Types of Vinyl Flooring: Advantages, Care & Maintenance

People first notice your floor immediately they step into your house. As such, the quality of the floor will significantly raise the value of a property.

There are numerous flooring options based on personal taste, uses of a room, budget, etc. The choice of sheet vinyl flooring stands out because of several advantages it presents to the room and homeowner.

Below are the few advantages of vinyl flooring:

Fast Installation

Every homeowner wants to install the floor as fast as possible. This will minimize disruptions at your work area and reduce your flooring budget. There is technology referred to as Uniclic that saves time and can allow you to DIY. Within a few hours, the entire floor will be complete. If you would like to keep your flooring simple and elegant, vinyl is the best option. 

Easy to Maintain

It offers incredible maintenance options for homeowners. The floor is resistant to dust and stains. This reduces the work required to keep it clean. Keeping it in premium condition only requires frequent mopping or vacuuming. As long as stains are cleaned immediately, the possibility of sticking is greatly reduced. 

Perfect For Your Feet

there is a relaxing feeling when you walk bare feet. Vinyl allows you to walk bare feet either in summer or winter. It maintains a cool and constant temperature without going to the extremes. It also feels soft allowing people to stand on it for long hours. 

Versatile

vinyl floors can be installed anywhere in the house. They can handle a lot of traffic in the hallway, water in the kitchen, pets in the living room, etc. You also have a variety of colors and textures to choose from. You are guaranteed a perfect match for your desired floor.

Durable

vinyl floors maintain their premium quality over an incredibly long time. They can handle high and rough traffic without losing their appeal. Even when installed in basements, you are sure that it will not soak water and get damaged. This saves you a lot of money in terms of repair and replacement.

Vinyl passes as one of the most versatile material to use on the floor. It costs less and gives you a perfect floor within a very short time. 

However, there are issues you need to be cautious of when using vinyl to ensure that it gives you the best service.

• Dragging furniture and other heavy or pointed equipment on the surface exposes the floor to gorges. This will damage the floor forever.
• Pets- though it resists scratches from pets and children toys, large and aggressive claws will easily damage the surface. You may opt to use carpets in areas that are overly exposed.
• Seams- the possibility of seams being visible is very high. It takes a highly experienced installer and uses the right procedures to reduce the visibility of seams.

Choosing the right material for your floor is a big plus. It reduces the cost of operating the floor, makes your living or working area elegant and stylish and gives you a feeling of comfort. 

While you may choose the right floor and material, the long-term appearance depends on maintenance. 

Here are maintenance tips that will keep your floor in perfect condition:

Sieve dirt using a doormat

Two of the greatest enemies to your vinyl floor is sand pebbles and chemicals. Sand makes it uncomfortable to walk on the surface and will damage the floor leaving it rough. Chemicals react with the floor causing damage or wearing the surface out. Cleaning dirt and other substances also take time and will require extra resources. A doormat will reduce the amount of dirt carried to your house. It soaks the chemicals off the feet of visitors avoiding reaction with the floor.

Regular mopping

If you can get the dirt off the floor as first as possible, your vinyl will last longer. Run a broom over the floor regularly to get rid of pebbles and sand particles. Their damage on the surface is usually permanent.

Keep hairspray away by shampooing it

As you dress, you are likely to drop some hair. The hairspray and other beauty products are highly reactive. When cleaning such an area, it is recommended that you add some shampoo to the water. This will permanently get rid of the hair.

Use low impact cleaning techniques

Heavy duty cleaning substances may be effective but easily damage your floor. As much as possible, use mild cleaners and plain water whenever possible. Soap is known for attracting dirt. Using plain water will preserve the original color, texture, and feel of the vinyl floor. Where waxing has been done, use warm water without removing the wax. If you remove the wax, you will have to reapply it. Always rinse when you have used soap even if it indicates that there is no need to rinse.

Do not flood the vinyl

This kind of floor is meant for mopping and not drenching in water. An overly wet mop will see water sipping through the seams and cracks. Even when you use a strong glue, it wears out over time. Once the glue gives way, your entire floor is destroyed. 

