Want to amaze your guests, but don’t have the budget for that beautiful tile floor?
Luxury Vinyl Flooring is your answer!
WHAT IS LUXURY VINYL FLOORING?
Luxury vinyl flooring is available in planks or tiles. Luxury vinyl planks/tiles or LVP/LVT are durable, affordable, and aesthetically appealing as a modern floor. This water-proof material can reproduce natural textures and colors to mimic virtually any flooring material.
A traditional LVP has 4 main layers: wear layer, decorative image, vinyl core, and backing layer. These different layers are combined by machine process using heat and pressure.
Check out this video by Urban Surfaces to see how Luxury Vinyl Flooring is made.
WHY CHOOSE LUXURY VINYL FLOORING INSTEAD OF ACTUAL TILE?
Look, Feel & Style
Luxury vinyl flooring has limitless options that imitate ceramic or stone tile. With the photographic technology available today, it allows LVP/LVT to copy the appearance of ceramic (or any style of flooring) in a way that is hard to distinguish from the real thing. Another added plus, unlike the cold tile everyone is used to, LVP is warmer and “flexible” to the touch. Many applications also allow for the use of under floor heating systems to help make your winters feel like barefoot summers.
Cost
According to Homeguide.com the average cost of tile flooring materials is about $10 to $15 per square foot. At the same time, they list luxury vinyl plank for about $1.85 to $3.00. Between the reduced cost of an easy manufactured product, paired with the labor savings of an easier, and faster installation, you will be saving a lot of time and money by choosing Luxury Vinyl products.
Installation
There is a huge difference in the process, materials, and timeline of the installation between Tile and LVP.
When installing luxury vinyl planks, you have more options for location and subfloor; often time you can just install the LVP right over the existing floor. LVP can even be installed below ground level, which makes it great for basements. When it comes to tile, you will often deal with height differences between flooring materials as the tile requires an intervening layer on top of wooden subfloors and generally is a thicker material. LVP’s thinner material makes it easier to flush transitions throughout your home, and reduce or remove tripping hazards.
LVP is often times installed in what is called a floating method. This allows the flooring planks to attach to one another, but does not require them to be directly attached to the subfloor. This means no V.O.C.’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) being released from glues, sealants, mortars, or epoxies. It also means NO DRY TIME. Your floating LVP floors are ready for you and your furniture as soon as they are installed. With traditional stone, ceramic, or porcelain tile there is a very labor intensive preparation before the tile can even be put in. After the tile is finally installed, then you have to leave it and wait; avoiding any contact so as not to damage the installation. This process also becomes expensive and challenging down the road if the tiles are damaged and require repair/replacement. With LVP, the process takes minutes and can be done by a single installer.
Cleaning
New tile looks wonderful, but it doesn’t take long for dirt and grime to build up in grout lines, making any tile job look dirty. Anyone that has cleaned grout knows that it is tedious and takes time to clear out the buildup and restore the clean look. Grout is also a perfect home for mold to grow if not cleaned regularly. Since grout is a sanded material, it is also one that wears away with time. Lifespan of grout products ranges between 8 – 16 years. Many LVP options have a warranty of 20 – 25 years, if not lifetime.
Luxury vinyl flooring just needs a daily sweep and the occasional mopping. No bleaching or grout sealing needed.
Durability & Stability
Luxury vinyl flooring is a great choice when it comes to durability. LVP has an extremely durable wear layer and with its degree of cushioning, it can absorb heavy material and make it less prone to dents, cracking and breaking. LVP also allows for a range of underlayment products that can improve acoustic dampening quality, provide warmth, or an even greater cushion to your step.
A lot of homeowners choose ceramic tile for its durability, weatherability, and classic look. While these are desired characteristics in flooring materials, and prove why stone has been used successfully for so many years, the truth is we have MANY more comparable options available now. Material science and modern production machines have made these same durable and aesthetic options available in a more affordable, flexible, and warrantable package.
At Veteran Flooring LLC, we can help you get that tile look, at fraction of the time and price. Contact us to schedule your free estimate and let’s get ‘tiling’!
