Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring has increased in popularity over the last few years. It is easy to install and is easy to maintain in both residential and commercial environments. It is hygienic, suitable for high traffic areas as it is highly durable, it does not mark easily and it is “watertight” preventing water from damaging it. They offer a much warmer and softer feel than tiles but are probably as durable.
There are various types of vinyl options available:
Glue down vinyl floor tiles, vinyl sheeting or vinyl planks are glued down to a flat concrete surface with adhesive and then a roller is used to secure the flooring and ensure it does not lift. A flat concrete surface is essential for laying glue downs and usually an additional cost must be taken into consideration for self-levelling screeding. The Gerflor product is a cost effective vinyl glue down sheeting that we offer.
Luxury Vinyl Planks (LVP’s), use a click system and come in varying qualities and many appear to look and feel like a wooden laminate floor. The planks are also waterproof and are fitted in a similar way to laminates. Many do not require underlay as they have a cushioned backing. No adhesive is used in the laying process. They may be laid over tiles if grouting is not to thick or deep.
In high humidity conditions, wet areas and when customers have pets who scratch, vinyl’s are recommended rather than laminates.
Laminate Flooring
While vinyl and laminate may appear to be similar products, they are actually very different. While laminates are durable, they can scratch or mark more easily and are not watertight or waterproof as they are a wood composite. However, like vinyl they are also much easier to maintain than carpets.
There are various qualities of laminates and they are graded AC3/4/5. AC3 is the entry level for domestic and light commercial use. There are laminates that are also specifically designed for commercial high-traffic use.
Laminate is a click floor system and an underlay is used to prevent it from being spongy and noisy to walk on. Adhesive is not used to glue the planks down, so they are easy to fit, lift and remove or replace. They can be cheaper than vinyl as the subfloor does not need to be perfectly flat.
Both laminate and vinyl flooring may last for between 15 and 25 years! We recommend and use top quality European options as they usually fit better and are more durable.
For further information or a free quote please contact us below: