Luxury Vinyl Flooring Pros and Cons

Vinyl Flooring is very much suitable for work areas, kitchens and bathrooms. Luxury Vinyl flooring is very much similar to tile flooring, but have less price when compared to ceramic tiles.

One way to add value to your home is to consider laminate flooring installation. Laminate floors combine the beauty and elegance of hard wood, or tile floors with the easy maintenance of linoleum or vinyl flooring. Constructed from a high density fiber (HDF) wood board topped with a wood or stone pattern, laminate flooring is incredibly durable. Resistant to scratching, scuffing and burning, the beauty of laminate floors will last a lifetime. With today's constantly changing interior design trends, the easy installation and variety of laminate flooring is a popular choice for home designers.

Pros of Vinyl Flooring

• There are many unique variety of colors and designs, inspired by the colors and patterns found in nature. Tiles can be grouted to make it look more like ceramic or stone.

• Vinyl flooring provides a slightly softer surface than options like tile or wood, because the product is backed with a thin layer of either felt or foam—depending on the manufacturer. The soft layer results in the floor having a little more flexibility and give, which makes it easier to stand on for long periods of time.

• Luxury Vinyl Floor is featured in a unique variety of colors and designs, inspired by the colors and patterns found in nature.  You can also choose to either have a subtle or dramatic variation between individual tiles.  Tiles can be grouted to make it look more like ceramic or stone.

• A typical installation can be completed in half the time it takes to complete a comparable ceramic tile installation.  LVT tile can also be glued down or the can be floated.  Individual tiles can be clicked together and then installed without glue, to float on a special underlayment.

• Vinyl tiles are available in a huge assortment of colors and styles, with some designs even mimicking the look of stone tiles or wood planks. While you can notice the difference up close, it can be hard to tell from afar the floor is vinyl.

• Luxury Vinyl Tile is high durability and scratch-resistance, making it an excellent choice for heavy foot traffic areas. It is made from limestone and is a composite material that resists chipping and cracking.

• Luxury Vinyl is easy to clean and maintain and is guaranteed to keep its vibrant color much longer than ceramic tile or vinyl.  Regular sweeping, dusting, mopping or vacuuming the floor can prevent dirt or grit from causing scratches and marks.  Avoid vacuums that use a beater brush, as these may cause damage to the floor.

• Vinyl also wears incredibly well. It is extremely durable, with many manufacturers backing their products with warranties of 15 years or more. In truth, a well-installed and properly maintained vinyl floor can last for well over 20 years.

• Vinyl flooring is very resistant to dirt and water, and it's one of the few flooring types that can be installed directly over the subfloor—or over a previous vinyl or linoleum installation—without requiring demolition first. It is also one of the best choices for installing on a floor with a lot of cracks or excessive movement.

• As far as cleaning and maintenance goes, vinyl is hard to beat. Requiring practically no maintenance after installation, vinyl needs to just be swept and mopped occasionally to keep the floor clean.

Cons of Vinyl Flooring

• One of the biggest problems facing vinyl is the product is manufactured using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and will emit volatile organic compounds (VOC), especially when it is new. It is important to note, however, that since 2010, many manufacturers have started using less PVC in their vinyl flooring products.

• Don't think inexpensive vinyl flooring or "peel and stick" tiles. Luxury vinyl tile can cost as much as some standard hardwood or ceramic tile.

• While vinyl tiles are very easy to install on one's own, getting the subfloor ready for installation can prove to be a difficult job. In order for the tiles to look their best, the subfloor needs to be free of all particles—or they may show through the tiles in bumps and lumps. In addition, installing peel-and-stick tiles on a dirty floor will result in loose tiles quicker than you might expect.

• Manufacturers need to address transitions, as the only option right now is staining unfinished wood pieces to match.

