After having vinyl flooring our whole lives, a few years ago we renovated. We have had a ceramic tile kitchen now for the last 6 years and all in all we’ve been fairly happy with the results. I’m not sure if our experiences are typical, but for the kitchen area has worked well.
We didn’t install the ceramic tiles ourselves. We hired a friend of a friend who previously own a tile installing business in a different country. We’re very glad we hired him because right from the beginning we could tell that he knew what he was doing.
Properly preparing the kitchen subfloor was something he was adamant about. My husband helped him with this task and together they put in hundreds of screws. Properly securing the subfloor is essential to prevent the ceramic tiles and grout from flexing and breaking over time. What a difference it made! It is solid as can be with no squeaking anywhere. We haven’t had any tile breakage or cracking at all.
He also tiled the backsplash area under the lower cabinets which we love. Because it is next to the floor, it is constantly getting splashed on. The tiles are very easy to clean. The whole floor is relatively easy to clean. I simply wash it with soapy water using a mop. We’ve never had anything stain it. And ground in dirt came off with a thorough soaking, even though the surface of the tiles is slightly textured.
I would recommend staying away from a light, solid color of tile in the kitchen. We had a solid color white tile in the kitchen just before we renovated and it looked dirty every day. Just about every single day I had to wash to floor. With some texture and pattern in the tile it will hide some of the everyday dirt.
The only complaint that I have is that it is harder and colder than vinyl to stand on. We live in a Northern climate which gets cold in the winter. I can definitely notice the chill through my feet. I need to wear slippers when I work in the kitchen for any length of time. Not a big deal though, and in the summer the coolness is great.
As far as selection at the store goes, there is a huge choice in ceramic tiles. Stores seem to keep up with current trends in tiles making it easy to find an up to date style.
Ceramic types of tile are extremely popular in some of the hotter regions of the world. Many places in South Africa use ceramic tile all throughout their houses, not just restricted to the kitchen area. I can see why they would like it for the coolness it offers. That combined with their durability and easiness to clean makes tile a great choice for kitchens everywhere.