The Case for Linoleum and Vinyl Floors
So far in this flooring series, I have discussed a variety of ceramic tile, plank wood, engineered wood and laminate flooring. Rounding out but by no means completing this series are linoleum and vinyl — also known as resilient floors, or sheet products. Engineered flooring is a better term because not all springy flooring come as sheets. What they have in common, however, is an ironlike durability and the promise of simple maintenance.
While no floors material is ideal, resilient flooring have been a popular choice because the middle of the 19th century, even although popularity waxes and wanes with the times. Nowadays, resilient flooring is enjoying a resurgence. As stated by the wonderful folks at Floor Covering News, it is now the only flooring category enjoying an increasing market share.
Resilient flooring goods remain popular, though they may not carry the cachet they once did. For a lot of folks, these flooring’ easy-to-live-with temperament makes them the logical choice for home full of kids pets or pets. That they can cost significantly less money than the alternatives adds to their popularity.
If you are in the market for a resilient flooring, make sure you do your homework, locate a respectable merchant and ask a lot of questions. How long one of these floors will wear and last plays a direct part in how much you’ll pay for it.
More floors guides
Paul Anater
Marmoleum Linoleum Flooring by Forbo – $5
In 1863, Englishman Frederick Walton was granted a patent for a new flooring material that he called Linoleum. It grew in popularity throughout the 1800s, and as Walton brought his product across the Atlantic, a number of imitators followed . Walton never uttered the name of his product, and linoleum turned into a standard term.
There are two primary brands of linoleum sold today: Marmoleum by Forbo and Marmorette by Armstrong. Both substances come as tiles or sheets but are most often seen as sheets.
Paul Anater
Linorette brand linoleum flooring from Armstrong – $5
Both brands make linoleum with the same ingredients Frederick Walton used. Namely, linseed oil, powdered walnut, roasted wood, limestone, jute and pine rosin. The raw materials used to make it rapidly renewable, therefore linoleum is catching on as a sustainable flooring option. Some varieties of linoleum include recycled stuff, And not only can it be recyclable, given the ideal conditions and enough time, it is biodegradable.
Linoleum is sold in sheets and tiles at a huge variety of colors. Linoleum needs to be installed by a professional installer. Virtually all applications of this product demand sometimes-extensive seams. Its performance over the long term is dependent on the substrate over which it is installed.
Paul Anater
Marmoleum brand linoleum sheet flooring from Forbo – $5
Linoleum is a sturdy, water- resistant and wear- resistant material and if taken care of will last for a lengthy time. It can not handle having heavy items being dragged it over, but no floors material can.
Linoleum is static free (useful when it comes to cleaning up pet hair) and is purported to be non-allergenic. Be careful to clean it with pH neutral cleaners (Fabuloso is just one ) and it will stay looking beautiful for years and years.
Linoleum
Experts: Wide selection of colors and patterns, environmentally friendly, easy to care for, comfortable underfoot
Disadvantages: Can Be Costly to have installed, difficulty locating an installer, water-resistant although not watertight
Suggested applications: Living rooms, kitchens, hallways, baths, dry basements
Cost range: $5 to $8 per square foot
Paul Anater
Sobella Supreme, Fiberglass core, vinyl sheet floors from Mannington – $5
At some point in the 1960s, sheet flooring made from vinyl but replaced linoleum. These vinyl flooring took over so thoroughly that vinyl sheet flooring too are often called linoleum. They’re made entirely differently of course, but they behave in somewhat similar ways. As is true with true linoleum, vinyl flooring are offered as sheets and as tile, though for home usage it is most often seen as one sheet.
Although vinyl sheet floors no longer has the prestige it once had, it remains a favorite substance. In some places it is still the default material for kitchens and baths.
Paul Anater
Wenge Bourbon, Cushion Measure vinyl sheet flooring with Armstrong – $13
The transfer to vinyl came about for a couple of reasons. For starters, vinyl has higher brightness and translucency and can therefore arrive in a virtually limitless assortment of patterns and colors. The surface of vinyl floors is almost nonreactive and you can clean it with just about anything and not worry about how it can influence the ground. Its main component, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is thought to be inert and benign once it is in the home, but its manufacture is problematic from an ecological standpoint.
Paul Anater
Sobella Omni HD fiberglass core, vinyl sheet floors from Mannington – $5
Vinyl sheet flooring is just about unrecyclable at this time, though technologies on the horizon may change that. More progress is being made with resilient vinyl tile recycling, but again, that’s not a substance often encountered in homes.
In the industry’s defense, they are working on methods to lower the effect of the products and you will find buy-back initiatives available; check to them before you substitute a vinyl flooring.
Paul Anater
Peruvian Slate series vinyl sheet flooring from Armstrong – $13
Now with that out of the way, if you are in the market to get a sheet vinyl flooring, you will find a couple of things which should guide your choice. The market’s filled with a huge variety of products, and their prices vary from a couple of bucks per square foot to more than $20 a square foot.
The very first driver of cost is the method used to make the pattern from the substance itself. Vinyl products which are surface-printed cost less but will not last as long. Inlaid patterns with colour extending through the full depth of the material will survive longer. Such substances also cost more as a rule.
The latest development in vinyl resilient flooring is the accession of a fiberglass layer to the core of the material. The fiberglass adds strength and cushion to the ground.
Paul Anater
Charter Tawny Oak vinyl sheet floors from Shaw – $10.50
The composition of the top, or wear layer is also a substantial driver of cost. As is the case with just about every other product available for your home, quality and cost are very closely linked.
The thicker and more tougher that high layer is, the better the quality and the better the manufacturer’s warranty. The best products in the marketplace impregnate that use layer with nylon and aluminum oxide to make it last much longer.
Paul Anater
Kent Dark Cherry vinyl sheet floors from Shaw – $11
Beware cheap flooring. Something which costs a dollar a square foot will not last, and you will wind up replacing it before too long. Thinking about the environmental effects of this substance, purchase it for the long term and get the very best quality you can afford.
As is the case with every other fabricated flooring material on the market, the printing technology used in its manufacture has exploded in the last several decades, and it is available in only about any pattern you can imagine.
Unlike the linoleum it competes with, vinyl sheet floors is a far more pliable material once it comes to installation. With just a little preparation and attention, many DIYers can tackle a vinyl flooring for a weekend job.
Paul Anater
Shaw Sumter Tile vinyl floors – $2.50
Though resilient vinyl tile flooring are not often seen in homes, that is beginning to change as you can see here. The overall look of vinyl flooring tiles for home usage again is no uncertainty being driven by vinyl tile’s smaller effect and ability to be recycled.
When you are researching resilient floors, consider your options and consider linoleum. If linoleum is not for you then locate a high quality vinyl that will last for years. Start looking for a good warranty from a known manufacturer and purchase from a respectable retailer.
Vinyl Floors
Experts: Long-lasting, relatively easy to install, simple to Keep, comfortable underfoot
Disadvantages: Difficult to recycle, adhesives can off-gas, seams tend to be visible
Suggested applications: Kitchens, baths, basements, family roomsand laundry rooms
Cost range: $2 to $20 per square foot
More:
Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood For Less
When to Utilize Engineered Wood Floors
An Intro to Sound Plank Wood Floors
Zebra, Tiger and Teak Wood, Oh, My!
5 Sophisticated Wood Floors
20 Great Cases of Transitions in Floors
How to Shop for a Tile Floor
