15 August 2020
A Guide to Vinyl Flooring for your home
All you need to know about vinyl flooring and the benefits of installing it in your home.
What is vinyl Flooring?
Also know as LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile), Vinyl is made from layers of PVC, with a printed design and a protective wear layer.
Where to install vinyl in your home
Vinyl flooring is water proof, extremely resilient and requires minimum maintenance. It is therefore a popular choice for commercial and domestic environments, as it can be installed in most areas of the home. There is a plethora of designs in wood and tile. Each flooring design has individual planks or tiles, giving you the freedom to be creative with layout patterns, borders and designs.
What is a wear layer?
The wear layer is the surface of the flooring. It is designed to protect the flooring from everyday wear and tear. Wear layers can range from 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm. The thicker the wear layer the more resilient and expensive the product. For a domestic environment, a 0.3 mm wear layer is perfectly capable of withstanding day to day traffic. In a commercial environment we recommend 0.55 mm- 0.7 mm.
Is vinyl flooring scratch proof?
No flooring is 100% scratch proof. Although vinyl is extremely resilient, it can be scratched over time. To prevent this from happening, we recommend the following:
- Apply protective pads to your furniture
- Refrain from dragging furniture
- Add a mat where you have external doors to help remove dirt and debris from shoes. Make sure the mat has a non staining rubber surface, to avoid any marks on your floor.
How to clean and maintain your vinyl flooring
Vacuum or sweep your flooring regularly using a soft brush, to help keep dirt and debris to a minimum.
Cleaning your floor
Wash once a week with a well rung out mop or a lightly damp cloth. Each brand of vinyl flooring has a recommended cleaning product with instructions on how to achieve the best results. Or alternatively use a cleaner specifically for vinyl flooring. Lifting spills or marks immediately will help to prevent permanent damage. Always rinse the floor using warm clean water and a damp cloth. Never soak your flooring. Excessive water could effect the adhesive and sub floor. Allow the floor to dry naturally.
Although vinyl flooring is incredibly durable, it is still important to ensure you clean it correctly. Cleaning and maintaining your floor will help to ensure it’s longevity.
How is vinyl flooring installed?
Vinyl can be installed using two methods; click or dry back.
Dry back vinyl flooring
We predominantly install dry back vinyl because it requires professional training. Dry back vinyl must be installed onto a clean level surface to avoid any visible lumps and bumps under the tiles/planks. In the event of an uneven floor, the surface is leveled using screed (concrete floor) or plywood (wood floor boards) and glued down using the appropriate adhesive.
There is an abundance of design options including design strips (grout effect) or border designs in various colours. You can also choose to lay the planks/tiles:
- diagonally (diagonal lay)
- horizontally/vertically (straight lay)
- herringbone design.
No expansion gap is required and can therefore be installed up to your skirting boards; avoiding the necessity to remove and refit skirting boards or install beading.
Click vinyl flooring
Click vinyl is thicker than dry back because it requires a click system on the edge of the plank for installation. This type of flooring is known as a floating product (no adhesive) and is installed onto an underlay (1 mm.)
An expansion gap between 3 mm-5 mm is necessary but can vary depending on the manufacturers recommendation. Clear or colour match silicone can be applied to fill this gap. Alternatively colour match beading can be installed.
Many manufacturers recommend click vinyl as an option for uneven floors but there are limitations to this. And so it is always best to check with the manufacture.
Most manufactures provide step by step instructions and guidance for installing their product, making it an excellent option for DIY.
Although click vinyl is available in most wood or stone/tile styles, design strips or borders aren’t possible due to the way it is installed.
Which ever design you choose, vinyl flooring is an excellent choice for your home; providing a unique and creative look, that will last for many years.