Tips for Getting the Right Vinyl Flooring for your Home

Before you zero in on a specific type of flooring, you must think of the sunlight, footfall, and other factors that will affect your flooring material. For instance, for a kitchen, vinyl passes all moisture tests, and incorporates most coveted features of laminate, linoleum and solid wood flooring. However, even though the best vinyl flooring wears out much slower than solid wood, it has to be well-maintained for retaining its looks.

Here, we discuss how contemporary vinyl floors are serving to be a much-favored option for people looking for nothing but the very best in their interiors. Boasting of smart designs that promise to go well with all kinds of interiors, this kind of flooring is a good fit for homes, offices, stores, and all kinds of commercial venues alike.

Getting your Space Measured Out

Sketch out your floor plan (if possible, on-scale) with all entrances marked, including doorways, fireplaces, or any built-in structure that slightly change the floor’s shape. Calculate the square footage by multiplying the length and width. For an irregular floor, just split the area into smaller rectangles and squares, calculate the square footage of each and add them all up for the final square footage of the room. However, always buy 10% extra flooring material than what you think is the perfect amount. This surplus will help you to fix mistakes during installation.

Also, the extra material helps to mend repairs in future. You may want to store the surplus in cartons. Keep them under the bed or in the top shelf of a closet where the temperature and moisture conditions can be maintained for retaining the quality of the extra flooring.

Shopping for the Right One

Generally, vinyl flooring, be it solid or the engineered type, is made with the help of polyurethane, aluminum oxide, acrylic or ceramic finish that serves as a protection against daily wear-and-tear. This prefinished flooring saves customers much time and effort linked to sanding, staining, and finishing, as most tasks are already taken care of before the products are sent off.

Pro tip: Before deciding on the final product, spend some money and time on a couple of samples. You will realize that it’s more effective than settling for the kind of flooring that looks eye-catching in a catalogue, or online, but unpleasant when spread out in your home. Also keep in mind that certain variations may be present in different batches of vinyl flooring. So, if you want the same flooring for a wide area, place a bulk order for the product to avoid any disappointment in future. With similar flooring materials on your hand, you can go about the task of laying your floors in a more effective and efficient manner. Devoid of any tell-tale signs of non-resemblance, they will help you get the appeal that you desire for your floors.

Choose a Factory Finish

Pre-finished vinyl flooring costs around 40% more than the unfinished, raw floors. However, you tend to save a lot because the factory-finished flooring lasts longer. Moreover, having a professional to put on the finish simply adds on to the cost, chaos and confusion. And most importantly, the factory-finished products are guaranteed to last long by the manufacturer, which will possibly be in business even years later. So, instead of getting lured by just about any vinyl flooring catalogue, look for the ones presented by reputed brands that have a long-term standing with respect to offering the best-in-class products and high levels of customer satisfaction at all times.

Certificate Check

Always buy your products from a certified manufacturer. Look for the industry’s certification for vinyl floors. This stamp assures that the product chosen by you will emit comparatively lesser levels of volatile, harmful organic compounds, which in turn are closely related to pollution and health troubles.

Treatment at Home

Prior to installing your vinyl flooring, open, unpack and let the materials remain in the area of installation for one to three days. This step ensures that the temperature and moisture levels of the previously sealed materials now match the room’s conditions. It prevents any undue expansion or contraction of the flooring tiles after installation.

Maintaining the Sheen

You might want to heat the room after installation, but only do so by slowly raising the temperature over the span of a week. This allows the floor tiles to adjust without expanding suddenly. Use a soft broom or a brush setting while sweeping or vacuuming. Wipe with a damp cloth, and not soaking wet mop. Check the packaging for instructions on cleaning products. Have felt pads put under furniture to avoid scratches on the new flooring. Small, careful steps promise to a long way when it comes to taking care of your vinyl tiles and floors. So, to attain that as-good-as-new look for a longer time, and add more value to your investments, remember to nurture your floors with the products and attention they deserve; you will not be disappointed with the results.

Accessories for your Flooring

To finish your vinyl flooring project with proper style, buy all the accessories required for the complete completion: coordinating moldings, t-moldings, four-in-one moldings, transitions, quarter rounds, thresholds, reducers, wall base, and underlayment. By following these installation and maintenance tips, you can have better user experiences with your new vinyl flooring.

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