What are the different types of hard surface flooring products?
Sheet vinyl flooring requires heat welded or chemically sealed seams. One of the hottest categories of hard surface flooring products is luxury vinyl tile or planks. This material is still vinyl flooring but it can be made to look like most anything, including wood, stone, or metal.
What is the difference between sheet vinyl and vinyl plank flooring?
Vinyl plank flooring offers much of the easy-care convenience of sheet vinyl, but because it is a thicker material, it has slightly more "give" underfoot, making it more comfortable. Because it is made from waterproof materials through and through, this is a much better flooring for damp areas than laminate flooring or hardwood.
What is the thickest type of vinyl flooring?
Stone polymer composite flooring is typically thicker, at 7mm to 8mm with planks and tiles from SmartCore, Cali Longboards, and Shaw. As the toughest form of vinyl flooring available to homeowners and businesses, engineered vinyl plank and tiles are great for locations with high foot traffic.
Is luxury vinyl flooring better than laminate?
Most plank forms of luxury vinyl seek to mimic hardwood flooring, and they do this quite effectively. At a casual glance, vinyl planks can look quite similar to natural wood—it can be a better illusion than what is offered by laminate flooring.
What is vinyl flooring considered?
Vinyl flooring is a synthetic flooring material that is durable, affordable and easy to install. Vinyl is commonly confused with other types of flooring such as linoleum and laminate flooring.
What is considered hard surface?
More Definitions of Hard surface Means an area covered in whole or in part with asphalt, concrete, interlocking brick or block, crushed or solid stone, gravel, slag, ground asphalt, wood or any non-porous material.
What are the examples of hard floor?
Hard floors include a wide variety of different types of surfaces from both man-made and natural origins. Concrete is probably the most commonly used hard floor surface. Terrazzo, marble, natural stone, clay, ceramic tile, and brick flooring are valuable members of the hard floor surface family, as well.
Is vinyl a hard material?
One of the very properties that makes vinyl such as useful material, the fact that it is tough and durable and doesn't decompose, is also the same property that has led to a global plastic pollution crisis.
Is laminate considered hard surface?
Laminate flooring is manufactured by starting with a core layer of fiberboard made of wood byproducts. Over this is a design layer that is printed to resemble wood or other material. The design layer is protected by a clear, hard wear layer that offers good resistance to scratching and stains.
What means hard floor?
What is hard flooring? Hard flooring includes natural and artificial materials that are not flexible and do not bend when stepped on. They are resilient, durable and resistant to wear thanks to their hard, smooth surfaces.
What is the difference between soft and hard floor?
What's the Difference? When we refer to a soft floor, that means the floor is carpeted. Hard floor refers to a hardwood flooring, laminate, tile, or concrete. The type of caster you use for these floors will make a difference in how well they perform and how much money you'll save long term.
What are the classification of hard floors and soft floors?
Floor and Floor Treatments Hard or Non resilient flooring resists denting because of its hardness. Examples of this type of flooring are marble and other types of stones, terrazzo, and ceramic tile. Soft or Resilient flooring refers to those types made from materials that have a certain amount of cushiony effect.
What are the examples of soft floor?
The following are the most common types of soft floors:1.1. Carpet and Rug.1.2. Glass Flooring.1.3. Vinyl Flooring.1.4. Rubber Flooring.1.5. PVC Flooring.1.6. Cork Flooring.1.7. Linoleum Flooring.
What type of material is vinyl?
plasticVinyl is commonly used as a shorthand name for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic as used in a range of products from flooring to siding to wall covering. Most commonly, when a product is referred to as “vinyl,” it is comprised primarily of PVC.
What are the disadvantages of vinyl flooring?
Some disadvantages of vinyl flooring include:Cannot be repaired.Can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs)Shorter lifespan than wood floors.No impact, or negative impact, on home resale value.Difficult to remove, especially if adhesive is used during installation.Not eco-friendly; difficult to recycle.
What is the difference between vinyl and laminate flooring?
Most of the time, the base layer of vinyl sheets are made of fiberglass and coated with PVC vinyl and a plasticizer. Then, it's embossed with a design and finished with layers of wear protection like no-wax polyurethane. Laminate, on the other hand, has a core made of wood byproducts. It's then sealed with a resin.
What Is Plank Vinyl Flooring?
At its core, plank vinyl floor, also called luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or luxury vinyl floor (LVF), is simply vinyl flooring that comes in long, narr...
Features of Quality Luxury Vinyl Plank
Along with graphics, surface embossing is the quality that makes vinyl plank look more like wood plank. If you hold the product to an angle, you se...
Price Ranges: Moderate to High
Rarely, if ever, will vinyl plank floor reach the level of actual wood plank prices. After all, lower prices are one of the major reasons why homeo...
What About Inexpensive Vinyl Plank Flooring?
Vinyl plank flooring in the rock-bottom pricing range can be found at commodity flooring retailers like BuildDirect, Lumber Liquidators, and Home D...