Protect your furniture with feet

Heavy furniture like chest drawers, beds and coaches exert a lot of continuous pressure on the vinyl. This leaves a grave dent on the floor. To reduce the pressure and consequently the damage, use protective rubber feet or pads. They are found in convenience stores, hardware stores, and other home improvement facilities.

The secret to a durable and elegant floor is maintenance. In case a section has peeled off, replace it as soon as possible.

Use the right installation materials and engage a professional installer. Ensure that installation instructions are strictly followed. Seek a warranty from the installer as a guarantee that he has done quality work.

There are different vinyl formats that suit residential use. The choice of the right format depends on personal taste, budget and the uses a surface will be put into. Here are formats to consider when laying your vinyl floor.

Different Types of Vinyl Formats

Sheet Vinyl

The roll comes in 6” or 12” wide. It is cut into pieces during installation. If the wall is too long to use a single sheet, you will cut the sheet to fill the remaining space. This gives you the liberty to create patterns.

Solid Vinyl Tiles

These are square tiles especially 12” by 12”. They come in different colors, patterns, and textures. Their installation requires the addition of a subfloor. A lot of expertise is needed to maintain a flat and smooth overall surface.

Luxury Vinyl Tile

Luxury Vinyl Tile offers an affordable option to the costly stone and wooden flooring options. The tiles use 3D photography to transfer natural scenes to the surface of the tile. With each tile having an embossed pattern, different size and shape, you have incredible options for your floor. 

Vinyl flooring is the most convenient option for homes. However, it requires special attention to keep the floor clean and smooth. You have a variety of patterns, colors, shapes, and sizes to choose from. 

In fact, you can mimic that wooden floor you have always admired. The cost of flooring per square foot is reasonable. It is also perfect for use in different rooms regardless of their level of activity. With cleaning only requiring a mop, you are sure to enjoy comfort, style, and elegance with a vinyl floor.

Things To Know About Vinyl Flooring

Yes, vinyl mainly wins over other forms of flooring because of multiple factors such as strict standards and quality control measures that are put into use while manufacturing.

Known that materials such as wood, stone and ceramic might have a bit more aesthetic value than vinyl, one simply cannot ignore the fact that they are costly and slap high maintenance tasks on the customer. 

Sheet vinyl flooring is slip-resistant and is relatively soft; it is not harmful from the customer’s point of view either. That is why; it is the most popular form of flooring in existence. In addition, this kind of flooring is comparatively modern in terms of patterns and textures, and can be installed in a very short span of time.

Vinyl Flooring Health Benfits

The strict standards enforced by the manufacturers of vinyl flooring ensure that it comes with several health benefits. These benefits mainly arise due to the fact that it is very easy to clean vinyl floors. Antimicrobial coatings and germ killers are also offered by manufacturers which easily boost the sales of this flooring type. One factor that plays down vinyl flooring’s hygiene card is that it generates gases that can be harmful to the lungs. Thus, it can spoil indoor air quality.

Structure of Vinyl

Vinyl flooring sheets consist of numerous layers, each of which have their own purpose. The base layer is fundamental and supports all other layers. On top of that is a fiber glass that holds the sheet straight and flattens the same. The pattern layer is responsible for offering color, texture and looks to the sheet. The wear layer and the top coat are just protective layers that add sheen to this flooring option.

Existence and History

Sheet vinyl came into existence in the mid-20th century and is one of the coveted types of vinyl that gets installed very fast. It is made up of a mix of quite a number of raw materials, each one of them, serving its own purpose.

1. Poly vinyl chloride is used for its rigid nature that toughens the sheet vinyl.
2. Foam gel is used for adding comfort and texture to the material and sometimes for insulation as well.
3. Urethane makes the vinyl durable and long lasting.
4. While sheet vinyl flooring installation is done, preferably by professionals, it can be permanently glued hard to the floor or can be loosely placed over the floor for gaining higher durability metrics.

Vinyl Composition Tile

Vinyl Composition Tile, popularly abbreviated in the flooring industry as VCT, is made up of vinyl and ground limestone. The specialty of this mixture is that it doesn’t exactly show itself off as a mixture that people usually expect it to be. 

