Choosing new flooring can be a bit of a daunting experience, especially if you’re working within a tight budget. You’ll want your flooring to be cost effective but still good looking and comfortable underfoot; and, if you’re saving on labour costs by fitting it yourself, you’ll want a flooring type that’s realistic to install on a DIY basis. Luxury vinyl tile flooring could well fulfil all of these criteria – let’s explore why in more detail.
1. Vinyl tile flooring looks just like natural flooring, without the high cost
Always wanted wooden or stone floors throughout the house, but have found the cost prohibitive? While it used to be the case that imitation wood or stone flooring looked unnatural, with a lino-like sheen that would give it away, luxury vinyl tile today comes in realistic finishes and real attention to detail, including added texture that successfully reproduces the look and feel of real wood, stone, or tile. High quality vinyl tile also imitates the knots and grooves found in real wood flooring by not making every tile the same.
2. Vinyl is low maintenance
The other significant advantage of vinyl flooring is that it’s very, very low maintenance. Vinyl is generally water resistant, which means it’s suitable for fitting in kitchens and bathrooms. The only place you can’t use vinyl flooring is a wet room. When you need to clean it, a damp mop is all you need, no need for expensive specialised floor cleaners, waxes or sealants. You will need to avoid anything abrasive, though, as you could end up scratching the flooring.
3. Vinyl tile benefits: warmer underfoot than stone or tile
Stone and tile look elegant, but not everyone likes the cold sensation (and slipperiness) of these natural materials. Vinyl has a very characteristic warm feel underfoot, which is much warmer than stone, and even warmer than natural wood. This is partly thanks to the felt underside of vinyl tiles, and partly to the characteristics of the PVC material the tiles are made from. If you want even more warmth, most vinyl flooring is compatible with underfloor heating.
4. Vinyl is easy to retrofit
Luxury vinyl tile is the easiest type of flooring to install, and we’re not exaggerating. You can lay it directly over your existing flooring, so long as it’s not tile; you just need the floor to be smooth and flat, without any obvious unevenness. Some vinyl tiles require adhesive to make them stick, while others are self adhesive (you just peel off the sticker at the back). Some vinyl tiles click in together. If you’re confident at DIY, you can lay vinyl flooring yourself in a day.
5. Vinyl tile flooring is very durable
Vinyl floors are pretty much indestructible, if laid correctly. Many vinyl flooring products come with a guarantee of fifteen to twenty years, with some manufacturers even offering a lifetime guarantee. How to explain this durability? Luxury vinyl tile in particular is typically made from solid vinyl that is coloured all the way through, which makes it resistant to scratches and discolouration. Some vinyl is also reinforced with fibre glass, which makes it extra strong. This durability makes vinyl a great option for high traffic areas in the home such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Where is best to buy luxury vinyl tile?
You can, of course, purchase vinyl tile directly from manufacturers, but to get the best price on vinyl flooring, we recommend going to a multi-brand retailer that will be able to offer discounts. Stories Flooring in particular sell luxury vinyl brands such as Karndean and Amtico at very low prices, and even promise to match any lower price quote.