Sheet Vinyl Flooring

It is truly hardwearing and it performs in its intended environments of kitchens and bathrooms - vinyl flooring is simply a good buy
description | wear factors | widths | fitting | price | useful vinyl links

Description - feel, colour, lifestyle

A good brand of vinyl flooring is just going to be a pleasure to live with - there isn't really much that could disappoint. Retailers invariably end up replacing it because the consumer has had the kitchen or bathroom changed or they have simply got tired of it.

Modern vinyl comes in matt finshes that are not only resistant to slipping but also are more in tune with todays aesthetic tastes. A combination of textured surfaces and clever prints have produced remarkable likeness to stone, timber planks, tiles and traditional "marmoleum" finishes.

Vinyl flooring has become significantly warmer and often more cushioned. This is a comfortable material that you can get wet without worrying about it.

Wear factors - smooth sub-floor; damaging wear

It's rare to see any wear significantly damage vinyl. Uneveness in the underlying (sub) floor will press through with footfall and will likely cut through to the surface - that is why the sub-floor must be perfectly smooth and nearly always involves hardboarding or screed to achieve this.

Occasionally discolouration will occur from the back, usually as a result of:

Professional fitting will invariably avoid these hazards. The only other damage vinyls occasionally suffer are:

 

Widths - 2 metre; 3 metre; 4 metre

Vinyl comes in multiple widths because the rooms it is designed for are either small (bathrooms) or narrow (between rows of kitchen units). Note that it is not usually possible to guarantee colour matching between different widths of the same design.

Fitting - floor preparation; fixing; edges

Fitting must be done to very smooth floors - vinyl won't tolerate even the slightest imperfection - this means you will generally have to have preparatory work done first which will be:

Please see hardboarding or screeding pages for more details. Vinyl flooring should be fixed around the edges with double sided tape or stuck all over with the correct flooring adhesive. Sticking all over is rare these days due to the improved stability of vinyl, the larger fitting costs and the problem of getting material back up when it becomes necessary).

Leolan vinyl has a unique "Textra" backing which is claimed will tolerate floor imperfections - up to 1mm or 5mm tile joints (see links at page bottom).

Vinyl flooring is sometimes sealed at the edges with silicone sealant to give a neater finish - this does give a very clean tidy look but can lead to problems if it needs trimming due to expansion (unless it is stuck all over). Removing kitchen unit kickboards and replacing them after fitting is a good idea.

TIP: Don't let vinyl flooring be fitted if there are other tradesmen still trying to walk over the area. Grit off footwear is a serious danger and will lead to arguments when the cost of any damage or removing it becomes necessary.

Price - material; fitting; sub-floor preparation

The retail price for the residential vinyl flooring is between £10 - £25. Price is often only a factor for kitchens - bathrooms are generally too small to warrant worrying about the square metre cost. Laying vinyl flooring is usually within a £1 or two of standard carpet fitting charges.

Preparation work to the floor is usually necessary unless it is still satisfactory from a previous vinyl installation. Preperation of a floor is where the overall price can rise (don't be tempated to miss preparation if a professional advises it. See hardboarding or screeding pages for details.

Useful Vinyl links

Armstrong Rhinofloor - view range; get samples

Gerflor - view ranges; get brochure

Forbo - view ranges; get samples; download brochures, technical data, health & safety info

Leolan - quality vinyl producer; the site will take some patience to navigate

Textra - PDF about Textra and Texas products

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