Every fashionable and expensive finishing has advantages and disadvantages – let’s talk about luxury vinyl flooring pros and cons.
The vinyl flooring is very expansive, but his doesn’t mean it has no disadvantages. This article contains lists of main benefits of the vinyl flooring and its weak sides – the luxury vinyl flooring pros and cons statistics.
Advantages of vinyl flooring
The variety of colors and textures of this material is huge. Every major manufacturer produces about 150 kinds of product. Most often, it is an imitation of wood or stone, but you will also find the latest collections of highly original colors. Vinyl floors will let everyone represent their taste. So, choosing the proper picture is not difficult.- Ease of operation. The vinyl coating does not require any additional maintenance costs and it is very easy to clean (you will need only vinegar).
- The material is very strong. With the stacking technology, the flooring will serve you for 15-20 years. Vinyl plank flooring or tiles are both dyed homogeneous throughout the thickness, and therefore, scratches on them will not be very noticeable. Abrasion of the material is virtually impossible. Printed vinyl flooring’s wear resistance depends on the thickness of the protective layer. While buying the coverage, it is better to give preference to models of famous USA and UK companies being well-established in the market.
Easy installation. Everyone can cope with the laying of this floor covering. Self-adhesive tile models are super popular nowadays, while plank flooring requires the application of a special composition. Both types of flooring are fairly easy to stow – the process does not require any special skills.- Maintainability. If you manage to damage the part of the flooring for some reason, it will be enough to remove the damaged tile and replace it with a new one.
- Nice texture. Vinyl floors are always warm enough. It is very pleasant to walk on it barefoot. It also has special anti-slip top layer, which makes coating even and safe. Use only as much water as it is required for cleaning. After the cleaning process, wipe the flooring with a dry cloth.
Disadvantages of vinyl flooring
Combustion toxicity. Despite the fact that this material is not particularly relates to a fuel, in case of fire it becomes very dangerous. The fact that the combustion process evolves toxic – if a person inhales vinyl substance only for a few times, he will lose consciousness.- The so-called “burnout”. Sometimes cheaper models can change color under sunlight – become yellowish or paler. It should be noted, that the protective layer of more expensive models makes them resistant to “burnout”.
- Chemical stains. As mentioned above, vinyl coated is fine to be washed, but there are some types of contaminants that are very hard removed from the flooring They occur most often in contact with the rubber. This may be a trace of a rubber mat or the heel taps. If you do not remove this mark immediately, covering discoloration will become irreversible.
Toxic “evaporation”. For the first time after the installation cheaper models can release volatile organic compounds into the air – it has a negative impact on the human body. In order to avoid such effect, be sure to ask the seller to show you a certificate of conformity.- Hard disposal. Being artificial material, vinyl covering is not decomposed naturally. This material is very rarely becomes the object of recycling, so the discarded vinyl will accumulate in landfills. The production process of the material can not be called environmentally friendly, too. For its production they use non-renewable natural resources.
- High requirements for surface preparation. Being a very plastic material, vinyl flooring eventually takes the form of a base.
