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Vinyl
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Vinyl, also called resilient, is a versatile flooring option. There are literally hundreds of styles and colors to choose from, and pricing options that make vinyl workable for most any budget. Vinyl floors are known for their easy care and cleaning, and are generally wear-resistant. They're also resilient. They "give" when you walk on them, which creates a soft, comfortable feel underfoot, and also reduces the chances of plates and glasses breaking when dropped.
The unique manufacturing processes used today can replicate the look and textures of real ceramic tile, stone and wood grains. Plus, resilient manufacturers have created new manufacturing processes to make vinyl floors more tear and stain resistant.
There are three basic types of vinyl floors currently used in homes and commercial settings:
Vinyl : The standard wear layer for base grade vinyl floors. Although this is considered a no wax floor, it should be given an occasional polish to give the floor a shine.
Urethane : The upgrade wear layer for vinyl floors. This is easier to clean and is more resistant to scratching than ordinary vinyl no-wax. Weekly cleaning with a no-rinse floor cleaner is all that is required on most urethane floors.
PVC : PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), the latest technology in resilient flooring offers a fiberglass interlayer and comfort backing. With the option of endless design and color options, this floor offers dimensional stability so the flooring will not expand, contract, crack or curl.
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Performance
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The wear layer is critical to the performance of a vinyl floor. The thickness of the wear layer varies with each manufacturer's collection or series and is generally measured in mils. The thickness of a mil is about the same as a page in your telephone book. So a 10 mil wear layer would be comparable in thickness to about 10 pages in your telephone book.
The more expensive vinyl floors generally will have a thicker wear layer and a much better finish. How long your vinyl floor will look new is based on the wear layer's performance. Performance characteristics for vinyl are:
Easy to clean
Stays looking like-new
Resists staining from normal household products
Doesn't show scratches easily
Resistance to tearing, gouging, ripping and indentations
Ease of cleaning relates to how difficult it is to remove soiling and other marks from a floor's surface. When a floor begins to look old and dull it is usually caused by hundreds of fine hair-line scratches in the wear layer. The fine scratches come from dirt, grit, and sand rubbing on the wear layer's surface.
The new, high-end vinyl floors have better technology to help resist showing wear and staining far better than any of the middle to low-end vinyl floors made today. The special urethane finishes used on today's residential, high-end vinyl floors will give you a richer looking floor, better designs, better tear-resistance and much better performance. |
Caring for Vinyl Flooring
Vacuum regularly to remove grit and sand. Wash your floor occasionally with the recommended floor cleaner.
Wipe up spills immediately. If necessary, clean with the recommended cleaner. You can also clean with lukewarm water and clear ammonia.
If your floor becomes dull looking you may need to add the recommended floor polish to restore the original gloss level. First, try cleaning with lukewarm water and clear ammonia to see if there is a film on your floor causing the dullness.
Never use abrasive cleaners, soaps, paste waxes, or solvents on your vinyl floor.
Place non-staining, walk-off mats or carpet runners at every outside entry to your room. This will help keep sand and grit from being tracked on to your floor. |
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