EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VINYL FLOORING

What is Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring is available in a wide range of designs, textures as well as thicknesses for both residential and commercial uses. It is a soft sheet or tile that attaches to underlayment adhesive. Vinyl is made of a mixture of PVC and plasticizers. Those flooring tiles are non-asbestos with different combinations of elegance, warmth, charm, or richness of natural products like marble and wood. Vinyl is also ideally suited for installation in residential, commercial, and public areas such as offices, restaurants, shopping areas, and schools where only low maintenance and rich-looking flooring solutions are required.

Vinyl Flooring Structure

Vinyl Flooring comes in four layers. The top layer is UV special surface treatment acts as the inhibition of bacteria, dirt resistance, easier to clean and also prevent discoloration. Secondly, protective wear layer. It is to get rid of wear and tear resistance. Thirdly, the printing layer. It is a realistic material texture and in a natural style and guarantees the stability of size as well as act as crush resistance. Lastly, underlayer PVC backing. It is to maintain the size stability of flooring regardless in hot or humid environments and glue on top of the subfloor.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Flooring -Rubber Flooring

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PVC vinyl has a core that is made up of three separate elements which are included felt, paper, and vinyl foam which are then covered with a protective layer. In the case of textured vinyl planks, an inhibitor is often applied. PVC vinyl flooring is the thinnest vinyl flooring at between 3mm and 5mm which makes it more flexible; however, it is also less forgiving of imperfections in the subfloor. This is a very soft and pliable vinyl due to its construction, so it is much more prone to dents. There are a variety range of colors and designs for you to choose since they are not natural woods.

Types of Vinyl Flooring

1) Glue down type Vinyl & Installation Method

The glue-down installation method involves the use of an adhesive to adhere your dry back luxury vinyl flooring to its base. Using an adhesive creates dimensional stability that ensures the flooring maintains its natural characteristics. It is often seen as the more traditional form of the floor, modern glue down vinyl still has all the upsides that make luxury vinyl easy to maintain, pet-friendly, and good for rooms like kitchens and bathrooms – which is probably why you’re considering it for your home.

Before installing glue-down type vinyl, just make sure the subfloor is clean and smooth. The flatter your subfloor, the better the finish you will achieve. Ideally, your subfloor must have no more than a 3mm deviation under a 2m straightedge when laid across the surface, less than 3mm will give less visible undulations as light reflects from the surface. Apply the glue to the surface of subfloor and wait for it to dry. After this, just stick the vinyl onto the floor.

Pros

More durable, long-lasting, and reliable type of vinyl plank flooring.
Easy to replace or repair and can be done one plank at a time
Affordable option
A better option for high traffic areas that will have rolling traffic

Cons

Vinyl is a synthetic material that is non-biodegradable and hard to recycle. Most vinyl flooring will end up in landfills.
Softer material than most laminates, hardwoods, and tiles.
Vinyl flooring can be punctured easily with very sharp objects

2) Interlock-system Vinyl & Installation Method

Floating vinyl plank flooring simply lays over the sub-floor in a “floating” fashion. They don’t have any adhesive tape or glue on the back of them. This makes this type of flooring much easier to install. It can be a DIY project. And, if you wanted to replace the floor, it was much easier to rip up.

Since it can be DIY, it is simple to be installed. PE foam isn’t needed for the interlock-system vinyl, and we can install it onto the tiles. The thickness of interlock-system vinyl normally comes at 5mm. First, determine the design that you like and position them on the floor before you install them. Then you’ll need to prep your planks. Make sure you acclimate them before installation.

Vinyl floating floors come with interlocking mechanisms so you can simply snap the next plank into place against your first installed plank. A rubber mallet is needed to secure the planks into place if there are any gaps between them.
Do not install the Vinyl on the parquet flooring too. Self-leveling is required if the subfloor is not flat at all before installing Vinyl flooring.

Pros

Easier to install
Thicker than the glue-down options generally are and is less likely to have issues with the top layer coming off over time.
More waterproof than glued-down flooring
The installation process is eco-friendly

Cons

Cannot be refurbished. Frequent changes in moisture and temperature can cause the flooring to expand and contract and, over time can damage the floor.

How to clean vinyl flooring?

The best way to clean vinyl flooring is to sweep away debris with a soft-bristle broom and then wipe away dirt with a damp microfiber mop. Most importantly, don’t use strong and harmful detergents (bleach) on your floating vinyl floor. Instead, use a natural disinfectant such as vinegar mixed with water to disinfect and clean your floors.

How to know how many packs of vinyl floorings that you need?

1) First thing first, calculate the area that you wish to cover with vinyl flooring.
Eg: Nett Area: 150 sqft [15ft (length) x 10ft (width)]
2) Add between 5%-10% wastage round-up with the total area.
3) Divide that by how many square feets per boxes.
4) Lastly, you will know how many cartons of floorings that you need to purchase.

What are the differences between Vinyl flooring and Laminate flooring?

There are a lot of similarities between Vinyl and Laminate floorings. However, there are some significant differences between the two. Vinyl is entirely synthetic while laminates commonly from natural materials. Vinyl has some advantages that laminate does not have, which is heat-resistant and waterproof. These are important as they determine where you should install these two different types of floorings. Also, you can find PVC options that resemble everything from wide-plank wood flooring to a thin-strip parquet.

In a nutshell, vinyl is a better choice when you need water resistance, a longer lifespan, and durability in your flooring. Meanwhile, laminate is preferable if you want a more stylish appearance, lower costs, and a comfortable feel underfoot.

How long is Vinyl Flooring supposed to last?

Vinyl floors can last anywhere from 10 to 25 years, depending on their quality and how they're installed and maintained.

What is the cost of Vinyl Flooring?

The price of vinyl flooring is different. It depends on the type of vinyl which are including glued-down vinyl and interlocking system vinyl. It is normally around RM5 for the former and RM8 for the latter. Same with other floorings, it may increase depends on the quality of vinyl as well.

To get a more accurate quote, feel free to send your inquiries to Floor Culture FB page.

Still confuse about which type of vinyl flooring is right for you? Don’t be hesitate! Just get in touch with our flooring experts: