Everything You Need To Know About Vinyl Floors

Apr. 29, 2024

Everything You Need To Know About Vinyl Floors

Vinyl flooring is a synthetic material favored for its durability and functionality. It has become an increasingly popular flooring material in recent years because of its ability to fight off moisture and its versatile appearance. Plus, it’s one of the most affordable flooring options. Vinyl flooring can realistically mimic wood, stone, marble and a vast array of other luxury flooring materials.

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Vinyl flooring comprises several layers of materials. When pressed together, these materials form a water-resistant, long-lasting and relatively cheap covering for floors.

What’s In Vinyl Flooring?

Standard vinyl flooring usually consists of four layers of materials. The first, or bottom, layer of these is the backing layer, generally made of cork or foam. It is designed to serve as the underlayment for the vinyl flooring so that you do not have to install another material prior to laying down the vinyl flooring. Additionally, it functions as a cushion to make walking on the floor more comfortable and a sound barrier to keep noise at bay.

Above the backing layer sits the waterproof layer (assuming you are using waterproof vinyl). This layer is designed to absorb moisture without swelling or compromising the integrity of the floor. There are two types of waterproof layers: WPC, made from a wood and plastic deposit, and SPC, made from a stone and plastic deposit.

Above the waterproof layer is the design layer, which features a high-resolution printed image of your choosing. Many design layers are printed to resemble wood, marble, stone and other high-end materials.

Finally, there is the wear layer, which sits at the top of vinyl flooring and protects it from being harmed. High-traffic areas will need a thick wear layer in order to retain a long lifespan, while less walked-upon areas can handle a thinner wear layer.

Luxury vinyl flooring may have even more than four layers of materials, usually six to eight. These can include a clear top coat layer, which lends a sheen to the floor and provides extra protection for the wear layer, a cushion layer made of foam or felt engineered to make the floor comfortable to walk on and a fiberglass layer that supports the layers above it and helps the flooring lie as evenly and securely as possible.

Types of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl Plank

Vinyl planks are designed to resemble hardwood floors and come in designs that mimic many varieties of wood. Many people choose from the various types of vinyl planks because unlike wood, vinyl planks are water-resistant, stain-resistant and easy to maintain. This type of vinyl flooring is best for high-traffic areas that are prone to wear-and-tear.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tiles are designed to resemble stone or ceramic tiles. Like vinyl planks, they come in a wide variety of patterns and colors that mimic their naturally occurring counterparts. When installing vinyl tiles, some people even add grout in order to more closely replicate the effect of stone or ceramic tiles. Many people favor vinyl tile for small areas of their home because unlike stone tiles, vinyl tiles can easily be cut in order to fit in small spaces.

Vinyl Sheet

Unlike vinyl planks and tiles, vinyl sheets come in rolls up to twelve feet wide and can be laid down in one fell swoop. Most people choose vinyl sheets for large areas of their homes because of its affordability and durability.

Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile

With more layers than standard vinyl floors, luxury vinyl planks and tiles are around five times thicker than their counterparts. The additional material can lend a realism to the flooring, particularly when trying to mimic wood or stone. Luxury vinyl plank and tile are designed using 3D printers, making them an especially great choice if you’re trying to realistically replicate a naturally-occurring flooring material like wood or stone. Luxury vinyl plank and tile are generally more durable than standard vinyl flooring, with a lifespan of roughly 20 years.

Cost of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring costs, on average, between $0.50 and $2 per square foot, while vinyl plank and vinyl tiles cost $2 to $3 per square foot. Luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile cost between $2.50 and $5 per square foot.

Vinyl flooring installation will generally cost $36 to $45 an hour, with vinyl sheeting installation costs averaging at $3 per square foot and vinyl plank and tile installation costs at $7 per square foot.

Pros and Cons of Vinyl Flooring

Pros

Designed to last and can endure significantly more wear-and-tear than floors made from traditional materials
Cheaper than traditional flooring materials
Nearly infinite possibilities when it comes to design options, meaning you’ll have plenty to choose from when selecting a floor for your home
Relatively easy to install

Cons

Can be difficult to remove because its adhesive hardens against the floorboards.
Can be inconsistent, with some vinyl flooring measuring in as thin as 2 mm.

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Vinyl Flooring Factors to Consider

Foot Traffic

When deciding whether to install a vinyl floor, consider how much foot traffic takes place in the area of your house in question. Vinyl flooring is built to last and to handle significant wear and tear, making it a good choice for heavily-visited areas. Since some vinyl is significantly thicker than others, it’s important to consider how much protection the area in question will need.

Environment

Despite vinyl flooring’s reputation for being durable, there are a couple of circumstances where it just doesn’t hold up. It doesn’t stand up particularly well to heavy loads, for example, so you’ll want to avoid installing it in a place where you might be dealing with large equipment.

Vinyl flooring can also be damaged by sharp objects, so keep it away from anything that might scar its surface. Additionally, the color of vinyl flooring can fade after significant exposure to sunlight, so you’ll want to refrain from installing it outdoors or in an indoor/outdoor space.

