Luxury Vinyl Tile & Laminates

Vinyl flooring today can take several forms, including sheet flooring, vinyl composite tiles, and a newer product, known as luxury vinyl tiles or planks (known as either LVT or LVF). Whatever type of vinyl flooring, vinyl has several distinct advantages in todays market;

• Durability

Vinyl flooring is a surprisingly tough material, even though it is slightly soft underfoot.

• Water Resistance

The main reason that vinyl flooring is popular in bathrooms and kitchens is because it is resistant to moisture, steam, and humidity. Water is largely unable to penetrate the surface of this material to do damage to the subfloor, although it can be slightly vulnerable at the seams.

• Easy Maintenance

Vinyl flooring is very easy to clean. It is resistant to dirt, stains, scratches, and punctures, although it can be pierced if heavy furniture legs are not outfitted with protective pads. It may also yellow slightly if it is exposed to constant direct sunlight (although high-quality products have UV protection). Be aware that rugs containing rubber backing may cause a chemical reaction that can stain vinyl.

The durable construction of VCT ensures lasting beauty in high-traffic areas, while flowing linear patterns, organic looks, and densely patterned earth tones effectively mask scuffs and soil in busy commercial spaces.  Available in a large number of colors, shapes and sizes, this tile can help you execute your design vision for any business.

VCT is distinguished by the fact that its primary raw ingredient is limestone, a naturally abundant material. Almost 65 percent of vinyl composition tile is made of limestone. This is referred to as a “filler” material. The tile is a mixture of natural pulverized limestone, filler materials, thermoplastic binders, and color pigments. It is made by fusing these materials into solid sheets, then cutting them into tiles. VCT generally requires surface polishing to protect its porous surface, and thus it is not as low maintenance as sheet vinyl, which requires only routine sweeping and mopping.

High maintenance costs can cause the lifetime cost of a VCT installation to exceed that of other forms of vinyl flooring. And while VCT comes in a variety of colors and patterns, it doesn’t meet the same level of texture and design versatility available in other types of vinyl flooring.  VCT is most commonly used in high-traffic commercial applications and public spaces, such as retail stores and schools. It is known for being highly durable and easy to maintain and all for less cost than most other material alternatives.

Vinyl tile is generally glued down to an underlayment, with either a towel-on adhesive for commercial use.

Vinyl sheet flooring offers the subtle beauty and warmth of organic visuals in a versatile resilient floor.

Sheet vinyl flooring consists of a continuous sheet of polymer materials manufactured in widths of about 6 to 16 feet. It is manufactured with a digital graphics “film” layer of PVC that gives the flooring its pattern and color, which is then bonded to a base layer of felt or fibrous material. Over the top, there is a protective outerwear layer to protect the PVC layer.  Because it comes in large rolls, sheet vinyl has few seams and is much better at repelling water.

There are a number of ways sheet vinyl can be installed, including full glue-down application, bonding it at the perimeter, or even “floating” it over the underlayment.

Vinyl sheet flooring generally costs slightly more than tile.

In the past decade or so, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) has taken the flooring industry by storm. LVT has proven over time to be able to withstand heavy traffic loads common to commercial applications. In our experience, restaurants, offices and daycares only replace their LVT because they want to change the design, not because it wore out. And because LVT is much quicker to install and cheaper than many of the materials it imitates, it’s a good way to cut flooring costs in a commercial construction project.

LVT has become one of the most versatile commercial flooring products on the market today.

Although LVT probably is recommended for high-impact industrial or commercial kitchen environments, it’s plenty durable to withstand the foot traffic, abrasions and spills of any office, hospital or school application. Especially in comparison with other resilient flooring products, LVT is more flexible and aesthetically appealing for commercial applications.

With LVT, the design possibilities are endless. It’s available in a wide range of sizes, colors and patterns to mimic almost any material from ceramic tiles to hardwood to terrazzo, and everything in between.

LVT offers endless design possibilities making it a popular choice.  It’s available in a wide range of sizes, colors and patterns to mimic almost any material from ceramic tiles to hardwood to terrazzo.  It’s flexible, durable and has proven to be able to withstand heavy traffic loads in commercial applications.  LVT is also a much quicker product to install and cheaper than many of the materials it imitates, making it cost effective for commercial projects.