Wood flooring

Bathroom Flooring: Vinyl Floor Tiles Or Ceramic Tiles?

Filed Under: Buying

There are several flooring options for bathrooms that can be installed by anybody with a certain degree of familiarity with DIY, but two of the most popular ones are without a doubt vinyl floor tiles and ceramic (or porcelain) tiles. Both have their advantages and their disadvantages, and choosing one over the other will depend on your needs and DIY skill level.

Bathroom Vinyl Tiles

Vinyl tile (or sheet vinyl flooring for that matter) is a popular choice for bathrooms for many reasons, but the main one is without a doubt its great pricing. Even luxury vinyl tiles are considerably more affordable than any other flooring material, and with adequate care and a proper installation can last for years.

Laying vinyl floor tiles is something that anybody can learn, as it’s a very accessible DIY project (however, in order to avoid having the bathroom out of use for days it’s worth getting help if you are new to DIY). Self-adhesive vinyl doesn’t even require the use of adhesive, and if you are after a traditional look for your bathroom you can also install vinyl tile with grout instead of as a seamless surface.

Laying Vinyl Flooring (Photo credit: Jacob Whittaker)

Once installed, vinyl can last for a few years as bathroom flooring, and it’s a very comfortable choice as, unlike porcelain or ceramic, it’s warm to the touch and can be purchased with effective non-slip coatings, perfect to avoid accidents after a bath. However, you will need to be careful about your cleaning methods, as harsh cleaners will take away its glossy appearance.

Ceramic Tiles For Bathrooms

Ceramic has always been a popular choice for bathrooms, and the fact that properly installed it can last for decades makes it a cheap choice in the long run. It won’t increase your home equity as marble or granite would, but it’s a good choice in the medium price range. Porcelain is also totally waterproof, immune to humidity and impossible to scratch, though it can crack if something very heavy lands on it.

In terms of cleaning, you can clean porcelain and ceramic with almost anything and it will still look good. This is one of the reasons it’s a material used in schools, hospitals or public places, as it can be disinfected easily. Vinyl is much more delicate in terms of handing.

Porcelain and ceramic flooring for bathroom has a beautiful, stone-like appearance and can look similar to more expensive materials such as granite. If you are after a classic look for your bathroom, grouted ceramic tiles will give it and if you are good at DIY you may want to try and install it yourself. However, keep in mind that botching the job can be expensive, and unless you measure things carefully you may end up with uneven rows of tiles.

If you are unexperienced at DIY, looking for a very cheap solution for your bathroom or want to create a really funky look with textures that aren’t found in ceramic, vinyl tiles are probably the best choice. If you have more money to spend, want a more classic look or want a DIY challenge, porcelain tiles are a classic that never goes out of fashion and will give you great service for years.

Pros and Cons of Wood Plank Vinyl Flooring

Filed Under: Information

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.

Benefits of Vinyl Flooring For Bathroom

Filed Under: Information

One of the areas of the home where vinyl tile flooring really shines is on bathrooms and other rooms with high humidity levels. Installing vinyl floors on your bathroom is cost effective, easy to maintain and durable. And it also looks great, and can match the craziest or most conservative home décor styles. If you can design it, there is most likely a matching vinyl design to suit your flooring needs. The benefits of vinyl flooring for bathrooms are many:

Vinyl Flooring Is Non Slip And Comfortable

The bathroom is one of those places where you will spend a lot of time barefoot, navigating your way on a oftentimes wet floor. Vinyl flooring is perfect for bathrooms because it can be treated to be non-slip, making it a much safer alternative than other floor surfaces such as natural stone or even some ceramic materials. Vinyl flooring is also very comfortable underfoot and reduces noise, which is perfect when you are walking barefoot in your way to a bath.

Vinyl Floor Tiles Are Easy To Install

The installation of vinyl flooring is quite simple, with a large variety of self-adhesive, peel and stick tiles that can be installed by people without previous experience or training and is pretty quick. This means you can realistically have a new bathroom on a weekend, instead of having to spend several days without access to the bathtub.

Low Cost Bathroom Flooring? Sure!

Vinyl flooring for bathrooms is very low cost, both in terms of materials and installation costs if you do it yourself. You can buy tiles for less than $1 for square meter, though if you go after luxury bathroom vinyl tiles the prices will logically be higher. However, even high end vinyl flooring is much cheaper than ceramic, wood or stone, and easier to install.

Cleaning Vinyl Flooring Is Easy

The floor on your bathroom is subjected to lots of abuse, from spills to water pools after the children had a bath. It also needs to be kept clean because otherwise it can become a breeding ground for bacteria and mould. Vinyl flooring is easy to clean and doesn’t require specialist care or the use of difficult to find cleaning substances. Warm water and detergent works just fine, the milder the better. If you mop spills as soon as possible and vacuum regularly you shouldn’t need to use heavy duty stuff. If you install no-wax vinyl tiles don’t use products that contain wax and it will keep its shine through the year.

Vinyl Comes In All Colours And Styles

Do you want a retro bathroom? Modernistic one? Want to imitate the luxury feeling of natural marble and granite stones? Whatever effect you want to create on your bathroom, you will be able to find a vinyl tile to go with it. You can find high end vinyl tiles that look a lot like the real thing, without the maintenance. So if you always wanted a wood floor on your bathroom, but are scared of the costs and the maintenance then vinyl flooring can be your best alternative.

