Kitchen Carpet Tiles: A Homeowner's Comprehensive Flooring Guide

Most people view carpeting and kitchens to be a bad match due to the many potential cleaning and staining issues. However, carpet tiles have become increasingly popular in the kitchen, as they provide many of the benefits of wall-to-wall carpeting without the problems associated with carpet in an area prone to spills and moisture. In fact, the very nature of carpet tiles means they may be the only carpet that makes sense to install in your kitchen.

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While the most carpeting people would traditionally install in the kitchen was a basic area rug, carpet tiles are now offering many of the same benefits — only they can fit perfectly in any space, and they stay in place better. In fact, there are many pros to installing carpet tiles in the kitchen.

• Carpet tiles were originally made for commercial purposes in
  high-traffic areas, meaning they are made from durable materials that can
  survive more foot traffic than a typical living room carpet, making them a good
  choice for areas where you will be walking a lot, like the space between your
  refrigerator, stove and sink. For best results, get padded carpet tiles, which absorb
  impact and better protect the fibers of the carpet.
• Hard flooring like tile, hardwood or laminate can be
  straining on the feet, knees and back, which can make cooking and cleaning
  difficult. As Milliken & Company points out, padded carpet
  tiles can reduce muscle fatigue by as much as 24 percent.
• Since floor tile is one of the most common flooring options
  in the kitchen, many homeowners can simply peel and stick the carpet right on
  their existing flooring.
• The backing of carpet tiles is mold- and bacteria-inhibiting,
  the fibers are moisture-resistant and many products are sold with enhanced
  stain resistance, making them a great option for the kitchen. It is best to
  avoid wool in the kitchen, though, as it does not do as well with excessive
  moisture.
• Because this type of carpet installation is so easy to DIY and
  the tiles can be placed anywhere, you can easily install the flooring in select
  areas of your kitchen rather than wall to wall, creating a modern look that beats the traditional area rug.
• This modular carpeting option also comes in many modern
  colors, patterns and textures, meaning it can fit in
  with almost all decor.
• Carpet tiles are affordable, generally
  costing around $1 to $3.60 per square foot.
• Carpet squares are easy to clean and can be vacuumed easier
  than an area rug. If they do get soiled, tiles can be picked up and washed
  in the sink, making the kitchen a rather convenient place to install them.
• If a carpet tile is too damaged to wash, it can be
  replaced easily rather than needing to replace the entire carpet, and the tiles
  are recyclable.

Of course, there are some downsides to using carpet tiles in the kitchen as well. Before you place an order, it's important to consider these negatives:

• Even carpet tile manufacturer FLOR notes that its product
  cannot be installed on all floors. If you have soft floors, such as those with carpeting
  or padding; floors covered with paint, solvent-based seal, vintage varnish
  finish or oil-based finish; unfinished wax floors; or unsealed concrete subfloors,
  you cannot use carpet tiles.
• While the backing of carpet tiles may inhibit mold and
  bacteria, the carpet fibers can hold on to food spills, creating unsanitary conditions if not properly cleaned.
• Although carpet tile is water-resistant, it can still be
  damaged and stained by water.
• Cheaper carpet tiles can start to fray along the edges after
  much wear. This can give the floor a broken-up appearance that can look cheap.
  While you can replace tiles as they become worn, it's often better to invest in
  high-quality tiles that will not fray.
• Carpet tiles can become warped due to extreme temperatures
  or excess moisture. This can also result in a broken-up appearance.
• Similarly, improperly installed carpet tiles can look noticeably
  broken up, with seams appearing uneven. While some people don't mind their
  carpet tiles looking like tiles, others want the appearance of a full carpet,
  but improper installation can make this impossible.
• Long-term exposure to sunlight can cause color fading, which
  may result in uneven coloring along the tiles. Using curtains or UV treatments
  on your windows can reduce this problem.

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Putting carpet tiles in your kitchen is a simple DIY project, especially if you only want to install the tiles in place of an area rug. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation, particularly when it comes to adhesive, but the basic process is as follows:

• ​Clean and inspect your floor.​ Be sure to check that your flooring is flat and compatible
  with carpet squares. If the floor is appropriate and even, clean it thoroughly
  and let it fully dry before installing.
• ​Plan your pattern.​
  One benefit of carpet tiles is that they are modular and can be installed in a
  variety of colors and patterns. Lay out your tiles the way you want to install
  them without sticking them down to visualize how they look on your floor and rearrange
  them according to your taste. If you want your flooring to be centered between
  the walls or cabinets, be sure to measure the area to find the center rather
  than eyeballing it.
• ​Trim tiles.​ When
  carpet squares need to be trimmed to fit in a particular area, cut tiles with a
  utility knife, slicing from the back side.
• ​Lay your tiles.​
  Start with the center tile and work row by row from there. Peel-and-stick tiles just need to have the backing peeled and stuck to the ground, whereas FLOR and other manufacturers use adhesive dots on the corners of each tile that stick only to the tiles and not to the floor. To use these, just peel a dot from the sticker backing and place a fourth of the dot under each tile's corner where they will connect.

While carpet tiles are easy to clean, they still require some basic maintenance and will need to be spot cleaned as necessary. Keeping your floors looking nice is easy with the following practices:

• Vacuum the entire floor regularly.
• To spot clean after a spill, scrape up any solids and soak
  up liquid with a clean towel, blotting from the outside in. Then, use a solvent,
  applying the cleaner to your cloth, not directly on the spot. Use a brush or
  sponge to agitate the spill area. When clean, rinse thoroughly and dry the spot
  with a hair dryer.
• To clean an individual tile, remove the tile and use a mild
  detergent to agitate the fibers with your hands. Rinse fully to remove all
  detergent and allow the tile to fully dry before reinstalling.
• If the entire carpet seems soiled, use a steam cleaner and pH-neutral detergent,
  according to manufacturer instructions.