Categories

Vinyl floor

Vinyl floor is a popular, attractive and affordable flooring option in many different setting for years. Vinyl flooring materials are made from a combination of vinyl resin and different additives that make colors, patterns, designs, and styles of any vinyl floor. Vinyl flooring is especially appropriate for use in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and hallways.

Budget is usually the first condition when choosing this type of the floor. The more expensive the vinyl flooring material homeowners buy the higher standard of durability they will get. However, even the most expensive vinyl floor material will not cost you as much as some other flooring materials.

A vinyl floor is durable enough to stand up well to heavy traffics and last long with proper care and maintenance. There are two types of vinyl flooring: sheet and tile. Vinyl sheet flooring material comes in sheets 6 or 12 feet wide. Vinyl tile flooring material is laid down in small tiles 9”x9” or 12”x12”. Customers’ preferences depend on their needs and budget. The best subfloor for the vinyl floor is a layer of plywood because normally it is smooth and even what makes vinyl flooring look perfect. However, some homeowners can use different types of subfloor, such as concrete or even they can install a new layer of vinyl floor over old layer of the floor.

As any other type of flooring, vinyl floor has its pros and cons. However, when it comes to the vinyl flooring alternative, you can find more pros than cons.

Pros of vinyl flooring

Vinyl floor is relatively easy to install (even as a Do-It-Yourself project) and maintain (especially tile type of vinyl flooring). In addition, it is affordable for any budget.
Vinyl floor offers a wide variety of colors, patterns, designs and styles. Since it is manufactured, homeowners can buy not only common colors and shapes of vinyl floor, but they can order everything what desired.
Vinyl floor is softer than usual ceramic or stone tile floor, it can prevent from breaking dishes and glass. It is also comfortable under foot and absorbs noise.
Vinyl floor is water and heat resistant. It is durable enough and with reasonable use it can last for many years.

Cons of vinyl flooring

Vinyl floor can be easily dented, scratched, and worn. As many other floor materials, it can gouge if a sharp object drop on the vinyl floor. Vinyl floor colors can fade with direct sunlight on it for many hours a day and get dull with the years. It is also can be damaged with water if it stays long enough on the floor which can lead to mildew and lifting. Vinyl floor can be seriously damaged by extreme temperatures.

Vinyl floor maintenance

Clean the vinyl floor frequently (sweep or vacuum). It is better don’t use a vacuum with a beater bar as it may scratch your floor and don’t use scrub brushes. When the protective gloss coating of the vinyl floor wears down, homeowners should wax it in order to protect it from damaging and make it look good again. Normally, installers recommend to wax vinyl type of floor annually. If your seam open up, get a cut or gouge in your floor, the tile should be replaced. Good thing about vinyl flooring material is that you can relatively easy replace the damage tile or ask an installer to do it instead.

Vinyl tile floor installation

Prepare the floor for the installation of vinyl tile. Remove all furniture from the room and clean thoroughly the subfloor surface. Then make very visible lines on the floor area from one wall to another which you are going to follow during the installation. These lines will help you to lay the tile down in the direction you want and prevent from mistakes. Apply proper adhesive on the subfloor by following the instruction from manufacturers. Lay the first vinyl tile down on the glue sticking to your previously drown line. While approaching to the next wall step only on the vinyl tile that you already installed. Cut tile near walls if needed and install shoe molding.
Vinyl tile can be preglued also then you just need to remove films and place tile on the subfloor.