Vinyl
How do you choose vinyl flooring? Learn about this type of flooring and what it is made of and
more.
Vinyl flooring is the most common type of resilient flooring. and by far the most popular flooring
material in the U.S. Often, resilient flooring and vinyl flooring are two interchangeable terms.
Vinyl flooring comes in both low end and high-end types. Low-end vinyl flooring is often
recommended if you want to have the least expensive type of flooring material. However, highend
vinyl floors can also compete with expensive flooring like hardwood in both quality and
appearance.
What is vinyl flooring made of. Vinyl flooring materials are composed of varying amounts of
vinyl. These are either in solid or composite types of vinyl. Solid vinyl is composed of vinyl
pieces set in a vinyl base while composite vinyl is made of vinyl pieces embedded in non-vinyl
fillers. The more expensive and more durable of these two types of vinyl is solid vinyl. Good
quality flooring contains higher amount of vinyl components. Wear layer is the protective
topping that is found in all vinyl flooring. This is either in urethane, which is clear and with no
wax covering or all in vinyl. The vinyl type is more resistant to stains and scratches. However it
can lose its gloss more easily than the urethane protective topping. Glossy floor can get slippery
and can be hazardous especially when used in the bathroom. Both types of protective toppings
can wear in time and may become dull unless wax is applied regularly.