Home Flooring: Discover The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is the world’s second largest-selling plastic, and for good reason. Vinyl is low cost, high performance and versatile which makes it a top choice for many industries including communications, health care, aerospace; and of course home Concrete sealing college station. Statistics show that the production of vinyl flooring rose by 6.1% between 2011 and 2012, which would point to a significant rise in the demand for this kind of flooring. In addition to this, vinyl exports are up 1.9% in the past year alone, as well as vinyl continuing to edge out traditional wood to occupy 68% of the overall home applications market.

It is not just vinyl in general that has seen tremendous growth over the past decade or so. Vinyl plank flooring is now a top choice for many households in the United States and beyond, owing mainly to the low cost, durability and versatility of this type of flooring. Before settling on vinyl as your ultimate flooring option, it is first important to discover the benefits and problems with vinyl plank flooring. Like all other types of flooring, vinyl isn’t all together perfect. There are some downsides that would be worth looking at before making the all-important flooring decision.

The Advantages of Vinyl Plank Flooring

There are a number of notable advantages of vinyl plank flooring over other types of flooring. It is these advantages that have lead to the soaring popularity of vinyl for home flooring applications:

Cost Factor: Vinyl planks are created to mimic the look and feel of real wood, but cost only a fraction of the price. Telling the difference between vinyl and real wood flooring is difficult especially to the untrained eye, which means that homeowners can enjoy the aesthetics of real wood without breaking bank.

Grain Dimension: Vinyl plank flooring is also designed with a huge variety of wood grain sizes that would otherwise be difficult to find in traditional wood. You can simply choose the grain dimension that match your specific preference of solid wood and that is easily incorporated into the home’s decor. In addition to this, there are many different shades that mimic oak, maple, cherry and other types of wood. The design options here are literally limited to your imagination.

Durability: Vinyl flooring is one of the most durable types of flooring on the market; definitely more durable than real wood. This kind of flooring is great for high-traffic areas in the home, and is hardly susceptible to scratches, bumps and other defects as is common with real wood floors. In addition to this, the flooring is water resistant, meaning that it can be installed practically anywhere in the house including sensitive areas such as the kitchen or basement.

Installation: Vinyl plank flooring is some of the easiest flooring to install in any kind of space. Although it is recommended that you get an expert for the job, do-it-yourself enthusiasts with the appropriate knowledge and experience can easily install the flooring without the additional cost of calling in an expert. Installation can be done quickly, professionally and smoothly with little or no mess or wastage, which is more than can be said for hardwood flooring.

Comfort: Vinyl planks are comfortable underfoot and can be installed in high traffic areas. The planks also add an extra layer of insulation, making it a good option for additional sound proofing. The floor also doesn’t create noise underfoot as is the case with real wood floors.

Maintenance: Vinyl is extremely easy to maintain, and only needs a vacuum followed by mopping with a damp cloth or mop. The flooring also doesn’t easily stain, which makes it great for homes with pets and small children.