Pros and Cons of Vinyl Flooring
When it comes to choosing the right flooring for our homes, there’s a lot to consider. Of course, we all wish we had the hardwood flooring but in reality, that’s not always possible. That’s why we need to look for the next best thing.
Flooring should be durable, flexible, easy-to-maintain, and waterproof in most cases. And how to get all these without breaking the bank? The best option you have is precisely the vinyl flooring.
Vinyl as a flooring option has been popular for quite some time thanks to its cost-effectiveness. It usually ticks all the boxes on your flooring list, so why not try it out.
However, before you bite the bullet, you should have in mind all the pros and cons of vinyl flooring.
1. What is vinyl flooring?
Vinyl flooring is made of synthetic materials such as plastic, PVC, and fibreglass, which is what makes the flooring durable and affordable. Vinyl flooring usually comes in either planks, tiles, or sheets that are pretty easy to install.
The base layer of vinyl flooring is made of fibreglass which is then coated in PVC vinyl and plastic. The next layer is printed and embossed with an image layer – this is what gives the vinyl the look of wood, stone, or tile look, to name a few. And finally, over the image layer, multiple wear layers and a layer of no-wax polyurethane are applied.
2. Pros of vinyl flooring
Durability and resilience
Durability and resilience are some of the main reasons why people like vinyl flooring so much. The amazing vinyl flooring has been covering commercial spaces ever since the 1950s and this is all thanks to its durability and resilience. It’s water and stain-resistant, it can withstand a lot of wear and tear – which means that you won’t have to worry about it being damaged.
From this, we can conclude that vinyl flooring can be installed in most spaces of your home including high-traffic areas and bathrooms as well.
Budget-friendly
Yet another reason people love vinyl flooring – it’s budget-friendly. Compared to other flooring options vinyl is probably the most affordable and cost-effective solution. So, if you’re on the budget, vinyl flooring is the right way to go.
Variety of finishes
When it comes to vinyl styles and finishes – you’d be surprised by the huge variety of styles you can choose from. Vinyl flooring comes in a wide variety of types which means you can choose from vinyl planks, tiles, sheets, rigid core vinyl, and even peel and stick vinyl.
As for finishes, colours, and patterns – the sky is the limit. Vinyl flooring can mimic tile, hardwood, or stone allowing you to create different layouts and patterns. When it comes to colours, you can also choose from cool tones, greys, lights, and high variations which are currently very popular. There are also, tons of vinyl flooring ideas that you can choose from.
Easy to install and maintain
The great thing about technology is that it’s made the installation of vinyl tiles or planks super easy. The fact that the flooring comes in either sheets, planks, or tiles makes it easy to install on your own.
Yet another benefit of vinyl flooring is the ease of upkeep. Many of the vinyl flooring options have a protective coating which makes them resistant to dirt and stains. This means that any spills can be easily wiped off and all you need to do to keep it clean is sweep it and mop it from time to time.
3. Cons of vinyl flooring
It’s not eco-friendly
If you’re trying to create an eco-friendly home with eco-friendly flooring, vinyl is just not for you. The process of creating and manufacturing vinyl flooring requires the use of toxic chemicals and once installed, vinyl flooring can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs can affect the health and indoor environment, especially if there are no windows or vent systems present.
If you want something more environmentally friendly in your home, try choosing low VOC vinyl flooring instead of high-VOC flooring.
Another downside is the fact that vinyl flooring is non-bio-degradable which means that, in most cases, it will end up on some landfill.
Won’t help the resale value of the home
Compared to, let’s say, hardwood flooring, vinyl does close to nothing to add to the resale value of your home. And if the vinyl quality is lower or if the flooring is older, it can even negatively affect the value of the home.
Beware of low-quality vinyl
We mentioned that vinyl flooring is durable and resilient, however, this doesn’t apply to all vinyl flooring. Low-quality vinyl flooring is soft, sometimes even too soft, which is what makes it susceptible to tears and rips caused by pet claws, stiletto heels, or moving of furniture.
Proper installation required
While vinyl flooring is easy to install, you need to make sure that the subfloor is completely clean. Any sort of dirt particle can affect the look of the flooring and cause the tiles or planks to come loose.
And there you have it – all the pros and cons of vinyl flooring in one place. So, what do you think? Will you be installing vinyl flooring in your home? And will you DIY the installation or call the professionals?
Piece written by Hannah A