When it comes to versatility, vinyl flooring has it all, making it suitable to be installed anywhere inside your house. It beats other flooring hands down for durability, style, choice and easy maintenance - and the best thing is that it offers great value! Though traditional vinyl sheets on rolls were introduced after the second world war, the real innovation came as technologies developed through the 1970s, and modern luxury vinyl flooring has realistic wood, stone or tile appearances and textures.
Engineered vinyl flooring is very well-equipped for high-traffic and high-moisture areas, making it a great choice for all spaces, including bathrooms, kitchens, living areas and hallways. There is a wide range of style options, finishes, colours and sizes of planks available, including herringbone vinyl boards to create stunning contemporary designs.
Once you have decided that luxury vinyl flooring would be perfect for your home, the next consideration is which type of product is right for your space. Although all vinyl floor types are relatively easy to lay, the main difference is whether you use a glue down or click installation method.
Styles of Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl Planks
Vinyl planks create a realistic appearance of hardwood floors, without the high-cost and high-maintenance and with the added benefit of moisture control. Vinyl planks can be found in a wide range of sizes and wood finishes, with colours ranging from natural wood to greys and whites.
Vinyl Tiles
Luxury Vinyl Tiles, also abbreviated to LVT flooring, can be found with the natural appearance and finish of any flooring tiles including different materials such as ceramics, granites, limestone, marble, slate and travertine. With its superior moisture properties, vinyl tiles offer a great alternative for areas such as bathrooms and kitchens with a warmer and softer feel underfoot.
Vinyl Flooring Types: As mentioned earlier, there are several types of modern engineered vinyl flooring and a lot of different descriptor words used. The main differentiation is the method of installation.
Click Vinyl Flooring
Click Vinyl flooring is fast becoming the flooring of choice for house builders and home-owners alike. It’s a great choice for high-traffic areas as it is highly durable, warm and water resistant, making it particularly ideal for bathroom and kitchen flooring. Some include a built-in underlay and the click lock mechanism makes installations quick and simple even for the DIY novice. It can also be laid over most sub-floors with little or no preparation and no adhesives are required so it is usable immediately. It also makes it very effortless to remove and you can reuse the flooring again. Click vinyl flooring is easy to clean and comes in a wide range of styles and colours, including wood, stone and tile finishes.
Glue Down Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Glue down vinyl flooring also comes in a wide variety of styles, colours and finished but it requires a separate adhesive to install. This can create a much more stable feel to the floor than a click, floating floor – but it is more tricky to lay and really needs a professional floor fitter to ensure a good finish. This flooring is also much harder to remove when you want to change your flooring or maybe replace a damaged section.
Self-Adhesive Vinyl Flooring
Similar to the glue down variants in so much as they are stuck to the sub-floor, but the adhesive is integral to the boards. The covering film needs to be removed and then the board can be positioned and pressure applied to stick it in place. They are easier to remove than the glue down vinyl boards as you can heat the surface gently using a hairdryer and then cut small sections away.
See our range of Pro-Tek engineered vinyl flooring at One Step Beyond Flooring– a superior click vinyl available in planks and herringbone, with 48 style and colour options to choose from plus a full range of matching accessories. 100% waterproof and with a built-in underlay, making installation easy and quick.
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