Current Floor

Vinyl is more easily laid on some surfaces than others and works best on a preexisting smooth surface. Laying vinyl over a floor with pre-existing flaws, like an old hardwood floor, can be tricky, because those flaws will appear beneath the new vinyl floor, thereby depriving you of a smooth surface.

Vinyl flooring can be laid over an older layer of vinyl, but most manufacturers will advise against laying it over more than one layer of vinyl, as flaws in the material will begin to show through with time.

Similarly, while vinyl can be installed over concrete, the integrity of the floor is likely to be sacrificed. In many cases, you’ll be best off adding a layer of well-sanded plywood between your current floor and your new vinyl floor for the sake of a better feel underfoot and a more uniform look.

Bottom Line

Vinyl flooring is an affordable, adaptable, and durable option when it comes to floors. You’ll have to consider which type of vinyl flooring is right for your home and which parts of your home are the best candidates for vinyl flooring, but with a wide variety of options to choose from, you’re likely to find a way to make it work.

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Everything You Need To Know About Vinyl Floors

A mil is not a millimeter—Let's first clarify how vinyl wear-layers are measured, because this is one key point of misinformation.

With a couple exceptions, vinyl manufacturers are based in either Asia or Europe, and use the metric system. So even though some specifications are converted into inches for convenience (such as the width or length of the plank, for example), the original manufactured spec is always accurately measure as metric. Most American vinyl brands, however, convert the unit of measure to mil (one-thousandth of an inch). Unfortunately the word mil is conveniently similar to millimeter. What is not so convenient is that 1 mm is equal to roughly 40 mil. So for example, 0.5 mm is almost twice as thick as 12 mil. Confused yet? View chart of a range of wear-layers, listed in both mm and mil, and the typically offered commercial warranty (you should always ask for the commercial warranty--more on this later)

Installation Considerations

As you can see, the amount of use you get out of a vinyl floor can range dramatically. This is why it is important to consider the application of your project, and take into account the true life-cycle cost.

Every time you have to replace your floor, you have to consider not just the material cost, but also the cost of installation, baseboards, and any other related expenses. For example, in a typical commercial space.

Add in other indirect costs related to floor replacement (not to mention the general inconvenience), and it becomes readily apparent that the smart decision is virtually always to go for the thickest wear-layer you can afford.

Warranty

Here at Flooret, we make a big fuss about how the flooring industry treats warranties, and unfortunately vinyl is no different. The key points to understand about all flooring warranties. Labor costs for removal and replacement are NEVER included! This is probably the biggest item to note when considering your warranty. Keep in mind that especially with vinyl, professional installation is a large percentage of your total job cost.

Flooring warranties only cover the flooring that needs replacement. So if 10 sq ft in your entrance gets damaged, you will only have 10 sq ft of replacement product sent to you. Warranties are virtually never transferrable. They also usually require the original proof of purchase and must be filed through the original retailer. Going directly to the brand will result in them refusing your warranty, even if the retailer you purchased through is no longer in business.

Many warranties, especially for big box-store products, include so many exclusions that the brand has virtually unlimited power to deny any claim. Warranties always include an exclusion in the event the original product is no longer being manufactured.

This may all seem discouraging, but there are still two very tangible ways for you to gauge the quality of a product: the actual specification (in the case of vinyl, the wear-layer), and the commercial warranty. Brands get very nervous about commercial claims because heavy commercial environments can be unforgiving. Commercial projects also tend to be much larger than residential, so the cost of an expensive claim can be prohibitive. In short, while it is always best to make sure you have some kind of warranty, take those multi-decade warranties with a heavy grain of salt. What will ultimately determine how long your floor lasts is the quality of its specifications.

Protecting the protective layer.

Although the wear-layer is what provides the bulk of the protection, vinyl flooring is always coated with a surface finish as well. The quality of this finish provides that first line of defense for your floors, before wear-and-tear start affecting the wear-layer itself.

There are many different finishes on the market with a range of names, but the standard you want to demand is aluminum oxide coating. This coating provides an additional layer of protection (and anti-slip properties). The coating is invisible, and does not affect indoor air quality, but is a nice additional benefit to look out for.

Virgin Versus Recycled Vinyl

One topic that is worth considering is whether your vinyl floor is made of pure virgin material, or is recycled. Although the word recycled would imply a more ecological and sustainable alternative, the story is more complicated. It is important to understand what recycled means with PVC. The standards for vinyl recycling are not the same as other recycled products.

Recycled vinyl is in reality a mix of vinyl and any other materials that might have been mixed with it as part of the previous waste stream. That is to say, no standard says only pure PVC can be recycled. Examples of waste that is often used in recycled vinyl are old tires, power lines, and even copper wires.

The result can have numerous negative effects, both on performance and health safety. As soon as other materials are mixed with PVC, many of the major advantages of vinyl (durability, waterproofness, dimensional stability) are compromised. Because there is no standard specifying what waste-stream sources can be used in recycled vinyl, there is no way for the consumer to know what percentage of heavy metals or other materials are in their floor.

The issue of safety is equally concerning. Because the waste-stream mix can change from batch to batch, even independently tested recycled vinyl can be risky. Everything from lead to phthalates are found in recycled vinyl, and over time as the wear-layer wears down these dangerous materials are released.

