Gordon JamesWhen the word luxury is regularly used to describe a product as a floor covering, not all rich and famous people are interested in it. Luxury vinyl decks are relatively new on the market, but they are misleadingly priced and make a great addition to any room in the house.
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If you are wondering why it has become a favourite among homeowners, we have some answers to make the buying process faster and easier.
However, not everyone is on roses with this floor option. That is why in this article we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of luxury vinyl records, their costs, the differences with other similar materials, etc..
What is a luxury vinyl plank floor covering?
Luxury vinyl flooring is the modern version of vinyl flooring, often chosen for its exceptional resistance to the areas known as hotspots of moisture and stains.
However, this super thin film turned out not to be a panacea. It was just as sensitive to cracks and cracks, and as anyone who installed it can confirm, a vinyl floor was not the first choice of those who installed it barefoot, because it tended to be hard and cold.
Floor covering manufacturers, probably at the suggestion of homeowners who appreciated the benefits of vinyl but wanted their floors to last longer, introduced a new type of vinyl in the 1970s and called it luxury vinyl flooring.
It’s so popular now that people know it under the acronym LVF. Although there are two types – the semi-rigid board (true LVP) and the tile (LVT) – we focus on the board because it competes with hardwood, and who doesn’t like the look?
LVP is a type of 100% synthetic floor covering manufactured by mixing and melting polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin with pigments, calcium carbonate, plasticisers, fungicides and UV stabilisers to form a hard plastic.
The boards are installed in the same way as laminate or wood boards, using a snap-in method where the edges are snapped together.
LVP is the perfect way to turn a boring floor into one that looks like it belongs to the rich and famous, except that you don’t have to liquidate your stock portfolio to afford it, even if you hire the workforce to do the job.
Deluxe Vinyl Board Professionals
- LVP costs half the wood, but is much easier to maintain. In fact, you can save thousands of dollars if you have a very large area to update.
- The number and variety of panel designs, colors and textures on the market today are staggering, making it much easier to achieve any design goal you are trying to achieve.
- The installation should be easy for people who are used to installing floating floors and who use interlocking systems instead of gluing. With a carpenter’s knife every board can be cut perfectly. This way you get a cut that exactly matches the shape of your part, no matter how many angles you have.
- Given the origin of LVP, it is not surprising that it is an extremely durable material. These panels are thick, waterproof and quite impenetrable to damage by children and pets, and are very popular with families whose houses are always occupied.
- The LVP is easy to clean. Do you have a vacuum cleaner, a broom, soap and water? All these household items can be used for KP floors with LVP panels. You can give or donate products that were once used to wax or seal floors, as LVP panels require little maintenance and only need to be dusted and washed.
Other Luxury vinyl records
- If you think the above 5 benefits are too good to be true, please be aware that the Privacy Act poses health risks. All vinyl flooring emits gases to the air (VOCs). Therefore, they are not necessarily the best choice for homes where people suffer from allergies or respiratory problems. But don’t despair. Emissions generally do not escape into the air within 10 days of installation.
- The LVP is not recommended for homes with elderly or disabled residents, as vinyl flooring is classified as a floating floor, so it can move so easily that it becomes difficult to use a wheelchair, walker or other aid. Engineers recommend tapping or fixing the floor in such situations.
- Even if your home looks like a million dollars after installing a luxury plate, this material is still a vinyl product, so it won’t necessarily increase the value of your home if you decide to sell and mention LVP as one of the reasons why potential buyers should choose your home over others.
- Even if you invest in sun blinds and/or insulating curtains, if you do not plan to keep them closed all year round, you run the risk of discolouring your LVP floor if the sun is particularly strong and bright. As the room is not necessarily exposed to the same amount of sunlight during the day, the discoloration may be uneven, with the risk of a floor with uneven and unsightly sunspots.
- Not all LVPs are the same. Some are missing material for the top layer, which increases the life span of the soil. Note also for panels that do not have a safety certification according to the FloorScore and CARB2 standards. And do not settle for a guarantee of less than 20 years. If you can remove it, see if you can also cover the wear layers for at least 10 years.
