Vinyl Flooring Review

No other floor covering category offers the variety of colors and patterns as vinyl flooring! Thanks to some great advancements in wearlayer and backing technology and styling, today's vinyl floors (also called resilient floors) have been changed forever. (Vinyl flooring is often mis-spelled as vynil flooring, or vinal flooring.)

Today's unique manufacturing processes can replicate the look and textures of real ceramic tile, stone and wood grains. Vinyl flooring is manufactured in both sheet and tile. The vinyl sheet floors are offered in both 6 foot, 12 foot and some 13'2" widths. While vinyl tiles come in various rectangular shapes, sizes and thicknesses. Both types of vinyl flooring come in a wide array of different designs, colors and price points.

The more expensive vinyl sheet flooring and tiles have better resistance to staining, scratches, gouges and tearing. Many have special fiberglass backings to prevent shrinkage and tearing. Not only is the performance better but so is the the warranty on the high-end vinyl floors. Also, as you go up in quality you will also notice improved styling and more textural realism in these floors.

Vinyl tiles are ideal for the do-it-yourself projects in kitchens and bathrooms. They come in both self-stick tiles (adhesive pre-applied at factory) or dry back tiles for glue-down installation. Vinyl tiles range from 1/16" thick to 1/8" thick. Sheet vinyl can be a little trickier to install for the do-it-yourself person. For information about installing a vinyl floor you should always refer to the manufacturer's written documents.

Most of the vinyl flooring manufacturers are offering special fiberglass backings cobined with extremely durable wear alyers to improve durabilty and allow the vinyl flooring to be installed without any glue, or glue only applied around the perimeter of the room. The leading vinyl flooring manufacturers in the USA are Armstrong, Mannington, IVC (Dreamscape), Congoleum and Tarkett.