eli5: Why do kitchens have different tiles from the rest of the house/apartment?
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Tiles have a coefficient of friction rating, that indicates how slippery they are when wet. Higher numbers are better where there could be liquids pooled. Not as vital in bedrooms as in kitchen and baths.
Older home have been upgraded to tile, and owners usually started in wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms, where wood or carpet was an issue. Later they may have tiled other areas and chose different tile due to cost, availability, or design.
Not all of them do. The first floor of our house is hardwood throughout, including the kitchen.
Practically, kitchens get wet and dirty with messes that need wet things to clean it off. Tile is waterproof and easier to clean than other surfaces (except for the grout gaps though…). The tile is often light colored so you can see any stains on it. This is why you find tile in the kitchen and bathroom.
Drywall absorbs splashes and messes and would require a repaint to get back to normal. Other flooring like hardwood can absorb water if it doesn’t have enough finish or stain on top to protect it from moisture. This can lead to warping or rot.
You’re a lot more likely to spill things on your kitchen floor compared to the rest of your house, so it’s nice to use a surface like tile or linoleum that can be mopped, as opposed to carpet or hardwood.
It is so dependent on the individual house. I have the same floor in my kitchen that I do in my living room and bedroom.
Most places that I have lived have been similar.
Obviously if carpet is the main floor covering, this does not work for kitchens. Every situation is different.
Typically kitchens have more resistant tiles. Stains, acids, stuff dropping on the floor: this all happens more frequently in a kitchen.
Other places might have stone tiles, such as marble. More porous, and delicate tiles.
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