• The spongy quality of vinyl flooring may prevent a glass from breaking if it's dropped on the floor, but a sharp object can gouge the surface if dropped. This is also a concern when it comes to moving furniture. Furniture pads needs to be installed on the feet of all furniture—or moving the couch could result in scratching or gouging the tile or popping the tile off the floor entirely.

• Become an educated buyer when shopping for flooring. Don't rely on big box stores and their associates to provide you with all the information you need. Many times, the products they sell are of lesser quality.

• Vinyl flooring does nothing to a home's resale value, and it can prove very difficult to remove once it is installed.

• When people hear the word vinyl, it has long been associated with inexpensive.  Luxury Vinyl Tile can cost as much as some standard hardwood or ceramic tile.  So, if you're thinking that LVT will be as cheap, or cost just a little more than your standard vinyl "peel and stick" tiles, you will be shocked by the price difference.

• When researching the cons for LVT, one topic that kept popping up was that there was a lack of nice transition pieces.  It was recommended to use the old, metal pieces (Yuck!  That would cheapen the look of a beautifully laid floor.)  Or, you could get unfinished wood pieces and have them stained to match.  Obviously this is an area for the manufacturers to address.

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How to install Vinyl flooring

A floating vinyl floor can be installed anywhere in your home and on almost any surface. In today's times vinyl flooring has become a economical option as far as flooring is concerned. It has been used extensively as a convenient and a surviving floor option. Vinyl flooring are available in various forms such as vinyl tiles, sheets and planks. All of them are available in a wide range of colors, patterns and sizes.

Install Vinyl flooring

Each flooring type provides homeowners with a more extended variety in terms of style and also tends to go a little easier on your budget when choosing the former two flooring options. Before settling on flooring for you home, consider the following pros and cons of each type available.

Vinyl flooring are many options for flooring for your home. You need to be realistic about what your needs are so that you find the right material. You may want carpet in your bedroom and vinyl in your kitchen. Understanding what each provides will help you to make the best decisions. You can visit any flooring store and they will show you what your options are, including vinyl flooring.

Vinyl is much softer and more scuff and scrape resistant than typical wood floors. And it is not as brittle as tile if you should drop something heavy on it. It is also more spill friendly than carpet. It is by far the most child-friendly flooring option out there. If you are a landlord, this type of floor is definitely the one you would want to go with for your renters. You won't have to worry about children or pets spilling on carpets or ruining wood or tile. And if it happens to get trashed, then you can easily install more vinyl for the cost of the security fee (depending on renters fees and square footage).

How to Install Your Vinyl Flooring

Tarkett vinyl flooring is very easy to install, meaning you can have a new look in just one weekend! Step 1: Prepare your subfloor To fix the doorframe, cut through the bottom edges of the door moulding to allow space for the new underlayment to slide underneath. Use a small piece of underlayment as a spacing guide.
Step 2: Prepare your flooring When installing the new underlayment, stagger the seams of the plywood panels, and leave a 1/32-inch gap between panels to allow for expansion. Leave a 1/8-inch gap along the walls. Always use the fasteners and fastening pattern recommended by the vinyl floor and plywood manufacturer.
Step 3: Install your flooring For a long lasting installation, joints should not coincide with doorways and areas where there’s most traffic. As a general rule, flooring is installed following the direction of the main light source. However if the room is narrow, like a corridor, the sheets should run along the length of the room, regardless of the light direction. Apart from wood designs, all consecutive sheets should be installed in the opposite direction for a homogeneous rendering. You’ll find this indicated within the product description.

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How to care for luxury vinyl flooring

How to clean your luxury vinyl to keep clean and looking like new.

Basic Maintenance your luxury vinyl flooring use Sweep or vacuum floors regularly to remove any dust or debris. Avoid using a vacuum with a beater bar. Damp-mop as needed with clean water and diluted floor cleaner. Harsh cleaning chemicals shouldn’t be used on luxury vinyl flooring.