The good news is that PVC is extremely recyclable, and loses very little of its dimensional stability when recycled. As the industry develops, the hope is for more rigorous standards for what waste inputs are allowed. So long as 100% pure vinyl is recycled, it can result in a great post-consumer product.

For now, however, we feel strongly that investing in pure virgin PVC is the best way to build a strong foundation for the future of recycled vinyl flooring, without risking the quality of your floor or your health. Since in all cases the future inputs for recycled vinyl will be virgin PVC, by getting 100% pure vinyl you are ensuring your floor will be recyclable, and not have to end up in a landfill.

Related Reading: Vinyl's toughest question: Pure or recycled content?

Thickness, Types, & More

Overall Thickness

The overall thickness of your vinyl floor is generally a less important specification since it has little to do with durability (the wear-layer thickness is what determines how long the floor will last). That said, overall nominal thickness does matter in one specific case: Click flooring. The thicker a click vinyl plank, the easier it is to install, and the more secure the click mechanism. Through testing and feedback from hundreds of installers, we have found that 5 mm is the ideal minimum thickness for click flooring.

Vinyl Floorings Installation Methods & Constructions

Click vinyl plank and tile have quickly become the most common construction in the industry. It is easy to install, provides a great lasting bond, and does not require additional messy adhesives. Click vinyl can be installed directly over most subfloors and existing flooring, without the need for an additional underlayment (an underlayment can be used if desired, however, for additional sound control). The only thing to note with click flooring is that the thickness of the plank should be a minimum of 5 mm, as anything thinner can result in a weak click mechanism, and is also considerably harder to install.

One concern with a click that comes from floating laminate and wood floors is the hollow feeling they often have. Vinyl is unique in this regard, however, in that both the higher density and the flexibility of the material means there are very few air pockets, even on less-than-perfect subfloors. This does mean that imperfections in the subfloor will telegraph to the surface, but as a result, it also means the hollow-spot effect isn't there.

Dryback (glue-down) vinyl is designed to be full-trowel glued. The planks are generally thinner (2-3 mm), but otherwise have all the same specifications as their click counterparts. Because the product is thinner and does not have a click mechanism, it is often less expensive. That said, this savings is usually outweighed by the fact that you must purchase adhesive, and the cost of a more experienced installer who is familiar with full-trowel installs. Although the quality of high-quality click flooring has improved dramatically, glue-down is still considered the standard when the most solid installation is needed. Nothing keeps flooring in place quite like full-trowel glue.

For more information on click or glue-down vinyl, check out our Knowledge Base article.

Loose-Lay is the newest technology in vinyl construction. The concept is based on small suction cups that create a vacuum seal with the sub-floor. The argument is that it is even easier to install than click since you can just put the planks side-by-side, and don't need to mess with getting the click mechanism to hold. In practice, loose-lay requires the perimeter of the room to be glued, especially in larger space. And even then, unless the installation is flawless, there are likely to be gaps develop between planks and tiles as the floor gets walked on.

Although a nice concept in theory, in practice the advantages of loose-lay over click or dry back are hard to quantify. When you consider that the price of loose-lay is rarely lower than click, you are better considering one of the alternatives.

Peel-and-stick vinyl is on the low-end spectrum of vinyl flooring. Offered almost exclusively by big-box-stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and Lumber Liquidators, these are usually 0.1 or 0.2 mm wear-layer products, designed with a sticker backing that you peel off, and then stick the planks to your subfloor. The adhesive on these products is notoriously unreliable, especially if your subfloor is not perfectly clean and level. Even in ideal conditions, the corners of the product will come up over time, and as they get walked on and abused, the sticker will start to peel. Although in theory, these products are usable, the low quality generally makes it an option of last resort, for extremely low-traffic, low visibility applications. If you do go this route, it is recommended to purchase 50-75% waste over your square footage, to allow for plank replacement over time.

Width & Length

As with wood flooring, width and length can have a significant impact on how a floor looks. Generally speaking, the wider and longer the planks, the more luxurious the feel of the floor. Larger planks mean fewer seams, resulting in a cleaner, more open look. Vinyl plank typically comes 6" or 7" wide, and 3 or 4 ft long. For the Modin Collection, we were able to work with our supplier to provide a 9" wide and 5 ft long plank.

Embossing

Vinyl plank can come in a range of textures, from flat to heavily brushed. These textures help the product look more realistic, and help give depth to the print film. Different manufacturers use different plates for their texture, and some are certainly nicer than others.

Bevels

With wood floors, bevels are the grooves found between planks. These are a nice detail on vinyl, and also help visually separate the planks. With some patterns, the planks can disappear into each other, and give the impression of a single homogenous surface. The bevels can help break this up. Bevels are only really possible with thicker vinyl, generally 5 mm or thicker.

Sheen

The urethane coating applied to the wear-layer can come in different sheen levels. Although mostly an aesthetic factor, there is one practical consideration with sheen. The higher the gloss level on your floor, the more scratches and wear will show. When you also consider that a shiny vinyl floor accentuates the "plastic" look of the vinyl, we think a low sheen is both more practical and more visually appealing.

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