Flooring shopper's checklist

• How to buy kitchen flooring
• Effective flooring and worktop combinations
• Kitchen flooring facts
• Kitchen floor tiles
• Industrial-style flooring
• Wood and other natural flooring
• Flexible kitchen flooring
• Flooring shopper's checklist
• Useful flooring contacts

Before you make any final decisions or purchases for your kitchen floor, be sure to follow this shopping checklist:

Consider the overall look you want for your kitchen - the flooring you choose should complement your kitchen units and worktop, so either go for a coordinating look with a material that matches your worktops, or create a contrast - by teaming a pale worktop with a dark floor, for example.

Think about maintenance as some flooring needs regular resealing and treating with specialist products. It's a good idea to consider whether you'll have time to maintain it or whether you'd prefer an easy-care material that you can sweep, mop, and then forget about.

Take a sample home so you can be sure you'll still like the flooring you loved in the showroom when it's in situ in your home. The colour may not look the same under different light, or the material may clash with your units or worktops. Also remember that sealing can change the colour, so be sure to look at a sealed sample before you buy.

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