1 attorney answer
Unfortunately your vinyl flooring is not a soft flooring material, but a hard surface material. The whole point of the rule is to cut down on noise to the lower units. Carpet absorbs some of the impact and thus reduces noise. You will need to comply with the rule and install the cork sub-flooring or carpet...
Barbara Billiot Stage
Unfortunately your vinyl flooring is not a soft flooring material, but a hard surface material. The whole point of the rule is to cut down on noise to the lower units. Carpet absorbs some of the impact and thus reduces noise. You will need to comply with the rule and install the cork sub-flooring or carpet...
What is the difference between sheet vinyl and vinyl plank flooring?
But structurally this is a different product. Sheet vinyl is generally flexible vinyl with a printed top layer covered by a clear wear layer, while vinyl plank flooring is a multi-ply product that features four layers: A topmost layer of aluminum oxide, designed to prevent light scratching and scuff s.
What is vinyl plank flooring?
Rather than a thin layer of very flexible vinyl, vinyl plank flooring is a much thicker flooring material that is fabricated in long planks with a modified tongue-and-groove connection system that snaps together, usually called "click-lock.".
How much does vinyl plank flooring cost?
Prices for materials usually range from $2.50 to $5 per square foot.
What is LVP flooring?
At its heart, plank vinyl floor, also called luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or luxury vinyl floor (LVF), is simply vinyl flooring that comes in long, narrow strips rather than the traditional square tile shapes. But structurally this is a different product.
What is a plank floor?
At its heart, plank vinyl floor, also called luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or luxury vinyl floor (LVF), is simply vinyl flooring that comes in long, narrow strips rather than the traditional square tile shapes. But structurally this is a different product. Sheet vinyl is generally flexible vinyl with a printed top layer covered by a clear wear layer, while vinyl plank flooring is a multi-ply product that features four layers: 1 A topmost layer of aluminum oxide, designed to prevent light scratching and scuffs 2 A clear film layer that protects against more severe ripping and tearing 3 A design layer that provides the photo-realistic look of wood or stone 4 A backing layer made of fairly rigid vinyl, comprising almost 90 percent of the total thickness of luxury vinyl
What are the drawbacks of laminate flooring?
One of the biggest drawbacks to laminate flooring is the way it clicks and clatters under hard footsteps—unless it is installed with a resilient foam underlayment. Early forms of vinyl plank flooring were perfectly smooth, without the texturizing found in many laminate flooring products.
How thick is vinyl plank?
Vinyl flooring planks typically are 48 or 36 inches long.
What is Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring is a popular artificial flooring option. When creating it, one sandwiches a few layers of various materials, including Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Then, they print the vinyl with natural hardwood markings.
What is Hardwood flooring?
Hardwood flooring is a lasting, natural type of floor surface covering option made with different wood species—these range from maple, oak, and cherry to mahogany, ash, and walnut. There’s no need to mix wood with other materials when making this flooring.
Vinyl Flooring Vs Hardwood: The Main Differences
Are you looking for excellent flooring material for your home? Vinyl and hardwood should top your list of options. But you still have to choose one of them.
Conclusion: Should I Install Vinyl Flooring or Hardwood?
The flooring solution you should install depends on an array of factors, including; your budget, insulation, durability, and materials. Both vinyl and hardwood floors have their advantages and disadvantages and you should know them before making your final choice.
What are the toxins in vinyl flooring?
First up, the production of vinyl flooring. Dioxins, which are carcinogen bioaccumulative toxins, are created and emitted into the air, affecting the environment during the production process of vinyl flooring. Furthermore, these toxins not only linger in the air but also travel, infiltrating our air, and affecting our health and the health ...
What is luxury vinyl plank flooring?
There are two types of luxury vinyl plank flooring: Engineered vinyl planks (EVP) & luxury vinyl planks (LVP) Luxury vinyl planks (LVP) are individual pieces of vinyl that come in different grades, offering varying levels of design options. Engineered vinyl planks (EVP) are engineered in layers and are a segment of luxury vinyl flooring.
How long does hardwood last?
Most hardwood is going to last for years and would be considered economical compared to something like vinyl floors that have a much shorter lifespan. However, there are a few things to consider if you are looking to save some money on hardwood. First, usually domestic and local hardwood is going to be cheaper.
What is the difference between engineered wood and solid wood?
There are two main types of hardwood floors: Solid wood flooring & engineered wood flooring. Solid wood flooring is a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. Engineered wood flooring is normally multiple wood veneers or slats of wood glued together, but you can rest assured they are real wood from top to bottom.
What is real wood flooring?
According to the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), real wood is a: “hard fibrous material that forms from the main substance of the trunk or branches and beneath the bark of a tree. [And] a wood floor is any flooring product that contains real wood as the top-most, wearable surface of the floor.”.
Is vinyl flooring hard to repair?
And while vinyl is promoted as being resilient, repairs can be a nightmare if you should need them depending on the installation method. Once vinyl flooring is laid, it’s hard to repair and will usually have to be replaced.
