Vinyl Tile Flooring

The market of building materials is constantly replenished with new options that turn out to be more durable, beautiful and easy to use. One of these new products is vinyl tile, which is now actively used for flooring.

Modern vinyl tile flooring material is created on the basis of PVC, to which various components are added (quartz chips, inert fillers, resins, plasticizers, stabilizers). The result is a durable, durable material that retains its appearance for a long time and remains resilient. Vinyl tiles have a layered structure, because it is formed under high pressure.

Layers of tiles are arranged in a special order:

1. the base is polychlorvinyl, to which a quartz crumb is added;

2. the top layer has a printed structure, which defines the design of the tile;

3. The uppermost layer is transparent PVC, which protects the tile from external influences;

4. The finishing layer is a PVC coating, which is hardened with ultraviolet;

5. the last layer is in the form of a self-adhesive substrate.

When comparing these three flooring materials, the advantage is still given to vinyl tile. If we take vinyl and linoleum, we immediately note the durability of the first material. No linoleum will not last as long as vinyl tile. Yes, it costs less and is much faster to install, but who among us would want to change the floor covering in one or two years?

When choosing between vinyl flooring and laminate, again the former material is more advantageous. The main problem with laminate is its vulnerability to water. Therefore, laminate is not laid in bathrooms, corridors and kitchens. Yes, and at industrial sites also this material is not used. And vinyl tiles are just recommended for rooms with high humidity and high traffic.

In a word, vinyl tile is superior to all floor coverings that were previously extremely popular. Progress does not stand still and new materials like vinyl tile overshadow the existing options.

Like every material, vinyl film has a number of advantages and disadvantages.

Let's start with the pros:

• Eco-friendliness lies in the use of safe materials in the creation of vinyl tiles. Due to the absence of glue and melanin, when heated, the tile does not emit harmful substances, which allows you to use it to finish a warm floor.
• Vinyl tile shows high resistance to chemicals and mechanical damage. Such a floor can be cleaned using abrasive detergents. Also, you can not worry about the tiles in case of contact with agents containing alcohol, dyes, alkaline solutions or gasoline.
• Vinyl tile is very durable, so it can be used even in manufacturing plants. It is virtually impossible to damage it.
• The high level of moisture resistance allows you to choose vinyl tiles for bathrooms and even swimming pools. If all the rules and technology were followed during masonry, the seams will not swell during use, will not sprawl and will be monolithic. This feature of vinyl flooring allows its use as additional waterproofing.
• Heat stability and fire safety are at a very high level. It has been proven empirically that vinyl tiles do not burn, do not melt, and even do not emit harmful substances from high temperatures. Such advantages are provided by the presence of chloride, quartz crumb and shell rock in the composition of the tiles.

• Household vinyl tiles can last up to 7 years, and if you put industrial tiles in the living room, you can use them forever.
• Vinyl tiles are non-slip and can absorb noise.
• Individual sections of the tiles can be replaced with new ones without having to dismantle the entire cloth. Therefore, it is better to buy this floor covering with a reserve, so you can later replace the damaged area.
• Tiles have a small weight, can be easily transported and conveniently packed.
• Simple installation, which does not require careful preparation of the surface, involving complex tools and involvement of specialists. You can install tiles on any surface.
• When creating vinyl tiles designers use a variety of solutions. This floor covering is capable of imitating any natural material (grass, stone, sand, wood of various species). A huge variety of colors and textures is presented to the buyer.

But not everything is so smooth with vinyl tiles, it also has disadvantages:

1. Vinyl is a product of petroleum refining, which indicates the use of a non-renewable natural resource.

2. When the tile has reached the end of its useful life, the flooring will fall into disrepair and will have to be completely replaced. Restoration is only possible in the case of tile flooring, but rolled vinyl does not have this advantage. Wooden flooring is advantageous here.

3. No matter how durable and reliable this coating may be, the sun's rays have a negative effect on the pattern and brightness of the colors.

4. From time, the edges and the surface of the joints are covered with rough curls, which destroy the integrity of the entire structure.

There are quite a few varieties of vinyl tiles and if you do not know about each of them, it will be difficult to make the right choice.

Vinyl tiles are divided into categories based on the following characteristics:

• quartz-vinyl modules have in their composition up to 80% of quartz crumb, which makes them very strong and resilient. In addition, such tiles are not capable of absorbing moisture, do not react with acids and do not pass the electric current;
• Pressed tile consists of a mixture of vinyl and resin, to which various components are added. This coating is superior to linoleum in terms of durability;
• self-adhesive film is often used for independent cosmetic repairs. It is easily glued to any type of surface.

