Hi, i really want to change my kitchen flooring. My husband laid the original floor 7 yrs ago and he put carpet tiles down (dark blue and grey) and to be perfectly honest they are RANK!
They are impossible to clean and have loads of spots and stains.
I just want to rip up the whole thing. He wanted carpet tiles as it means if you drop something it usually does not smash.
Also he hates hard tiles as they are cold and destructive to objects and kids!
My friend's two boys both lost their teeth falling on her kitchen floor and they had flagstones.
What would be the best, most hygenic and child friendly floor covering.
Also it needs to be easy for a not-so DIY expert to fit!:laughing:

sorry i've got 100 yr old quarry tiles and they are blooming cold and vary hard to keep clean and lethal if you drop anything but i really love them and they are one of the reasons we bought the house
that and the hundred yr old tessalated tiles in the hall that are just beautiful

hi we have laminate flooring in the kitchen and hall. But beware cos it can be slippy. My kids and mindees are supposed to wear slippers. But they love nothing more than skidding on their knees a la peter kay style!! xx:)

I put down laminate flooring ... all the areas I most use for minding are laminate now.

it's click stuff... wasn't too difficult to put down but if you're not sure you can get someone in to do it for you :D

a lino (similar to what hospitals have) all glued too no way can it come up (counil refurb job- so who knows lol)

I have laminate in the house but terracotta tiles in the kitchen. If hubby is worried about the coldness then put under floor heating down. Well work it

I have tiles yes they are a bit cold if we play on the kitchen floor (like sand tray on floor) i put down my foam mats. Tiles clean up well i do make sure kids are carefull if they come in when its wet outside can be a bit slipery just need to aware of this.

Angela

I have hard tiles. They look nice but I constantly worry for the safety of my 11 month old mindee as he's wobbly on his feet and often puts a hand down wrong when crawling causing him to stumble forward and bang his head. Unfortunately my kitchen is situated between my lounge and playroom so the children constantly need to pass through it.

I have wooden laminate...was here when we moved...so far I have no complaints!

I have stone tiles, yes if you drop something on it it always smashes but it looks lovely and is easy to clean.

If i have babies that crawl and i am at all worried i just stick a stairgate across it,

Mines laminate too. not had any problems yet.:)

Stone tiles... beautiful and easy to keep clean.

Stone tiles - cold but very durable and easy to clean

I have tiles and just make sure the stairgate is always shut.

Tiles are so easy to clean, although don't drop anything on them :eek:

Hubby dropped a wine bottle and chipped a tile

I dropped a knife and broke the knife

Carol xx

Laminate:) Easy to clean:)

If i have babies that crawl and i am at all worried i just stick a stairgate across it,
That's what I wanted to do but the doorway from my kitchen into the playroom (conservatory) is too narrow for even the narrowest starigate (I've searched all over) and the doorway from the kitchen into my lounge is too wide for the widest stairgate (I have a double-doorway opening). It's a bit of a nightmare. Needless to say I wasn't a childminder when I moved here so it wasn't a consideration back then.

I've got Khardean, not cold underfoot, easy to clean, non slip. Great. :thumbsup:

I've got the original solid mahogony wood floor in my kitchen. It is warm to walk on too.

Dirty tiles at the moment :blush:

Dirty tiles at the moment :blush:

Mine too, hubby can clean them though, I'm off shopping :clapping:

Carol xx

We had laminate down but ripped it up in June as the dishwasher and washing machine had both flooded over the last few years and the flooring warped.

Ive now got Rhino Cushion floor down which is warm underfoot and non slippy for the kids and easy to clean and wont warp if waters on it.

Its also quite cheap and easy to lay

Tiles with underfloor heating:clapping: Only because dh is very clever with his hands and laid the floor himself!! I love them and never had any problems

I have carpet tiles. If something really bad gets on them I just take that one up and scrub it and put in back in place.

Cx

I have vinyl that looks like slate tiles, its very soft underfoot and dosen't show a mark. Thats until we start christmas glittering and then theres a lovely sheen for weeks!!:laughing:



Sue x

Dirty tiles at the moment :blush:
Ditto :ROFL1:

re: stairgates

have u tried the kiddiguard saftey gate u can get it at mothercare its like a rollerblind can fit any size openings up to 130cm wide at the moment its reduced to £65 i have two of them in my house so at the weekend they roll back so they are less noticeable:laughing:

re: stairgates

have u tried the kiddiguard saftey gate u can get it at mothercare its like a rollerblind can fit any size openings up to 130cm wide at the moment its reduced to £65 i have two of them in my house so at the weekend they roll back so they are less noticeable:laughing:
Thanks for the tip :)

At the moment there's no way I could afford them but it's something to bear in mind should someone leave me a legacy :D

I have the click together stuff that looks like terracotta tiles. Bit hard on the knees, so I buy inexpensive rugs (or make them using carpet samples) which can be replaced when they get too mucky!!!!!!!!!!

I've got cream tiles at the moment and I hate them! Always seem to be mopping the floor and although the tiles come clean the grouting looks grubby, they're cold, couple of chips where things have been dropped on them and hubby laid them last year and they're not level in a couple of places! (Bless him, he's a fantastic chef but not a brilliant DIY bloke!).

I'm so fed up with them that I've persuaded hubby to let me get rid of them before I start childminding and we are going to lay a non-slip lino down - can't wait!

Carole x

I have tiles find them easy to clean but have to keep the kids and mindees away when their wet as they are lethal

Non slip laminate wood effect flooring.Durable and easy to clean.I bought my kiddigaurd stair gate from Tescos direct using tescos vouchers,brought the price down to £22.Got a second one from paper second hand for £25. They are really worth the money to separate rooms.

I have tiles and just make sure the stairgate is always shut.

Tiles are so easy to clean, although don't drop anything on them :eek:

Hubby dropped a wine bottle and chipped a tile

I dropped a knife and broke the knife

Carol xx

Sounds like us Carol hahaha

xx

I have got tiles and i find them really easy to keep clean and less slippy than the laminate i have in my lounge!!

Hope u decide soon and like ur choice x x

Tiles with underfloor heating:clapping: Only because dh is very clever with his hands and laid the floor himself!! I love them and never had any problems

My tiles in the kitchen and bathroom also have underfloor heating, but I seldom put it on, never during the day.

Hubby puts it on at night for his delicate little tootsies sometimes ;)

I have Khardean also which as my friend says is posh vinyl. It's actually customised vinyll and comes in very realistic wood or stone options. My is a very pale wood and nobody has ever thought it wasnt either wood or laminate. My friend has stone and it looks just like tiles.

I have stone tiles, they were put down by the previous people and have almost all cracked now which has left sharp edges and a trap for germs. My kitchen floor is on my to do list... (Mindees are not allowed in the kitchen).

Environmental health here will not normally allow food businesses* to have carpet in their kitchen. Would it be worth you giving yours a call to find out if they have similar rules?

(* including childminders)