Is vinyl plank flooring the same as hardwood?
Plus the proponents of vinyl say it’s easy to install and can be resilient against dings and dents. But…. Classic, never-goes-out-style hardwood offers the same benefits.
What is linoleum flooring made of?
Linoleum: This predecessor of vinyl flooring is a natural product made of linseed oil, wood, limestone, cork, and resins. Today, it comes in three forms: glue-down tiles, click-together planks, and large sheets. Linoleum is often thought of as a thing of the past, but not so.
What is the cheapest floor covering?
Inexpensive: One type of resilient flooring, vinyl, is consistently one of the cheapest floor coverings you can buy. Comfortable: With some floor coverings such as tile, you need floor mats or gel pads if you expect to stand on them for a long time. Resilient flooring is soft enough to stand on for moderately long periods.
What is resilient flooring?
Resilient flooring is defined as flooring that is firm, yet has a certain amount of "give or bounce-back," according to a leading resilient flooring industry group. Resilient flooring is also a catch-all term that refers to floor coverings that occupy a middle ground between soft floors (such as carpeting) and hard floors ...
Is asphalt flooring a resilient floor?
Asphalt: Asphalt flooring is now an obscure and obsolete floor surfacing unit, rarely installed anymore. Still, where it is found, it classifies as a type of resilient flooring. Every type of floor covering not listed above would be excluded from the resilient flooring category. This includes, but is not limited to, ceramic and porcelain tile, ...
Is linoleum still manufactured?
Linoleum is still manufactured and installed, though its numbers are far overshadowed by vinyl flooring. Cork: Cork is an organic flooring covering made of thinly sliced cork from trees. Cork has become a favored green or eco-friendly flooring product.
Is carpet resilient or non-resilient?
So, carpeting is not resilient flooring because even though it has give, it is not firm. Hardwood flooring is not a resilient floor because it is firm yet doesn't have that distinctive give. Some floor coverings that fit this definition escape the resili ent category.
What Is Vinyl Plank Flooring?
Vinyl plank flooring is basically strips of vinyl that measure between 4.5" and 7" wide and between 48" and 70" long.
What Options Do I Have With Vinyl Planks?
As with many other materials used in commercial buildings and residential applications, there are many different options to choose from. The option you choose depends upon your budget, the look you're going for, and the space that it will be installed.
How Durable Is Vinyl Plank Flooring?
For most applications, vinyl plank flooring is an extremely durable, long-lasting product. In fact, if it is installed and cared for properly, it can last as long as 20 years.
Vinyl Flooring Thickness
There are around a half-dozen forms of vinyl flooring currently available, and each style has its own pros and cons. They also vary in thickness, which means you won’t find traditional vinyl planks in the same class as engineered products with a rigid core.
How Vinyl flooring thickness is calculated
Flooring manufacturers’ use a variety of specifications with vinyl flooring, and for measuring thickness the one you’ll need to look for are millimeters or mm. It’s important not to confuse this measurement with “mils” which is used in regards to the thickness of the wear layer on hard flooring surfaces.
How thick are wear layers?
Knowing the thickness of the vinyl board or tile is important, but it’s not the only measurement to keep in mind. As mentioned, the wear layer thickness is measured in mils, and it’s something that varies just as widely as the thickness of the vinyl flooring itself.
Final Thoughts
In our experience, the thickness of vinyl that’s right for a home typically comes down to a homeowner’s sense of style and budget. Engineered vinyl flooring will feel firmer underfoot than LVP, whereas thinner flexible versions are great for budget-friendly projects.
Reasons to Upgrade
Homeowners choose to upgrade their flooring to hard surface options for many reasons. Some are unhappy with the finish of their current flooring, or it may be showing signs of irreversible damage.
Why Choose The Home Depot
The Home Depot offers an extensive selection of hard surface flooring. Solid hardwood, engineered wood, laminate and vinyl plank flooring options are available at your local store, and they come in a variety of colors, styles and customizations that are water resistant and waterproof.
The Measure Appointment
Once you've selected your flooring, our team will schedule an in-home measure appointment. During this appointment, a Home Depot professional will arrive to measure the room (s) where your flooring will be installed.
Next Steps
Once your home has been measured, one of our flooring specialists will contact you to review your quote and process payment. We will then schedule your installation at a time and date convenient to you.
Preparing for Installation
The installation area in your home must be clear of all furniture and wall decor. All electronics should also be unplugged. As a courtesy, our professionals can remove larger pieces of furniture, like sofas, dressers and tables. If the item requires disassembly – such as a bedframe – an additional fee may apply.
During the Installation
As a homeowner, you can expect the installation process to create a certain amount of noise and debris. The Home Depot strongly recommends keeping children and pets in another area of the home while our team lays the flooring.
Removal and Post-Installation Care
When your hard surface flooring installation is complete, our professionals will clean up the excess debris and remove the old flooring from your home. These services are included in the installation cost. To keep your floors looking their best, we recommend regular cleanings following the best practices for your particular flooring.
