Vinyl Flooring: A Review of the New Synthetic Flooring
The number of types of floor coverings presented on the modern market amounts to tens, or even hundreds. And through the use of new technologies and the introduction of new equipment, this list is updated daily. Among the latest inventions, vinyl flooring is really noteworthy.
Today, there are two types of vinyl floors:
- Simple vinyl tiles.
- Self-adhesive tiles.
The main difference between them is the way of laying. Based on the name it’s clear that the self-adhesive is equipped with a special layer that allows you to fix the tile without using glue. Naturally, self-gluing finds the greatest response among consumers, and we will pay attention to it in the framework of this article.
Benefits of this flooring
Despite the fact that the vinyl flooring is not natural, it is characterized by environmental safety. Vinyl flooring, immediately after the appearance of building and finishing materials on the market, quickly gained a large consumer audience. A lot of consumers note such positive parameters of this material:
Wear resistance
On average, manufacturers for this type of product give a guarantee of 25-30 years, and in the column "Wear resistance" indicate 42 class. This quality is ensured by the presence of vinyl, which is known for its high strength. Thus, vinyl flooring can be laid not only in living rooms, but also in commercial premises with high traffic. Thanks to its elasticity and flexibility, the coating can easily withstand shock and other mechanical stresses.
Moisture resistant
The coating is practically not afraid of moisture, and this fact compares it favorably with its closest competitors - laminate and natural parquet. Even when water enters the floor in large quantities, vinyl tiles are not subject to deformation. This means that it can be safely laid in the bathroom, in the kitchen or in another room with high humidity.
To facilitate the care of such parquet, its surface is rubbed with a special polyurethane or polyurethane substance.
Whichever coating you choose, it is necessary to choose the appropriate accessories for it - skirting boards, sills, rings, expansion joints and other details. Let's talk about this in the article:https://floor.expertexpro.com/en/pol-pokritiya/parket/vybiraem-parketnuyu-furnituru.html.
Slip protection
Due to its resistance to moisture and the processing of coatings by special means, the vinyl tile floor does not slip, which means that it is endowed with another very important quality - safety.
Easy installation
Such a floor covering is so easy to fit that anyone can do this work on their own. Thus, one more advantage can be stated - profitability, since it saves time and money on the face. Vinyl tiles can be laid on any foundation, including the old floor, without the need for preliminary preparation, no substrate or special glue is required. If necessary, such parquet can be dismantled without unnecessary effort.
Vinyl is an antibacterial substance, it absorbs dirt and bacteria, is endowed with antiallergenicity and antistatic. Manufacturers emphasize these qualities.
Fire resistance and inertness to hostile environment
In terms of fire resistance, vinyl tile belongs to class B1, that is, it does not support combustion. And she is not exposed to chemically aggressive environments.
If you are thinking about choosing office flooring, then our comparative review will help you with this:https://floor.expertexpro.com/en/pol-pokritiya/napolnoe-pokrytie-dlya-ofisa.html.
Noise isolation and low thermal conductivity
Vinyl flooring able to retain heat. It is very effective if laid on the so-called "warm floor" and does not deform when exposed to high temperatures. Additional sound insulation is also not relevant.
It is worth noting another obvious advantage - visual appeal. Moreover, it is one of the key positive characteristics. If necessary, the manufacturer will produce vinyl tiles for an individual order - a certain shape and color. Thus, a room with vinyl flooring will bring joy and pleasant sensations, as well as serve for many years.
Bamboo flooring is a fairly fresh solution for flooring. What are the advantages of this flooring and how does it differ from traditional wood? You will learn about this in the material:https://floor.expertexpro.com/en/pol-pokritiya/parket/bambukovyj-parket-otzyvy.html.
Component composition and technical parameters
Vinyl flooring means tiles consisting of 2 parts:
- The bottom layer is made from durable vinyl.
- The upper (decorative) layer imitating the structure of a tree and having a ceramic protective layer.
The lower part of the tile relative to the upper one is shifted down and to the left. At the place of displacement is the adhesive tape. The GripStrip technology used during installation, which implies installation on adhesive tape, provides a flexible floor structure, known as the “floating floor”. The composition of the top homogeneous PVC coating, 60-80% of which is made of natural quartz, includes vinyl, and additives include plasticizers, pigments, stabilizers, etc. It is thanks to these components that vinyl tile has high performance characteristics.
The thickness of the tiles from different manufacturers can be different in the range of 1.6-3.2 mm. In the vast majority of cases, vinyl parquet tiles have a rectangular shape with overall dimensions of 300x215 and 600x215. However, if you plan to create patterns or color combinations using this flooring, then in the retail network you can easily find square or triangular tiles.
