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Luxury Vinyl Tile VS Ceramic Tiles

Filed Under: Buying

Ceramic tiles have always been a popular choice for household flooring, particularly in warmer climates and rooms such as the kitchen or bathroom. However, new materials such as luxury vinyl tile offer many advantages over ceramic and are easily accessible at any home improvement store or over the internet. They are also easier to install as a DIY project than tiles, as they come in self-adhesive formats that don’t require thin-set or grout which may be difficult to handle for those new to DIY home improvement.

Open Studios Day 5 - Classic Vinyl Flooring
Open Studios Day 5 – Classic Vinyl Flooring (Photo credit: Jacob Whittaker)

There are many other benefits to luxury vinyl tile besides the ease of installation. For example, did you know that this material is soft and warm under your feet, naturally? This makes it perfect for a bathroom or other areas where you will be walking barefoot. It can also be installed with or without grout, in case the idea of cleaning grout regularly doesn’t appeal to you. If you install vinyl tiles with grout most people will confuse them with high quality porcelain, just softer and warmer and less likely to cause people to slip.

Cleaning luxury vinyl tile is also a breeze. This kind of flooring material comes with stain resistant finishings, and fade or wear through warranties that make them a great investment. If you buy an extra pack of luxury tiles when you install the floor you can also use them to replace any tile that chips or cracks. With ceramic tile, if a chip or crack occurs you are stuck with it, and if it happens in a very visible part of the room you may end up having to replace the entire floor which isn’t cheap or convenient. Vinyl is also resistant to water and humidity, so you won’t need to fear accidental spills like you would do if you had installed wood or natural stone tiles.

Luxury vinyl tiles are very versatile. They come in a variety of styles and colours, from 70s psychedelic patterns to more traditional wood and stone imitation. They can be installed with or without grout, though if you choose to install them without the space between the tiles may accumulate dirt, so you will need to be extra careful about keeping it clean. This effect is particularly visible on light coloured vinyl tiles. You can also choose to install a combination of different colours to create a unique pattern on your floor. And if you want, you can combine vinyl luxury planks with tiles to create a wood and tile look that will look like you hired a team of professionals to design your house.

The fact that luxury vinyl tile is affordable doesn’t mean you are more limited in terms of design than when using real tile. You can create inlays, borders and any design your imagination can come up with. This material has excellent flooring properties, and they don’t look cheap or fake looking like older and cheaper vinyl tiles. It is well worth keeping your options open when choosing a new type of flooring tile for your home, as luxury vinyl tile is a great alternative to more traditional materials and offers many benefits.

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Tagged With: Bathroom, Ceramic, Do it yourself, Floor, List of decorative stones, Tile, Wood, wood floors

Installing Vinyl Tiles With Grout

Filed Under: DIY Installation

If you are after a flexible self-adhesive tile that is sealed like a ceramic tile floor, installing vinyl tiles with grout gives you the perfect alternative to more costly natural stone or ceramic flooring. However, grouting vinyl tile is totally different from grouting ceramic or natural stone tiles for several reasons. To start with, groutable vinyl tile flooring uses an acrylic based grout instead of traditional cement-based products. Groutable vinyl floor tiles are also thinner, so the joints will be shallower. Installed properly, grout vinyl tile flooring can offer you years of service and look great with minimal expense.

Lay Down the Vinyl Tiles

To lay down vinyl tiles with grout the first step is placing them on the area where they will be installed, paying careful attention to the joints. Groutable vinyl floor tiles come in different styles, but the majority will have either rounded edges or bevelled edged. If your grout vinyl tile flooring has rounded edges, you will need to space them as you would ceramic tiles. Otherwise, they need to touch each other and the grout will be placed right above the joint. You may need to cut some tiles to fit the edges of the floor. If you already know how to install vinyl floors, the procedure is exactly the same at this point.

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Attach the Tiles To The Subfloor

If you are using peel and stick vinyl tile squares you will need to remove the backing and glue them to the floor. For non adhesive vinyl tiles you will need to use vinyl floor tile adhesive to make sure they are perfectly glued to the floor. The floor needs to be perfectly clean and flat in order for the vinyl to stick. If the floor isn’t dry or clean enough, or the surface is not even, the tiles will lift up and you will need to glue them again. Use a vinyl tile roller to make sure there are no bubbles and the tiles stick to the floor. You will need to leave the vinyl tile adhesive to dry for a few hours, usually overnight, but check out your manufacturer’s instructions.

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Installing Vinyl Tiles With Grout

So far, installing vinyl tiles with grout is not very different from installing normal vinyl tiles. So the next step after the tile adhesive is dry is actually grouting your new vinyl floor. You will need to mix the grout following the manufacturer’s instructions, and scoop a bit of it with a grout float. Place the grout on the joints of your groutable vinyl floor tiles and drag it carefully, making sure to cover the joint while remaining level with the tiles. Start with a small amount of grout to avoid making a mess and remember you will need much less grout than if you were installing ceramic tiles.

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Once your new groutable vinyl tile flooring is done, you will need to use a damp grout sponge to wipe the tiles and shape the grout lines. However, you will need to be extra careful because the grout joints at this point are very shallow and you could just wash out the entire thing and would need to start again. Once you are done, you will need to wait between 24 to 48 hours before walking on the floor to give time for the vinyl tile grout to dry, and then it’s time to enjoy your new grouting vinyl tile flooring.

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Tagged With: Adhesive, Business, Construction and Maintenance, Floor, glass tile, Grout, List of decorative stones, Tile

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