What you need to know before buying vinyl flooring

Vinyl is one of the most popular forms of flooring material around. The primary reason for this is that it offers a hard-wearing choice that will not stretch the budgets of most home or business owners.

Vinyl is also a material that is quite easy to keep clean. This saves on both money and time, regardless of whether it is for a house or commercial premises. Then, there is the fact that it comes in many different designs depending on your taste. There are some points that you should know before buying vinyl flooring – read on to discover them.

What is vinyl flooring?

Vinyl flooring is made out of a material with the name polyvinyl chloride resin, and it is completely synthetic.

You may have heard that this contains elements that can be a health risk, but that is not true. Those were removed from the formula a long time ago. It is now completely safe to have fitted in a home or the premises of a business, as well as being environmentally friendly.

What kinds of vinyl flooring are there?

By this we do not mean the design of the vinyl, but the type. Essentially, there are two basic kinds of vinyl for floors – tiles and sheets – and it will be important to figure out which is most suitable for your needs.

Sheet vinyl tends to be a single piece of flooring that is cut and fitted to the room it is going in. By contrast, tiled vinyl floors involve laying each tile individually, and they simulate the appearance of a ceramic tiled floor.

On the whole, a sheet vinyl floor is both cheaper and quicker to install. Thus, if getting the floors in place as quickly and cost-effectively as possible is your primary consideration, it will be the most suitable choice.

What’s the quality like?

Vinyl is a fairly durable flooring material, but better-quality vinyl will obviously last for longer. Fortunately, there is an easy way to establish its quality.

To do so, look at how thick the vinyl is. High-quality vinyl flooring should have a minimum thickness of around 3.5mm.

Cheap vinyl will be a lot thinner than that, often no more than 1.1mm. A floor like that will not last very long, especially if the room it is fitted in is used a lot.

The thickness rule applies equally to tiles and sheet vinyl. Luxury vinyl tiling (LVT) is a more expensive variation that guarantees quality and durability.

Where do you purchase vinyl flooring?

It will always be the most sensible option to buy your vinyl floors from a specialist flooring provider. When you’re choosing which company to buy from, look at how long they have been in business and what previous customers have to say about their services.

Availability should also be a consideration, as you want to be able to contact them and get a quick response if there any queries or issues.

How is it fitted?

If you have chosen sheet vinyl flooring for your home or commercial space, the job of fitting it will be quite simple. The pieces of vinyl are usually cut to fit the shape and size of the room using something like a Stanley knife.

Tiled vinyl is also not particularly difficult to install, but does take a bit longer because each tile must be fitted individually. As with tiles made of ceramics, vinyl ones generally have click-fit edges, but if that is not the case, wet adhesive is the best way to stick them to the floor.

Another point to bear in mind is that vinyl must be fitted on completely flat floors. If the floor surface is uneven, it can either be fixed using levelling compound or an underlay can be put down before the vinyl.

The company you buy the flooring from should be able to install it for you.

What styles are available?

A big reason for the widespread use of vinyl on the floors of both homes and businesses is the number of different styles that are available. Vinyl can simulate almost any other surface material.

One example of this is wood-effect vinyl. This accurately replicates the look of a wooden floor, but is much cheaper and more resistant to damage. Both dark and light wood styles are available.

How can it be cleaned?

Vinyl can be cleaned very easily and quickly. Either a vacuum cleaner or a mop will deal with most marks and stains, as long as you buy good-quality flooring.

These are the points that you need to be aware of if you are considering opting for vinyl floors. There are flooring firms that have served the North of England and Wales for years that you can speak to for more guidance.