Serving Wichita and the
surrounding areas since 1994.

Notes from a Remodeling & General Contractor for the Wichita, KS Area

Remodeling in Detail: Types of Kitchens & Bathrooms Flooring

This month in our remodeling series we are looking at kitchen and bathroom flooring with the various types, cost, options, and installation choices. Given today’s number of possibilities in flooring, we will limit it to what we typically see at S&A Construction, Inc. in the Wichita, KS metro area.

Ceramic Tile Flooring – The Most Popular

The most common and popular flooring style we install in bathrooms and kitchens is ceramic tile. Tile comes in a variety of compositions however we see ceramic being the most popular due to the abundance of finishes colors and sizes. There are also other compositions such as slate, Granite, porcelain, and other natural stones.

Clawfoot Bathtub on Tile Floor Cermic Tile Installed on Grid Pattern Ceramic Floor Tile Installed

Don’t Forget the Underlayment with Tile

Tile requires an underlayment such as James Hardie or Schluter-DITRA board for proper installation and protection. This is typically 1/4" on the floors or 1/2" on walls such as a shower area in wet environments. Tile can be bonded directly to the drywall in areas that don’t get wet but a underlayment is recommended regardless.

Tile Layout Affects Cost

Tile can be installed in a variety of layouts (from the most cost efficient to most expensive):

  • Grid or square pattern (cheapest);
  • Brick pattern;
  • Diamond point;
  • Large tiles;
  • Layout with multiple tiles types or/and sizes (most expensive).

12'x12' Ceramic Tile Floor on Grid Pattern Vintage Tile Bathroom Remodel Ceramic Floor Tile Installed

You may also use accent tile pieces to help dress up more simple layouts.

We are seeing a trend in more rectangular sized tiles such as subway tiles and larger tiles such as 14x14 used in these spaces. We encourage our customers to select different tiles, yet complementing, for the following areas:

  • A tile for the bathroom floor;
  • A different tile for the back splash;
  • Shower walls having a different tile;
  • Shower floor also different while all tiles work together in the color scheme.

ADA Compliant Zero Entry Ceramic Tiled Shower

Heated Floors, Backsplashes & Other Options

Heated floors now require less power, have less complex installation and are a wonderful addition to a bathroom floor.  This with the kit, installation, electrician will start at $1,500 on up. 

For a kitchen area, you will only have the floor and the backsplash to worry about. Here too you can use multiple tiles for both as long as they are complimentary. There are also many choices available that allow a cultured stone effect to be installed like tile. These are great for islands backsplashes, tub backsplashes, or decorative fireplace areas. These products are lightweight and do not require all the steps like a true stone, while achieving a great look.

Kitchen Remodel Kitchen Remodel Kitchen Remodel

Laminate & Vinyl Flooring – The Most Cost Efficient

The other floor type we install the most in bathrooms is vinyl. This is more cost efficient than tile and in many installations this can be installed without seams.

For kitchens floors, the least to most expensive include:

  • Vinyl (but is the least popular);
  • Laminate flooring;
  • Engineered flooring;
  • Pre-finished hardwood flooring.

The pre-finished engineered or hardwood flooring is extremely popular based on the large variety of finishes, sizes, and durability of the finishes. It allows for a quick installation with no additional installation steps required such as staining then finishing the floor. There are many choices available to meet anyone's budget.

Laminate Flooring

Need a new flooring with your new kitchen or bathroom n the Wichita, KS area?

At S&A Construction, we handle it all: demolition, furniture and contents relocating, disposal, and anything else such as quarter round or custom finishing trims. If you are looking for a remodeling contractor that can do flooring in the Wichita Kansas area, feel free to give us a call or e-mail.

As always, let us know if you have any questions, other ideas, or comments!