The only way possible for the installation for VCT is gluing it down; this has to be done mandatorily by a professional. This is because these tiles are square-shaped and very tough in nature. Therefore, while installing, it should be noted that each tile is placed closely and perfectly in sync with its neighbors. Vinyl floor tiles are manufactured using a process similar to that of vinyl sheets. But in reality, vinyl tiles turn out to be way harder than other sheets.

How Vinyl Differs From Laminate Flooring

Vinyl flooring is often confused with laminate flooring as it cannot be distinguished and identified easily, which leads to people getting stuck between deciding as to which one of them is better. Although both vinyl and laminate flooring are durable and inexpensive, there are a lot of differences that might get overlooked by customers like you.

Here, thickness, materials, resistance to water and comfort level are different. Base materials make all the difference. We can begin with two simplifications:

Vinyl’s flooring is 100% plastic core and is super resistant to moisture. It can be designed to look like wood boards and can be joined with a ‘click’ which snaps two tiles together. Laminate flooring is not as moisture resistant as vinyl flooring; however, it can be installed in a DIY way. Laminate flooring wins over vinyl flooring in terms of looks and installation.

As far as costs are concerned, both vinyl and laminate floorings stand at the same level. Laminate floorings take an upper hand over vinyl floorings in terms of factors such as resale value and comfort.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

Plank wood flooring provides a fresh and unique look to the floor and is thus in demand for its aesthetic appeal. At the same time, over the years, the quality and appearance of vinyl planks has been improved phenomenally, and has thus led to the skyrocketing of resilient flooring’s popularity. 

This in turn has led to plank vinyl flooring’s growing demand in the industry. Beyond that, vinyl plank is less expensive than all other types of floor coverings - except for laminate floorings, as mentioned before. This is mainly due to the cheap availability of additional raw materials at an inexpensive rate.

Moreover, there are certain vinyl planks that appear in a rather distressed look, or are heavily antiqued. This is mainly for those who prefer their floors to look in such a way. Vinyl planks can be easily installed with a lock/click mechanism.

What to See while Choosing a Vinyl Floor

While choosing a vinyl floor, there are a lot of factors to be considered. Your choice of style is essential. There is a wide range of options available in the market that resembles stone and hardwood finish that can be very realistic. Texture, pattern, and finish are also very important factors as they contribute to the tactile, visual and aesthetic appeal of the floors, respectively.

1. Care should be taken as to how tough the selected vinyl planks are.
2. They should also stand up to spills and traffic.
3. Waxing and buffing should be avoided.
4. Vinyl can be installed on any flat surface which is dry and clean.
5. A plywood base is always recommended for better installation.

Last Word

DIY friendly in nature, Vinyl tiles can be readily installed with the help of spray adhesives, self sticking materials, or with other options. However, installation of these sheets is largely done by professionals. Thus, it is best to seek professional assistance in order to install the best vinyl flooring, appropriately.

Why Vinyl Flooring Is The Perfect Floor For Your Home

Does your flooring need a complete makeover? 

Are you dissatisfied with the way in which your bathroom, kitchen, mudroom, or for that matter your entryway looks these days? 

If the answers are in the affirmative then sheet vinyl flooring is surely the way to go. 

Being heavily trafficked across most parts of the day, the surfaces in these areas are usually prone to damage and dust accumulation. Read here how vinyl floors can give your home the complete personality makeover it deserves.

Cleaner Entryways

Your entryway is the area that gathers the most stains and marks. 

Primarily because it’s the first place that people set their foot in when they come back home after a long day at work or drop in to say “hello.” 

Here, you will find worn out doormats and carpets too. 

How would you like to upgrade this otherwise ignored area by installing affordable vinyl flooring designed in honeyed wood, or any other texture of your choice? 

With this in place, you need not worry about your guests dropping their coats or umbrellas, or walking in with heavy mud on their shoes. Your rugs and carpets will remain as good as new too. Consider adding a bright area rug for enhancing your entryway further.

Luxurious Bathroom Floors

Your bathrooms are excellent areas to install luxury vinyl tile flooring in. This is because this kind of flooring is easy to clean up after a bath and is not prone to warping due to moisture. 

To add a luxurious touch, you may like to go for a granite finish that complements your bathroom fittings and other accessories, thereby making them look brighter and newer than before. 

