Resilient Vinyl Flooring
About Resilient Vinyl Flooring
Resilient vinyl flooring is a very popular product. In fact, resilient vinyl has long been the most popular hard surface flooring in the United States. At D&S, we often find ourselves installing sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl plank (LVP), luxury vinyl tile (LVT), or a vinyl composite. Resilient vinyl is affordable, waterproof, low maintenance, and with advancing engineering techniques and modern high definition printing technology, the designs are realistic and visually appealing. At a glance, some LVP can easily be mistaken for real hardwood!
Construction of Resilient Vinyl
Resilient vinyl flooring gets its name from its main component polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic plastic polymer. Polymers are both durable and resilient which give this type of flooring its strength, flexibility, and also it’s waterproof quality.
Resilient vinyl flooring falls into four basic categories of composition: 100% vinyl, wood plastic composite (WPC), stone plastic composite (SPC), and hybrid vinyl manufactured with fiberglass for increased dimensional stability and rigidity. There are a lot of options in the vinyl family, and we’ll walk you through what the options are. Some companies make a distinction between WPC and “rigid core” flooring. For our purposes in explaining the ever-developing options, we’re including rigid core in the WPC category.
100% Vinyl
100% vinyl or traditional vinyl flooring is composed completely of PVC and other similar natural and synthetic polymers. From the wear layer to the backing, PVC is the main component.
Examples of this type of flooring would be most of your sheet vinyl goods.
WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) Vinyl
WPC resilient vinyl flooring takes traditional vinyl one step further by adding a more dense, engineered core to the composition. Made by combining wood pulp, plasticizers and foaming agents, WPC resilient vinyl is more resistant to indentation while maintaining the softer feel of vinyl underfoot. CoreTec Plus engineered vinyl planks, for example, come with an extruded core made from recycled wood and bamboo dust, limestone, and virgin PVC. As technology progresses, companies are manufacturing WPC options with even better performing cores for greater dent resistance and higher dimensional stability.
Examples of WPC resilient vinyl include Mannington Adura Max LVP, US Floors CoreTec Plus, Tarkett ProGen, and Shaw Floors Floorte Pro.
SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) Vinyl
SPC resilient vinyl flooring with limestone as part of its construction is the most dent-resistant and dimensionally stable option in the resilient vinyl family. It combines the strength of tile with the warmth of vinyl without the high risk of cracking. Vinyl composition tile (VCT) falls into this category and has long been the king of commercial applications, but within the last 10 years, manufacturers like Armstrong have begun adding limestone to their luxury vinyl tile (LVT) lines, effectively combining the strength of VCT with the wide variety of looks and low maintenance of LVT, and commercial customers have taken notice! Additionally, SPC’s ability to resist expanding and contracting in extreme temperature environments, make it an excellent choice for sunroom flooring or a hunting cabin, for example.
Examples of SPC resilient vinyl are Armstrong Flooring’s Alterna and Congoleum’s Duraceramic products.
Hybrid Vinyl
Hybrid vinyl is simply vinyl composed of both pvc and fiberglass. Fiberglass adds dimensional stability and rigidity. It also maintains vinyl’s resistance to moisture.
Layers of Resilient Vinyl
There are typically 5 layers that make up resilient vinyl. The topmost layer is either a urethane or aluminum oxide finish which gives the product the appropriate sheen depending on the desired style. Directly underneath the finish is a clear PVC film layer called the wear layer which provides a high degree of protection against scuffs, scratches, stains, and well, wear. The wear layer can range in thickness from 6 mils (not to be confused with millimeters) to 12 mils for residential flooring and 20 mils or more for commercial flooring. (For you math people out there, 1 mil is equal to .0254 millimeters.) Except for VCT, every vinyl product has a wear layer. Both the finish and wear layer work together to prevent damage to the rest of the material. The third layer is the print layer which gives the resilient vinyl flooring its look. Among the most popular looks are wood, stone, or patterned designs. Because the third layer is printed, vinyl can have any look people can dream up! Underneath the print layer is the middle or core layer, the real “meat” of the product. The core gives vinyl most of its thickness, often 90% of it. This layer adds to the product’s durability, and depending on the materials, it can make it more rigid or more flexible. Working together with the backing layer, these layers can hide subfloor imperfections, preventing dimples and divots from ‘telegraphing’ through. Finally, the backing layer is the bottom-most layer that rests against the subfloor. Resilient vinyl backing can include felt, PVC, rubber, or cork materials, the purpose of which is to insulate sound, protect against mold, and increase comfort underfoot. Depending on the product, the backing is either glued down to or ‘floated’ on the subfloor.
