Vinyl is – without a doubt – the most popular and widely used form of resilient flooring today.
Not all resilient flooring is vinyl, but all vinyl flooring is classified as “resilient flooring.” Other resilient flooring products like linoleum or rubber are sometimes seen in residential or commercial settings. Vinyl sheet flooring is often mistakenly referred to as “Linoleum,” a similar resilient flooring product that predates vinyl. For that reason, we have included it here as a subcategory of vinyl, but it is not a vinyl product.
Here is a brief description of the different types of vinyl flooring products that we offer at Cardoza flooring. Please come and visit our Milford New Hampshire showroom to see these resilient flooring products up close and personal!
This resilient flooring option has revolutionized the residential market and some higher-end commercial applications as well, such as banks or restaurants. LVT has all the advantages of sheet vinyl – clarity of color and easy care – as well as having unique advantages of its own. Being a layered tile product, it is much more durable and easy to install. The visual replication of natural stone or tile is uncanny. Some LVT products have a self-adhesive backing that do-it-yourselfers can appreciate. Although the cost of a good quality luxury vinyl tile tends to be higher than sheet vinyl or linoleum – it is considerably less than the cost of ceramic or stone floor tiles.
Just as the name says, this flooring product comes in sheets in widths of 6 and 12 feet. Sheet vinyl is much improved from linoleum in the brightness of color and ease of cleaning. The greatest advantage of installing sheet vinyl flooring in a kitchen or bathroom is a seamless floor. By limiting the number of seams on a floor, you are minimizing the risk of water or dirt particles working their way to the subfloor. Installing a sheet vinyl floor is not as easy as it seems. A template of the entire room is required to carefully lay out and cut the product – and there is no second chance when cutting vinyl!
People often say “linoleum” when referring to a kitchen floor that is rolled out in a sheet. Linoleum was the first resilient flooring product to be manufactured in sheets. First made in Great Britain around 1860 with linseed oil and lime on a backing made of cork or felt, and is still made the same way today. Linoleum is still a popular product today because of the renewable raw materials is made with. The drawback to linoleum as compared to sheet vinyl is that it can tend to yellow or look dirty over time if not properly maintained. And, as with any resilient sheet product, can be susceptible to tears and dents.
Vinyl composite tile are most often seen in commercial applications like retail stores, shopping centers, and schools. This tough and versatile flooring product is attractive to the commercial market because of the low cost and durability. It is not a “no-wax” flooring product, however, and requires regular waxing and maintenance to keep it shining and looking good.
