In a busy household, durability is no doubt on the top of your list when considering your flooring options. What if we told you that you could get something that is not only durable but stylish too? It's true – vinyl flooring could be the solution for you!
Vinyl flooring is a great option for any home, and with the incredible design advances that have been made over the years – you should forget everything you think you know about vinyl floors and read our guide to learn how to buy vinyl flooring.
WHAT IS VINYL FLOORING?
There are different components that make up vinyl flooring. We'll break them down for you to make it easy for you to understand and compare options for your home. Vinyl flooring is composed of several different layers:
- Top coat: This adds sheen as it protects the wear layer
- Wear layer: This safeguards the nice designer pattern to go with your home décor style
- Pattern layer: This is the sheet's color, design, character and/or pattern that complements your home's style.
- Cushion layer: This layer adds bounce and texture
- Fiberglass layer: This part keeps the sheet nice and flat
- Base layer: This last part supports all the above layers
UNDERSTANDING VINYL FLOORING THICKNESS & WEAR LAYER
When shopping for Vinyl Flooring you may see a lot of the above terms mentioned as selling features. In order to be best prepared when making your final selection – we've broken down a few more things you should be aware of when shopping for vinyl floors – Thickness & Wear Layers.
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THICKNESS
Besides the type of lifestyle and traffic the space will endure, considering the subfloor is important when buying vinyl floors. If you plan to have your new floor installed on a solid, level, smooth and dry concrete pad, then you won't need the thickest wear layer of vinyl that's available. But if you have an uneven subfloor in a space that's going to go through a lot of high traffic, the best range to get would be between 12 mil and 20 mil.
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WEAR LAYER
The wear layer is like the bodyguard of your floor. Its measurements are put in the thousands-of-an-inch, called mils. The more wear layer you have between your top coat and the decorative layer, the longer the floor is going to last. Twenty to 28-mil ratings are typically for higher traffic and commercial areas.
THE PROS OF VINYL FLOORING
Design
Vinyl flooring is very versatile and available in a variety of colors and styles. To that point, more and more homeowners are able to find patterns and designs that fit their personal design style due to the realistic visuals that mimic wood and stone.
Durability
Vinyl flooring is most known for its impressive durability. It stands up to heavy foot traffic and helps reduce noise. This makes it able to stand up to even the toughest family lifestyle, whether you have pets and/or children. Additionally, it provides a comfort for your feet that doesn't always come with other floors. It's also resistant to water, mildew, and stains. Liquid stays on the surface and is easily wiped away, so spills are never a big problem to clean up.
Easy to Clean
Using a vacuum or a dry mop on the floor will remove dust, hair, even dirt. Then you're ready to move onto a wet mop with a cleaning solution, as there are many solutions to choose from. If you're not sure of what the best one to use is, ask one of our helpful design experts. If you'd rather go the natural route, check out our other blog to follow more easy cleaning steps
Cost
Vinyl flooring is known for its low cost, especially when compared to other flooring options like hardwood. Also, if you're a DIY person, vinyl flooring is also so easy to install.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING VINYL FLOORING
With all the great things we've just shared with you about Vinyl Floors – we do have to share a few other things you should consider to make sure that Vinyl is the right material for your next project.
Subfloor Requirements
It is recommended that the subfloor of any vinyl floor installation be as perfectly smooth and flat as possible. Due to vinyl being "soft" – it will show any imperfections in the subfloor or any particles (Large or Small) that may get under the floor during installation will potentially cause lumps in the surface and over time can wear down the material itself causing tears and rips in the product.
Heavy Loads
Vinyl flooring doesn't 100% always stand up well to heavy loads and can be damaged by sharp objects. Let's face it, not everything is going to be 100% perfect, but vinyl flooring is quite close
Exposure to Sunlight
The other thing to be careful of is its exposure to direct sunlight. If it is, the sunlight could fade its color, so keep that in mind when deciding if it's right for the room you're remodeling.
Ultimately, when choosing flooring, you can rest assured that vinyl's performance is built to withstand the busiest lifestyle. Vinyl flooring is practical, easy to maintain, affordable and meant to last a long time in your home. So, make sure you come to visit one of our locations to see the durable material in person, it'll be worth the trip!
At Avalon Flooring, we want to make sure you're happy from your first step in our showroom to your first step on your new flooring—and as your partner in home design, we'll be there every step along the way. Consider us your "One-Stop Shopping" destination for all things flooring…(and window treatments)!
Our design consultants are equipped with the knowledge to guide you through the wide selection of products we offer, and our expert installation team is professionally trained to make sure everything gets installed the way you envision. We know your home is an expression of your sense of style, and we're here to make sure you'll be proud of it for years to come.
If you have any questions, please email us.