One of the best cleansers for vinyl flooring is apple cider vinegar. The acidity in the vinegar helps remove dirt and grime without leaving a buildup of soap or wax. Simply mix one cup of cider vinegar with a gallon of hot water and use a damp mop to clean, rinsing the mop frequently with hot water. Substitute white vinegar for cider vinegar if you want to disinfect as you clean. If your floor is especially dirty, try adding a few drops of liquid dish washing soap to the mixture before mopping once with the soap mixture, a second time with vinegar and water. To add shine to your vinyl floor, add a few drops of baby oil to the vinegar and water solution.

How to clean dirty vinyl floors

 

How to clean yellow stained vinyl floors

1. Begin by removing the rugs and sweeping away any dirt from the area.
2. Next, wet the entire area with plain water.
3. Sprinkle baking soda over the yellowed area and allow it to set for at least 10-15 minutes.
4. Use a soft cloth to wipe the baking soda away.
5. It may take several applications to remove the yellow areas if they are deeply discolored.
6. Once the stain is gone, continue to clean the area with baking soda during weekly cleanings to keep the yellow stains from returning.

Use Baking Soda to clean luxury vinyl flooring

You can also make use of a baking soda paste in cleaning the stains on your vinyl plank floor. To prepare this baking solution, simply mix enough water to the baking soda in order to create a thick paste. Then grab a soft and clean cloth and rub it on the paste and wipe the cloth to the stained area on your floor.

Whether it is a stain coming from food, juice or wine, the baking soda paste can certainly lighten the stain. This tip on how to clean vinyl plank flooring is very effective since the baking soda is abrasive by nature and therefore, it can easily take the stains away.

For makeup and ink stains, using rubbing alcohol is an effective method. Simply dab a soft cloth in the rubbing alcohol then rub it towards the stains coming from makeup or ink or other pigmented items. The alcohol can help to lift the stains off the vinyl flooring without causing damages to it. For nail polish, you can make use of a polish remover that does not contain any acetone. Make sure not to use a polish remover that has acetone as this might cause damage on your vinyl flooring.

If there are tricky stains that will not come off with the use of the soft cloth, you can simply scrub the stained floor with a soft brush that is made of nylon bristles. Make sure however that you avoid using brushes that have stiff bristles as this could leave some scratch marks on your floor.

After you have cleaned off the stains, make sure that you rinse the floor off with clean water. This is to remove the residue off the floor. The soap and other substances that will build up on the flooring surface could cause damage on the floor over time.

Some commercial cleaners are specially designed for vinyl floors. These include Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner; Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Cleaner and Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with Future Shine; and Armstrong’s Once ‘n Done Resilient and Ceramic No-Rinse Floor Cleaner and Armstrong Shinekeeper Polish.

With just a little time and elbow grease, vinyl flooring will take years of use and abuse and still look lovely.

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Why Vinyl Flooring a Good Choice for Your Luxury Flooring

How are luxury vinyl flooring

A synthetic, manmade material, vinyl is a combination of a plastic made from ethylene and chlorine which boasts numerous benefits when used as flooring. To decide if it’s right for you, consider the benefits and uses it has around the home.

Vinyl flooring gives homeowners a viable option when desiring to create a high-end look without the price tag that usually comes with it. Because of its ability to mimic almost any type of flooring, vinyl adds polish and finesse to any room in your home. When you need a durable, attractive alternative to expensive floor coverings, look no further than vinyl.

Type of vinyl flooring

Vinyl Plank Flooring

Luxury vinyl wood plank flooring

Vinyl plank flooring is commonly manufactured four or six inches wide by three or four feet long. It has the look of hardwood but is much easier to install and maintain, and is a lot less expensive.

 

Vinyl Tile Flooring

Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring

Tile vinyl is usually purchased in 12-inch squares that feature adhesive backing. The thicker the tile is, the better it will hold up over longer periods of time. Installing tile is an ideal project for do-it-yourselfers, particularly in smaller rooms. When purchasing, make sure all of the tiles you purchase are from the same dye lot. Dye lots determine the color and pattern of vinyl tile. It is important to purchase all tiles from the same lot because, while other lots may be labeled as being the same pattern and color, slight differences in shade may occur.

