Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl flooring has gone from an acceptable option to a desirable one. Manufacturers have made the flooring type more appealing thanks to constant technological innovations. It’s no longer a floor that is purchased just because of its affordability. Rather, luxury vinyl plank flooring has become known to bring character to a home. Obviously, it isn’t perfect, but you’ll find more advantages than disadvantages for the unique flooring type.
Advantages
Visually Appealing
Luxury vinyl flooring is made to mimic real wood, stone, or tile. It does so very well. Chances are that your guests won’t even be able to tell that your flooring is vinyl instead of real hardwood. Vinyl flooring’s designs have become has become advanced to the point that the material looks almost identical to the material it’s meant to replicate.
Additionally, there is a wide variety to choose from when it comes to luxury vinyl plank flooring. Essentially, you can give your home the authentic look of real hardwood, but at a much lower price with luxury vinyl.
Resistant
Luxury vinyl plank flooring is composed of multiple layers, including a relatively thick urethane layer. This layer gives it many benefits. Particularly, scratch resistance, stain resistance and water resistance. A huge problem with hardwood flooring is its vulnerability to moisture. Therefore, real hardwood is typically used in kitchens or bathrooms.
This isn’t an issue with luxury vinyl planks. Its water resistance makes it perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, and even basements and laundry rooms. The thickness of vinyl plank also makes it more comfortable to walk around on. Plus, its scratch resistance allows your pets to roam freely. The resistant qualities of luxury vinyl flooring results in a lifetime of at least 15-20 years.
Easy Installation
Another advantage to luxury vinyl flooring is its easy installation. In fact, it’s so easy that you might even be able to install it on your own. Vinyl flooring snaps, hooks, or glues together. Vinyl can be installed on top of a subfloor – whether it be another layer of vinyl, or concrete, or plywood. The subfloor is the most important part when it comes to installation, but we will get into that a bit more later.
Affordable
Again, luxury vinyl plank flooring only mimics hardwood, so it’s a lot less expensive than real hardwood. You’ll find the price of vinyl ranging between $2 – $7 per square foot, close to the price of engineered hardwood. The main difference between luxury vinyl and engineered hardwood is luxury vinyl’s scratch resistance. Because engineered hardwood is topped with real hardwood, the surface is still vulnerable to scratching. Given all of the characteristics mentioned earlier, luxury vinyl is definitely a great buy.
Disadvantages
Requires a flawless substrate
Back to the substrate, or subfloor. Luxury vinyl can allow its layers to show through. Therefore, imperfections done to the substrate will eventually show up if not fixed. This includes dents, stains, cracks, etc. It’s important that the subfloor is completely level and free from moisture as well. Luxury vinyl plank flooring is moisture resistant; however, moisture getting underneath the actual planks when installed can negatively affect the adhesive material.
Weak against sunlight
Luxury vinyl will fade if constantly exposed to sunlight. Due to this, it’s best to avoid this type of flooring for outdoor purposes. When it comes to indoor use, you’ll be fine as long as you close your blinds during the day or have your vinyl flooring installed in a shaded area of your home.
Nadine Floor Company offers a large selection of luxury vinyl flooring options. Also, if necessary, we can complete a free estimate and we’ll execute the installation for you. We want to help turn your dreams into reality with luxury vinyl flooring! Call Nadine Floor Company today at (469) 666-4530! Also, check our blog for more useful information regarding flooring and general home remodeling.