Details about Luxury Vinyl Tile
Choosing new flooring may be overwhelming, as anybody who has done so will attest. When it comes to selecting a style, there is no shortage of options. Luxury vinyl tile, often known as LVT, is a fantastic alternative to consider. With LVT, you get the beauty of most flooring materials with the durability and long-term performance of vinyl tile. Unlike vinyl of your youth, this vinyl may be cut and placed to look like ceramic tile, stone, or wood, with the additional advantage of water and damage resistance..
For the time being, my family is looking for a new place to call home. Floors are important to us since this is our first home, and we learnt this early on in our house tours. We decided whether or not we desired a home based on its composition, color, and pattern.
Carpeting and wood flooring are both lovely, and each person has their own set of advantages and drawbacks to weigh when making a flooring decision. Things in my own family led us to look for something new. 🙂
Things are spilled on us since we don’t get along with carpet very well. Often.
Water, scratches, and ordinary wear may rapidly ruin our present wood floors. •
Keeping up with the upkeep that natural flooring requires is not something we want to include into our budget.
Later, we went to a home with luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) all over it a few weeks ago. As soon as we walked in, we were immediately enamored with its varying shades of blue, along with its kitchen, which featured similar flooring in a different colour. Finally, our lightbulb moment had arrived:
- Today’s LVT resembles real wood and stone in appearance.
- The many colors and patterns available in LVT make it simple to tie a full home design together.
At this point in our life, we can’t afford LVT’s polished style and high-end aesthetic.
It was just what we were looking for, plus it has the wear resistance we need with two kids and a dog running around.
A flooring specialist can help you choose the right design and material for your home’s needs if you’re in the market for a new floor like I am. A professional can tell you which of your favorites will work best for you and your lifestyle by taking measurements of your rooms and inspecting the slope and composition of your floor. Learn more about why LVT is such a popular choice for flooring in the following paragraphs.
What Is Luxury Vinyl Flooring?
Because of its long lifetime and low-maintenance needs, LVT is an excellent choice for my family. An aluminum oxide layer covers the wear layer, which is formed of transparent PVC, and protects the surface and texture of the tile. LVT is a hard flooring that is constructed of many layers.
Consider the thickness of the wear layer of LVT while selecting a material. Depending on the application, the thickness of LVT may range from 6 to 30 millimeters. LVT’s wear layer protects the vinyl image layer and prevents deep gouges or rips, keeping the LVT in good condition for many years.
The vinyl image layer is where the visual appeal is found. There are various options for pictures or colors, and the clear finish on top adds depth, making the tiles remarkably realistic copies of both natural and artificial materials, including the following:
- Wood
- Tiles made of ceramic
- Limestone, granite, and sandstone are
- Bamboo
- Fabric
- Cement
- Art
- Patterned fabric
There are a wide variety of color choices to choose from when it comes to LVT, which is similar to most other flooring materials. Tiles or long planks (LVP) of LVT are available, and you may even have it highly embossed or textured to further avoid slippage or to enhance the floor’s look.
Options for Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl isn’t all created equal. The term brings back memories of my childhood house and the bright red vinyl floor in the kitchen. A bright yellow linoleum floor was installed exactly on top of the previous one. Vinyl’s biggest downside is its inability to withstand gouging, denting, warping, and scuffing, despite the fact that design choices have increased dramatically over time.
With LVT, the vinyl may be created in practically any pattern, and the additional layers of protection will handle the wear and tear of daily usage over time. You can’t harm the vinyl print layer, which is resistant to fading. LVT is also more affordable than wood or stone because of its lower cost. Natural materials need constant polishing and refinishing because of the high expense of maintaining them. Unlike wood or stone, LVT is impervious to stains and dampness.
Adding LVT is a low-cost solution to give your house a fresh, polished appearance while also updating your interior quickly and affordably.
Maintenance and Repair of LVT
Grouting further improves the “real-looking” appearance of LVT since LVT may be placed much like tile or wood planks. Over time, it needs extremely little upkeep, making it a long-lasting and durable material.
The procedure for putting up new LVT flooring
You may begin the installation procedure as soon as you have picked a flooring specialist and your LVT. So, be prepared to leave the rooms alone until your flooring specialist advises you it’s okay to walk on the floors again throughout the remodeling. The flooring firm is likely to provide the following services:
- Remove the old flooring.
- Fill up any holes, seams, or low points in the subfloor.
Allow the LVT to be put just below the base trim by removing doors and base trim if required.
The quality of your subfloor will determine whether you need to install vinyl or plywood underlayment.
- Make a mark on the floor to indicate where the first tile should go.
A “click lock” mechanism or tile adhesive may be used to secure the tiles in place.
- A roller is used to set the LVT.
- Grout
How to take care of your new LVT floor coverings
Cleaning and maintaining LVT is far easier than cleaning and keeping natural flooring. Your LVT will look great for many years to come if you maintain it according to the same rules that apply to any other hard floor surface.
- Vacuum or sweep the floor every day.
LVT-specific cleaners should be used.
- Use just a little amount of water at a time
- As soon as possible, clean up any spills that occur.
With a vinyl floor finish or sealer, you can disguise any deep scratches or scuffs on the floor.
The broken or scratched tiles may be replaced one by one if required.
Does LVT Hard Surface Flooring Fit Your Lifestyle?
The richness, color, tone, and pattern of the material have a significant role in flooring. If you’ve chosen to go with a hard surface floor, you should obviously consult a flooring expert. A 3-D representation of renovation options may also be available to help you better picture the finished outcome. Your alternatives will be clarified at the very least if you consult with an expert.
More and more designs and colors are becoming available for LVT, making it a serious rival in the flooring industry. There are even LVT designs that appear like cloth, and that’s something I’ve never seen before in a home’s flooring. I saw a light blue burlap version, and it was stunning. There is nothing wrong with preferring the look and feel of real wood, stone, or tile. No matter what kind of flooring you pick, it will be an expensive undertaking if it is not properly installed by a professional. Make sure you acquire all the warranty information after the installation is complete.
If you’re looking for new flooring because of wetness, excessive foot traffic, or a lot of tiny messes, LVT may be the best option for you. I’m eager to see what LVT and LVP have to offer, and I’m sure you’ll be too. It’s gorgeous, sturdy, long-lasting, and multifunctional, so you can bet it’ll be in my next house. I can’t wait.