What to think about before buying vinyl flooring for your home.
1. The Type of Room
Usage
To understand whether a certain type of flooring is right for your home, ask yourself what kind of room it’s being installed in. Is it prone to humidity and moisture, like a bathroom or kitchen? Is it for your basement? Vinyl flooring is suitable for rooms that are exposed to moisture regularly. This means you don’t need to worry about liquid spills, water or moisture damage, making it an ideal solution for virtually any room.
Foot Traffic
When thinking about how the room will be used, consider foot traffic. If you’re looking for flooring for rooms that experience heavy foot traffic, it’s best to choose a vinyl with a high wear layer. If you want vinyl flooring for a room with minimal traffic, thickness and wear layer aren’t major concerns.
2. Hybrid, Luxury or Traditional
There are three primary types of vinyl flooring: hybrid, luxury and traditional. Their traits, such as whether they’re waterproof, easily cleaned and durable, vary as each has a different structure, constitution and manufacturing process.
Hybrid Vinyl: This long-lasting and sturdy type has the appearance of luxury planks. It varies from others as it’s produced with a rigid limestone core to offer higher durability and resistance to impact.
Luxury Vinyl: This type offers a more realistic appearance by replicating the appearance of timber or natural stone. It comes in the form of planks of varying thickness.
Traditional Vinyl: Its cushioned backing offers a much softer feeling underfoot. Fortunately, this doesn’t affect its durability. It’s generally available in sheet form, making it easy to install in most rooms, and is also the most cost-effective variety.
3. Style and Decor Goals
Vinyl flooring’s versatility means it can be installed in rooms of various styles of decor. Technological advances have allowed manufacturers to produce beautiful textures and mimic other materials such as hardwood, tile and cement.
If you prefer vinyl planks, you can choose from standard plank widths or order customized ones. Both square and bevelled edges are available.
No matter the style you’re looking for, you’ll be astonished at how vinyl flooring can completely transform any space.
4. Sheet or Tile
Vinyl flooring is widely available in two forms – tiles and sheets. The tiles are available in 9 or 12 square inches, can be made to mimic the appearance of ceramic tiles, and are a fraction of the cost of sheets.
Alternatively luxury vinyl tiles stimulate the appearance of real wood or stone and are available in planks that are 7 inches wide and 48 inches long. Vinyl sheets on the other hand are 6 to 12 feet wide and need to be laid down on the flooring. They’re extremely easy to install and water resistant.
5. Comfort
With vinyl flooring, there are a couple of things you need to consider in terms of your floor’s comfort.
Thickness
Thicker vinyl feels softer underfoot. Alternatively, thinner vinyl installed on your subfloor will make you feel as though you’re walking on the subfloor itself.
Underlayment
When opting for click-lock plank vinyl flooring, you could also choose vinyl underlayment. You can also choose vinyl with an attached underlayment. This impacts the floor’s softness, especially when it’s installed over a concrete subfloor. An attached underlayment also means you don’t have to purchase the underlayment separately.
6. Cost
Vinyl is one of the most affordable flooring materials. On average, it can be purchased and installed anywhere between $2 to $12 per square foot. Luxury vinyl tiles tend to cost between $3 to $ 14 per square foot, including installation. Compared to ceramic, stone or wood flooring, vinyl can save homeowners a considerable sum of money. Depending on the complexity of the project, you can expect to save $1 to $2 per square foot compared to other flooring materials.
It’s best to choose a type of vinyl flooring with traits and composition to match your preferences and your home’s overall space. This requires time and due diligence. With so many options, you are sure to find something suitable.