• Household tiles are well suited for rooms that are walked on barefoot or use house shoes. The upper layer, which performs a protective function, is thin, that's why the lifetime of such tiles does not exceed 6 years. But the range of such tiles is very wide and varied;
• Commercial tiles are actively used in the repair of office space, hospitals and commercial facilities. The large thickness of the protective layer ensures a long service life even with intensive use (up to 15 years);
• Special PVC tiles are characterized by the 43 class. The use of such flooring is relevant in rooms with high traffic. These can be large shopping centers, production facilities, gyms, entertainment centers. The thickness of the protective layer is 3.5 mm. Its composition includes mineral additives.

• Self-adhesive tiles have a coating of PVC and an adhesive base, due to which there is no need to use adhesive compositions;
• Locked tiles are mainly presented in quartz versions. On the side, there are grooves, which easily enter into each other and securely hold the elements of the flooring;
• glue tiles are the most inexpensive, laid on adhesive compositions.

There is no shortage of manufacturers of vinyl tiles. The demand for this material is increasing, hence the supply is also increasing. Each of the existing manufacturers is trying to win the trust of the buyer by quality, to attract attention with a large range and unusual design solutions, to interest by a favorable price.

The highest quality vinyl tiles on a number of parameters make in Switzerland, for example, the company Forbo. But its price "bite". If you are not ready to buy such an expensive tile, but also on the quality do not agree, then you can choose the Portuguese tiles from Corcart or the product from the national manufacturer Tarkett. The Chinese are also represented in this niche, the tile from Allure Floor is in considerable demand. Decent product comes under the Fine Floor brand (South Korea). From far away Australia comes to the Russian market tiles from Wonderful Vinyl Floor.

Choose vinyl tiles carefully, with knowledge and a clear understanding of what you want to get from this material. First of all, you need to decide on the type of installation. If you are not going to hire specialists, but you are not a great master in this matter, you can choose a simpler option - with a self-adhesive base.

Very much depends on the manufacturer. It is better to choose a well-known brand and overpay a little, than to buy a tile of dubious quality and after a while regret your choice.

We have already written about the division of tiles by series and the strength that corresponds to each of them. For the home is still better to choose household tiles, because its service life can be up to 7 years, and during this time you in any case will want to change the environment.

No matter how durable and practical vinyl tile, but it still requires special care, which consists of the following rules:

• The purchase of special detergents is inexpedient, because this coating can be cleaned with any cleaning products.
• For household vinyl tiles, it is better not to use chemicals based on solvents and abrasives, so as not to shorten its service life.
• When decorating a house or apartment, it is better to choose vinyl tiles for rooms with the highest passability or high humidity.

Vinyl tiles will have all the above advantages only if they are laid in accordance with a number of mandatory rules. For many users, the process of laying turns out to be too complicated, so they deliberately refuse this material.

So, vinyl tiles are laid as follows:

1. It is worth starting with the preparation of the surface. To do this, it is necessary to carefully remove all construction debris, eliminate unevenness and check the compliance of the floor with the level. All irregularities and level differences will need to be eliminated. It may even be necessary to pour a thin layer of mortar, which is perfectly suitable self-leveling compound. The concrete floor can be sanded down, and the wooden substrate can be scraped.

2. Next follows the marking of the prepared surface. It is required from each wall to measure off the middle and draw lines between the points. When laying tiles, it is necessary to start from the center and move towards the edges. It may be more convenient for you to move forward from one of the walls. With this principle of work it is necessary to start with a visible area of the floor, which is not expected to be cluttered with furniture.

3. Now you can work directly with the tiles. For its gluing, you can choose compositions based on acrylic or vinyl, so that the strength of the base was high. The adhesive mass should be applied to several tiles at once, lay them tightly together and roll them with a special roller.

4. Joints require special attention. If the quality of gluing the joints of tiles will be low, then over time, problems are bound to arise. This, by the way, is one of the reasons why tiles with self-adhesive backing are becoming more popular.

5. When using adhesive compositions, it is necessary to wipe the seams well during installation, so that no glue residue remains on them. Then it will dry and the process of getting rid of it will be difficult.

When choosing a vinyl tile, you need to pay attention to consumer reviews, which affect the material and the manufacturer. Excellently proven European tiles, which turns out to be more practical and durable. The difference in the cost of tiles from European manufacturers is not much higher than similar goods of Chinese and Russian production. But the performance characteristics are much higher, so it makes sense to overpay, but to get a quality product.

An excellent example of the use of vinyl tiles in the bathroom - it is impossible not to agree with this. The color of the tiles is matched very well to the overall interior, the good thing is that the range of this flooring opens up a wide range of possibilities for designers.

The Royal Bathroom is exactly what I would like to say about this room. The same finish of the ceiling and floor catches the eye at once. Due to this solution, the laconic design becomes original and striking. Again we see the vinyl tile on the floor, which, as we know, is ideal for rooms with high humidity.

In the following videos you can see the process of installing vinyl tile.