PVC flooring, a popular choice for its durability and versatility, is a practical solution for various spaces. This flooring known for its a synthetic material known for its resilience and easy maintenance. Widely used in homes, offices, and commercial settings, PVC flooring comes in a range of designs, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Whether you’re a homeowner considering a flooring upgrade or a business owner looking for a practical solution, understanding the benefits of PVC flooring is essential. Join us as we explore the world of PVC flooring and its suitability for diverse applications.
What Is PVC Flooring?
PVC flooring or PVC Vinyl flooring is nothing but an alternative term used for vinyl flooring. PVC refers to polyvinyl chloride, which is the material used to make vinyl flooring. Thus, it is often called polyvinyl flooring or simply, vinyl flooring, the most common term for this particular floor covering.
Vinyl flooring is a synthetic flooring material that is durable, inexpensive, and easy to install.
Types Of PVC Flooring
Following are the types of PVC Vinyl flooring,
- Sheet PVC Vinyl Flooring
- PVC Vinyl Composition Tile
1. Sheet PVC Vinyl Flooring
Sheet PVC Vinyl Flooring usually comes in large, continuous, flexible sheets. Varying from vinyl floor tiles, vinyl sheet flooring is well impermeable to water, coming in hard tiles and vinyl planks, along with interlocking strips.
Vinyl flooring is used extensively as it is water-impermeable, quite durable, flexible to accommodate and insulating, easy to install, available with a variety of looks, and inexpensive.
Custom-print vinyl sheet flooring may cost more than an order of magnitude if commercially ordered.
Structure Of Sheet PVC Vinyl Flooring
- The three basic categories of vinyl sheet flooring are homogeneous, inlay, and layered composite.
- Vinyl flooring varies in the manufacturing process and has polyvinyl chloride content. Composite manufacturing begins with a fibrous backing sheet.
- Vinyl and plasticizers are used for coating the sheet. After that sheet is printed and possibly embossed (print layer).
- Further re-coating is done with one or more protective wear layers, whose top can be polyurethane to avoid waxing.
Functions Of Sheet PVC Vinyl Flooring
- As it does not allow water to pass through, sheet flooring is suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. Some types can be used in wet rooms.
- As its closed-cell foam backing can be reversed, the flexibility profile of a sprung performance floor can be given which is suitable for sports or dance floors.
- This can create a permanent or portable dance floor that can be placed on problematic surfaces such as concrete.
2. PVC Vinyl Composition Tile
PVC Vinyl composition tile (VCT) is a finished flooring material that is mainly used in commercial and institutional applications.
Modern vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring sold since the early 1980s and versions of products made of colored polyvinyl chloride (PVC) chips manufactured in solid sheets of varying thicknesses (1/8 “) The most common are heat and pressure.)
Such 12 “x 12” squares or 12 “x 24” are cut into rectangular shapes. The installation involves floor tiles or sheet flooring applied to a smooth, flat subfloor using a specially formulated vinyl adhesive or tile mastic that remains durable.
Some manufacturers have made vinyl tiles that closely resemble wood, stone, terrazzo, and concrete, and hundreds of different patterns.
A. Luxury PVC Vinyl Tile
Luxury PVC Vinyl Tile (LVT) is an industry term for vinyl, not a standard that mimics the appearance of natural materials with an added layer to realistically improve wear and performance.
The extra layer of protection is usually a heavy film covered with a UV-curated urethane that makes it scratch, stain, and scratch-resistant.
Sometimes the term “luxury vinyl tile” is reserved for products that mimic stone and ceramic ducts that mimic wood.
B. PVC Tiles
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Tiles are a commonly used floor finish made of polyvinyl chloride. Due to the small size of the tiles, typically 150 mm, 225 mm, and 305 mm, any damage can soon be repaired by replacing individual tiles (as long as some spares are placed).
The tiles are made of a combination of PVC and fiber, forming a thin and fairly rigid tile. PVC tiles suffer from some issues. The gloss used on self-adhesive tiles sometimes gives way, allowing the edges to be lifted and the foot broken by traffic.
The surface wears off, difficulty cleaning on time, then the loss of a colored pattern layer. Finally, a very smooth sub-floor is required for laying them, otherwise, they are gradually cut by foot pressure above and shallow edges below.
Read More: 5 Types of Resilient Flooring & Its Types With Benefits
Advantages Of PVC Flooring
The following are the Vinyl Flooring advantages,
Easy to install: vinyl flooring is really easy to install because it is simply affixed to the floor. It can be fixed on concrete, wood, or any other base floor with the help of rubber-based adhesives and is also available in peel-and-stick types.
Versatile: Be it size, shape, pattern, or print, vinyl is extremely versatile and can be personalized according to the design of your choice.
Cost-effective: As vinyl is versatile in the range of available patterns and designs, it is much cheaper than other flooring types which is especially advantageous if you want it to mimic expensive flooring materials.
Low maintenance: vinyl flooring is easy to maintain and regular extensive and moist mopping is essential to keep all vinyl floors clean and in good condition.
Durable: Vinyl, once polished or laminated with liquid emulsion, is well protected and resistant to wear due to normal traffic or any chemicals such as mild acids, alkalis, soaps, detergents, etc.
Moisture resistance: vinyl flooring has a non-porous surface making it completely waterproof. For this reason, it can be used anywhere in the house.
Comfort: Its soft and flexible nature makes it a good working floor to stand on and move about. It also provides sufficient friction which makes it accident-free.
Disadvantages Of PVC Flooring
The following are the PVC Vinyl Flooring Disadvantages,
- Environmental Impact: Vinyl is made from petroleum which is a non-renewable source, and is not considered environmentally friendly due to the chemicals and pollutants produced in its manufacture.
- Wears over time: While the floor is very protected due to laminate, signs of overtime wear begin to appear as folds in corners, faded colors due to exposure to sunlight and scratches, etc. Unlike wood, vinyl flooring cannot occur. A new finish was applied.
- Difficulty in repair: If the vinyl is durable, if it is damaged then it is difficult to fix as the entire sheet will have to be replaced. A vinyl tile or plank can be removed and a new one installed, but a sheet will have to be patched or replaced.
PVC Vinyl Flooring Price
The PVC Vinyl Flooring price is between Rs. 35 per square foot to 278 Rs. per square in India,
Plastic | Rs 35/Square Feet | Rs 220/Square Feet |
Rubber | Rs 55/Square Feet | Rs 278/Square Feet |
Teak Wood | Rs 35/Square Feet | Rs 50/Square Feet |
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