room. Therefore, it is necessary to work especially carefully with such material.
• If you doubt that a combined laminate and tile floor is aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, then you can use a trick. Manufacturers create a laminate with a tile pattern that really will not visually differ from it. Conversely, laminate tiles also exist. In this case, laying such a tile, for example, a herringbone, will look exactly like a laminate. As a result, the right choice of flooring material for the kitchen and the way it is laid can solve most of the issues.

The combination of laminate and tiles on the kitchen floor can be quite varied. Moreover, the more difficult the transition from one to the other, the more interesting the result will be. The butt seam will depend on this: straight, curved, stepped.
Imagine! And remember: nothing is impossible!