Difference between luxury and technical vinyl panels (LVP and EVP)
The Flooring Girl announces that Luxury Vinyl Shelves are the fastest growing market segment and Engineered Vinyl Shelves (EVPs) are the fastest growing sub-segment. Knowing the relationship can help you decide which one is best for you.
Engineered – Vinyl sheets look like real wood, so buyers may confuse them with hardwood. EVP retains moisture and water and can be installed on any flat floor, even on radiant heating systems.
PVE offers better insulation and additional soundproofing. Some say it is more comfortable to walk on it because the ground has more room to manoeuvre.
The EVP is relatively easy to install, repair and clean. It is available in elegant colors and can withstand heavy equipment for a long time. The installation requires a lot of preparation work and the EVP will not increase the value of your home. Experts advise against the use of EPP on stairs. They can step aside and let someone make a mistake.
Deluxe vinyl strips also require preparatory work for installation. If LVP products are marketed as waterproof, some are only waterproof, so be careful with that.
If the high-end LVP boards are equipped with the locking system mentioned above, you can now find products that offer a better appearance with more security if for some reason you don’t need a floating floor.
LVPs are easier to find, from online resources to department stores and floor retailers. If you’ve come to the conclusion that the two types of vinyl boards are so similar that the choice remains a puzzle, you’re not the first owner to come to that conclusion!
How much does a luxury vinyl floor cost?
You have already understood that vinyl records are cheaper than natural records such as wood, but you should know that this material costs $3 per square meter for ordinary, non-luxury vinyl records.
Luxury vinyl products can cost up to $7 per square meter because they are thicker and more durable. Beware of signs that sell for less than $4 per square meter, because if they can be labeled as luxury vinyl signs, you won’t get the best quality.
Here’s a surprise you may not have noticed: The cost per square meter includes labour, because this material is very cheap.
Even with a mark-up to cover labor costs, it’s unlikely you’ll spend more than $7 per square foot installing a PVC floor.
What factors are likely to influence the final cost of this work? Are you going to thoroughly remove the old floor covering to install the LVP?
Are you willing to buy 10-20% more boards than you need for the finishing and the corners?
In addition, do you need to buy a subfloor because the floorboards you have chosen do not contain this important material and replace the floor covering in the bathroom or kitchen?
If you do this yourself, you will need to purchase special tools that will increase the cost of your installation.
In addition to inexpensive floor supplies for sale such as a rubber hammer, knife and multi-tool, a moisture meter and impact block are highly recommended by contractors, and don’t forget to use kneepads if you don’t like to walk around like a Neanderthal after performing the job.
What is the best thickness of luxury vinyl flooring?
As is the case with milkshakes and steaks: The thicker the luxury vinyl you choose, the less wear and tear you will experience over time.
In contrast to other types of flooring, you will find a wide range of panel thicknesses from 2 mm to 8 mm.
Even if the product you choose is rather 2 mm thick, you will still get the desired stiffness because the manufacturing process consists of assembling 6 to 8 layers of material.
This does not take into account the top layer, which enhances the gloss and brings out the colour and pattern, the foam filling, which makes this floor comfortable, and the supporting layers of fibreglass and hard PVC.
Thicker plates are usually more expensive, and according to the professionals your goal should always be to finish with a total wear of 20 mm. It’s a lot of thickness at an affordable price. It is therefore easy to understand why LVP cases have become so popular so quickly.
What is the lifespan of your luxury vinyl flooring?
Homeowners who renovate their house when they put it on the market want the best look for the least money. But for those who plan to stay at home until retirement, it is not only possible, but also feasible to choose a high-quality vinyl record that lasts up to 20 years.
Although heavy furniture and traffic are sufficient to affect any type of flooring, it can take up to 5 years compared to two estimated decades. The key to a long lifespan always depends on the quality of the product and the time and attention you spend on the maintenance of your floor.
On the other hand, neglect your LVP flooring and don’t be surprised if your floor doesn’t look like the photos and samples you saw the day you chose deluxe vinyl flooring. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Assets
https://architypes.net/flooring/vinyl/planks/
https://www.thespruce.com/how-does-luxury-vinyl-flooring-differ-from-standard-vinyl-4119903
https://theflooringgirl.com/blog/what-is-luxury-vinyl-plank-flooring-pros-cons-of-lvp-evp/
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Gordon James
Alan Giles