Vinyl Surfaces Are Water Resistant

Last but not least, one of the major benefits of vinyl flooring for bathrooms is that is highly resistant to water and humidity. Unlike natural stone or wood, vinyl is non-porous and impervious to water, provided it has been correctly installed and there are no gaps between the tiles. This means casual splashing from the bathtub won’t have you running for the mop, though you may want to clean up spills as quick as possible so they don’t dry into hard to remove stains.

How Do You Remove Vinyl Flooring

Filed Under: DIY Installation

All the good things come to an end, and vinyl flooring is not an exception. Whether you are tired of your existing vinyl design, want to install a new one or opt for a totally different flooring material, learning about removing vinyl floor is almost as important as learning how to install vinyl flooring tiles. Thankfully, it is a very simple procedure that can be done by anybody, and all you will need is a utility knife and lots of patience.

Removing Vinyl Floor With a Knife

The first thing you’ll need to do if you are removing vinyl tiles or sheets with a knife is to cut them into strips using the knife. In order for the strips to be easy to handle it is best to make them about 10 to 12cm wide. Insert the knife into the incision and slowly cut the adhesive below so the vinyl sheet separates from the floor. Peel the strip as you do so, and repeat until all the vinyl is out of the way. This is a messy and quite slow process, so a little trade secret that may help is removing vinyl flooring using dry ice.

How do I Remove Vinyl Flooring Using Dry Ice?

First of all, remember to always wear gloves if you are handling dry ice, as otherwise your hands will easily get frostbitten. Dry ice is a very cold substance, the solid form of carbon dioxide, so you will also need to be on a well-ventilated area and be careful not to inhale too much fumes, though it is generally not very toxic.

To remove vinyl flooring using dry ice, just cut the ice into cubes about 30cm big and place them on top of the vinyl. The dry ice will evaporate and cool off the vinyl, making it brittle and easy to break after a few minutes. The broken pieces of vinyl can be swept away easily. If you are working on a large surface, such as vinyl commercial flooring, this method is much more cost effective in terms of time.

Preparing The Floor After Removing Vinyl Floor

It doesn’t matter which method you used to remove vinyl flooring, there will be traces of vinyl and adhesive for vinyl tile on the floor which needs to be removed. This is a process that requires first the use of a scrapper and can be quite a bit of hard work but it is necessary if you plan on installing any other type of flooring as the surfaces need to be flat and clean. To make scrapping easier, you may want to use boiling water to soften the adhesive up but use towels to contain it and don’t try this if you are trying to remove vinyl adhesive from porous substances such as wood.

Some stubborn spots may be resistant to manual scrapping, in which case you will need to use a chemical stripper to soften the adhesive up. However, make sure to follow the instructions from the manufacturer, wear protective equipment to avoid breathing in the fumes and keep the area well ventilated.

Vinyl Commercial Flooring

Filed Under: Information

Vinyl floor tiles are a fast and easy way of transforming a room. They are also quite inexpensive, which has made them one of the most popular choices for home-owners looking to renovate on a budget. However, vinyl commercial flooring is also a great alternative particularly if you want to renovate as quickly as possible to minimize the time it takes to be open for business.

Heavy duty vinyl flooring for commercial spaces and offices is available from many manufacturers, though due to the higher requirements in terms of endurance and quality they are often more expensive than their domestic counterparts. Consider also whether you are going to install them yourself, or you prefer to hire a contractor to do the job. Learning how to install vinyl floors is easy, but since an office or shop need to look perfect even with heavy use you may want to leave installation to a professional that can guarantee great results.

Benefits of Commercial Flooring Vinyl

Vinyl commercial flooring can also be used for residential areas, as it offers better longevity than domestic vinyl tiles. It has many benefits for shops, offices and any heavily trafficked areas:

Comfortable underfoot and non-slip
Vinyl flooring for commercial use is thicker and more resistant
Easy to maintain, can be cleaned with mild detergent and water
Can last for ten to twenty years with minimal maintenance
Vinyl square tiles can be replaced if they get damaged, without having to replace the entire floor.
Can be installed over concrete, plywood subfloors, existing wood or linoleum floors… making it quick and easy to change how your office or store looks like.
Cleaning liquid spills is easy, and they won’t cause long lasting damage such as they would on a carpet.

While vinyl luxury tiles suitable for commercial use come in almost any colour of the rainbow, most business owners choose hard wearing styles that don’t require constant cleaning to look great. Textures that imitate natural stone such as granite or hardwood materials with clear grains look great even after a full day of trading, and can be cleaned with mild soap and water to look as good as new. Very light colours such as white marble may look expensive, but can soon become dirty and show every footstep, particularly if people are coming in from the street all the time. Commercial vinyl floor is considerably easier to maintain than carpets, particularly if it tends to rain a lot in the area and you are getting tired of people tracking mud inside.

The cost of vinyl flooring is considerably lower than alternatives such as stone or hardwood, making it one of the cheapest choices in terms of commercial flooring. Vinyl is also a modern alternative to linoleum or laminate, and if you choose tiles you can replace them inexpensively as they break instead of having to refinish the entire surface. This makes vinyl commercial flooring a great choice for any environment that requires affordable flooring that is suitable for heavy use.