 

Sheet Vinyl Flooring

Luxury Sheet Vinyl Flooring

Sheet vinyl often comes in rolls measuring 6' or 12' wide, which enables you to quickly and easily cover large rooms. There are two different kinds of sheet vinyl, inlaid and rotogravure. Inlaid vinyl sheets feature a color pattern that goes all the way through the entire sheet. They may require a larger up-front investment, but they provide higher durability. Rotogravure is a more economical choice that consists of a foam base that is printed with ink and covered with a wear layer. Once you have decided which type of sheet vinyl you would like to install, you may need to choose between perimeter bond and fully bonded.

How do luxury vinyl flooring installation

1. CLEAR THE ROOM
Before starting, empty your selected room of all furniture. Ensure that the surface of the room is perfectly smooth by removing nails and debris and scraping up any old adhesive. The sub floor needs to be dry as well as be smooth and as even possible because every lump, bump and crease may appear visible. Do not fit on top of existing vinyl either as the existing colour may migrate to your new floor.

2. MEASURE THE SPACE
Calculate the surface area of the floor to work out how much vinyl you will need to buy. As vinyl flooring is also available in different thicknesses, make sure you research which is best for your room. After establishing basic measurements of your room think about adding a bit more to aid with the fitting process and allow for any errors, or book a free home appointment and we will measure your rooms accurately for you.

3. ACCLIMATISE THE VINYL
Once you have your vinyl, store it in the room where you want to fit it for at least 24 hours to allow it to acclimatise to the temperature of your home.

4. START FITTING
Start by fitting the sheet parallel to the longest wall, leaving about 25mm surplus vinyl between the edge and the skirting board. Use a gauge to make sure this surplus gap remains even along the sheet. Cut with a knife or scissors then fit against the skirting.

5. TACKLE THE CORNERS
Cut a small triangular piece from the excess vinyl at each internal corner, pressing the vinyl into the wall to achieve a sharp crease. Use a metal straight edge to slice along this fold. For external corners, make a straight cut through the excess, leaving a 10mm edge which can be tucked under the skirting. Use a chisel to press between the floor and the skirting, tucking and trimming with the knife at an angle.

6. FIX INTO PLACE
Once you are confident with the fit, fix the vinyl in an L shape and at the door ways, otherwise the floor will bubble and use anti Plas vinyl tape to fix the flooring in place. Press down to get a smooth surface and ensure no debris gets under the sheet

Vinyl flooring installation Video

 

Best luxury vinyl flooring reviews

Luxury vinyl flooring have cost and durability advantages over such other solid-surface flooring choices as hardwood, ceramic or stone. It become master imitators of natural surfaces like wood or stone – or other flooring types for that matter. Easier to maintain than wood or tile. For example, hardwood or engineered-wood floors may need refinishing, and some tile types may need resealing or regrouting. can be installed either professionally or by a reasonably skilled do-it-yourselfer who has the right tools and instructions. allow for repair by replacement of a damaged plank or tile. have wear layers. Swiss Krono's laminate flooring has an extremely hard aluminum-oxide wear layer that resists scratches and UV protection to prevent fading from prolonged exposure to sunlight. LVT may have a clear-vinyl and urethane coating to protect it.

LVT is made in layers as well; its primary component is PVC vinyl, which makes LVT dimensionally stable and flexible. Some LVT products now offer a floating-floor approach to installation, but this has yet to be proven out. LVT installs traditionally as a glue-down system by the application of a separate adhesive or the use of peel-and-stick tiles or planks. LVT is made out of vinyl and it feels like plastic. Some LVT is very susceptible to staining and will be damaged by limited flame exposure.

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