VCT doesn’t fit this description as it lacks a print film layer or PVC wear layer. VCT is a through-body design, which means it is the same color and look throughout the whole of the material. One benefit of VCT is that scratches can be buffed out and the surface refinished. A drawback, however, is the amount of maintenance required long-term. VCT needs to be polished to keep looking its best and resist wear. While up-front costs are low, the cost comparison between VCT and LVT when considering maintenance over even a 10-year period is markedly different.
FORMATS of Resilient Vinyl
Resilient vinyl comes in 3 basic formats: sheets, planks, and tiles.
Sheets
Resilient sheet vinyl, often mistaken for linoleum, typically comes in 12 ‘ 6” rolls. Some companies make rolls in over 13’ widths. The sheet vinyl option boasts a low price point with entry level sheet goods starting as inexpensive as $1.00 per square foot. Another benefit is the waterproof quality of a continuous sheet. With less seams, the chance of water penetrating to the subfloor through the seems is eliminated.
Planks (LVP) + Tiles (VCT & LVT)
Planks and tiles offer a high degree of realism. Manufactured differently than sheet goods and costing more as well, planks and tiles do a much better job mimicking real hardwood and stone. Planks can vary in size from your 4” x 36” to as wide and long as 9” x 72”! Tiles are available in dimensions of 12” x 12”, 16” x 16”, 12” x 18” or 12” x 24”, and more. SPC resilient vinyl tiles can also be installed with spaces for grout to simulate a tile floor look.
SHOWROOM
As you can see, there are many options for the customer when it comes to resilient vinyl flooring. Our sales team understands this can be overwhelming. We are prepared to walk each customer through the selections best suited for them, considering budget, look, application, and maintenance. In our showroom in Lititz, PA, we host an extensive collection of resilient vinyl for customers to physically touch and see. We recommend taking home samples to see how the colors and designs look in your space before making a final decision.
FREE QUOTES
We offer free quotes! We want to help you get your project started. Reach out to us with a phone call or fill out our online form to schedule a free on-site measurement. Once we’ve completed your measurement, we’ll have a project estimate to you within 7 business days.
DEMOLITION, FLOOR PREPARATION, & INSTALLATION
In addition to being a flooring retailer, we are also a flooring service center, offering installation and repair for resilient vinyl flooring. Whether residential or commercial, we’re prepared for the job. We'll demolish and dispose of your old flooring and install your choice of new resilient vinyl, all the while taking great pains to ensure excellent subfloor preparation and finishing touches for a quality finished product.
1-YEAR SERVICE WARRANTY
To back up our work, we offer a 1-year service guarantee. This means we at D&S Flooring warrant all installation work performed by D&S Flooring, LLC for a period of one (1) year from the completion date of the installation! If there are any failures due to improper installation, the responsibility of cost for the service repair falls on us. Additionally, each product comes with its own manufacturer warranty. If there is a failure on the part of the resilient vinyl product, we will work with you and the manufacturer to resolve a material warranty (if required) in as timely a manner as possible.
Ready to get the ball rolling on your resilient vinyl project? Drop us a line!
Some of Our Resilient Vinyl Projects
Resilient Athletic Turf & Recycled Rubber Flooring
A fantastic option for fitness facilities is rubber and turf flooring.
BRANDS WE CARRY
“Derry is very knowledgeable about his product and is incredibly easy to work with. No pressure sales and he has a strong desire to give you the product and service he would expect for himself. His service is first rate and he always delivers exactly what he promises. It was a pleasure to work with Derry and his staff. My floor is outrageously beautiful and I refer everyone who asks to D&S Flooring.”