Common vinyl color schemes such as soft browns, ocean blues, and light minty greens pop up the aesthetics in your bathrooms—go for it!

Kitchens you’ll Love to work in

Durable vinyl flooring is a must in your kitchen that has to deal with dropped pans, spills, and food stains. 

With the right surface to work and tread upon, you will love the new look your kitchen presents. In case you have a large enough kitchen, choose a checkered pattern, pearly white, or mock bricks to make your eating space enjoy a totally different look and personality. 

Smaller kitchens would benefit from lighter colored floors that provide the illusion of expanse and brightness. Choose the style and design that fits your decor and style in the best possible ways.

Vinyl Floors at other Places

An excellent option for lining closets, vinyl tiles go a long way in making your laundry room, hallways and other common spaces look brighter than before.

You may like to mix various patterns and tones for making your rooms unique. Go ahead, choose contrasting styles and patterns as long as your flooring choices are not close enough to clash with each other. 

All the places that have worn out carpets or floor stains can largely benefit with these floors in place. The best part is that they can be installed quickly and easily. And require very less maintenance too!

Choose the Design and say “Hello” to Brand new Floors

There is no dearth of designs that you can choose from. Just assess the physical dimensions of the spaces that you wish to redo, seek recommendations regarding how your selected patterns will fit in your space, and go ahead with your buy. 

Yes, when it comes to making your home amazing and keeping it in top shape, you simply cannot go wrong with vinyl, and within your budget too!

Visit our website for discount carpet and flooring.

Advantages of Vinyl Flooring and It's Features

One segment in the industry of flooring has yet to receive the kind of attention it rightly deserves. Though interior designers and other professionals in this industry are largely attracted to this segment, they have somehow failed to filter this attraction down to end consumers. 

What is being discussed here is a sheet vinyl flooring.

There are numerous benefits of using vinyl tiles for your flooring. Luxury pieces of vinyl are manufactured with utmost care to ensure that they suit aesthetics and beautify spaces wherever they are installed.

Give Amazing Look With Extensive Textures and Amazing Colors

Many will argue that vinyl flooring does not have the graining, character and look that is associated with real hardwood. However, this is not true. The latest technology enhancements have ensured that the final product you achieve for vinyl is one that has amazing looks that can even surpass those provided by wood flooring.

The extensive textures and amazing colors are admirable. This is proved by the fact that when you visit some big office spaces, commercial establishments or homes of some celebrities, the flooring is laden with luxury vinyl tiles. Designers to have the option of choosing any luxury material for flooring; however, even they opt for vinyl when considering floors for homes and office spaces.

Capture Timeless Looks With Luxury Vinyl

The luxury vinyl tile is designed in such a way that it is able to capture timeless looks that are similar to stone tiling, ceramic floors, and wood planks.

Moreover, the durability aspect associated with such tiles ensures that you obtain comfortable surfaces that last long. You can choose from a range of fashionable designs; right from rustic to contemporary looks.

You can also achieve stunning realism to deep embossing features with such tiles. These tiles are installed using grout or also without grout for providing ceramic or true stone appearance.

Some Benefits Of  Vinyl Tile Flooring

• Availing of timeless beauty at affordable cost is a real thing with luxury vinyl flooring
• These tiles adhere to green standards; thus being environment-friendly
• Safety features such as slip-resistance and adherence to flammability codes
• Easy to maintain as just damp mopping can perform your job
• Available in varied sizes, designs, and colors so as to suffice different tastes and needs
• Resistant to water, thus negating water seepage
• Specialized layers ensure that these tiles are stain and scratch resistant
• Exceptionally durable; thus ensuring long life
• In spite of amazing qualities, these tiles are not very costly

Many people still think about industrial vinyl or some linoleum products when they talk about vinyl flooring. 

However, times have significantly changed for good and the new entrants of vinyl flooring in the market are not only attractive but are also durable.

Moreover, these tiles are considered as the easiest to install surfaces and hence are favorites of designers and handymen. Their good looks attract end customers and their amazing qualities with regards to resistance ensure that they are traffic ready; immediately post installation.

So find some good avenue from where you can get good quality vinyl and watch your spaces being beautified.