Vinyl wood planks are a hybrid between vinyl sheet flooring and pell and stick vinyl square tiles. Resilient as the first, but as easy to install as the second, it also avoid the checkerboard effect vinyl tiles can produce. Wood plank vinyl flooring has a similar format to hardwood laminate flooring, and comes as planks joined together with a tongue and groove cut. Each vinyl flooring wood plank is joined to the others using a click mechanism, and so the surface is much smoother and you don’t need to use vinyl glue to install, making it perfect for quick jobs.
One of the major benefits of wood plank vinyl flooring is the ease of installation and removal. The installation system is also very similar: vinyl wood planks are backed with a rubberized material that extends past the long edge on one side of the plank. This extension is treated with vinyl plank glue so it’s sticky. When you install vinyl plank flooring each plank is laid down overlapping that sticky bit of rubber, creating a staggered texture and a smoother surface. Unlike vinyl tiles, vinyl planks aren’t glued to the subfloor, removal is also easy and doesn’t require the use of glue solvents or other toxic substances to remove the leftover adhesive residue.
Wood vinyl flooring planks get that name because they look like hardwood, and have a similar texture but finding vinyl wood floor planks that can fool somebody into thinking they are real thing can be an expensive challenge. While the pattern may look like hardwood, it still has a plastic sheen to it that is difficult to hide. It comes in a large variety of colours and patterns, resembling all styles of wood, from oak and beech to exotic woods. But it also can be made to look like stone, marble or any other material imaginable. That makes it extremely versatile and suitable for a variety of home decoration projects.
Floating vinyl plank flooring is very durable. Is water resistant, and it won’t chip or warp when properly installed, which makes it extremely valuable for households that have pets or small children. However, the acrylic coating will scratch with normal foot traffic, and after a few months you may start noticing a fine web of scratch marks. You can solve this by using suitable products designed to restore vinyl coating but if you are after a long lasting floor that can endure heavy usage you may prefer to install laminate or hardwood flooring instead. You can reduce the damage by avoiding using outdoor shoes indoors, and sweeping regularly.
Vinyl wood flooring planks are perfect for children’s rooms and task oriented rooms, as the feeling under the feet is much softer than laminate or hardwood and it also has good sound-reduction capabilities. Unlike stone, it has a warm feel to it, which makes bathroom vinyl flooring a very sought after offer as it is a room where you want a floor that is warm and comfortable on naked feet, but wouldn’t install wood due to the risk of water damage. They are also easy to install and remove, and cheap enough that remodelling the floor as your need change over the years is affordable. However, it is not hardwood, and it shows.
The primary disadvantage of wood plank vinyl flooring is just that, the fact that is vinyl and not hardwood. It looks like vinyl, though some luxury versions have their own beauty and can pass for laminate flooring easily. Vinyl is also not suitable for high traffic areas, because it will soon get noticeably scratched, unless you invest on extra-durable vinyl that is coated with a hard wearing protective layer, usually designed for commercial spaces and schools.
Before installing floating vinyl plank flooring, weigh the pros and cons and consider the usage you want to give that new room. Ask for samples and shop around until you find the right texture and pattern that suits your home decoration at a price you are happy to pay. While wood plank vinyl flooring is durable and has its own style of beauty, if you are after a floor that closely imitates hardwood you may feel disappointed after you install it.
