LVT or Luxury Vinyl Tile is an innovative design of vinyl flooring. It is becoming an increasingly popular and affordable alternative to wood or stone. The realistic look of either wood, stone or ceramic tile is extremely hard wearing and resilient to daily wear and tear. It has a scratch resistant surface and waterproof making it ideal for any room in your home. The LVT is made up of multiple thin layers so that the flooring is still flexible but very durable and easy to look after.
One fantastic thing about Luxury Vinyl Tile is that it is available in variety of different effects. For example, wood planks or even ceramic tiles and stone. The wood plank effect LVT is in the shape and form of a plank of wood. It can be found with different species of wood, colours and grain patterns, all which look very realistic and authentic. You will also be able to find different plank widths and lengths to suit the requirements and décor of your room. The stone and tile effect LVT is just as realistic with uniform sized tiles and choices of colour and style including dark grey slate tiles through to cream and beige ceramic effect tiles. LVT is becoming extremely popular with homeowners as it can transform your home with an authentic and hardwearing floor, without the drawbacks and downsides that sometimes come with a natural product.
See the full range of LVT floors: https://www.ambiencehardwoodflooring.co.uk/vinyl-flooring/
How is Luxury Vinyl Tile made?
Each brand of Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring has been designed and created slightly differently. Generally speaking multiple layers have been compressed together to produce a high quality, durable, waterproof floor covering. Most LVT flooring has at least five layers, which help to keep the floor thin and flexible but also strong, durable and waterproof. The top layer is a transparent protective coating which usually has built in scratch resistance and stain guarding technology. Below this is a detailed design layer (high definition photograph) which is extremely high quality to give the authenticity and realistic appearance of a natural product. This design layer is a picture of the style of flooring; either wood or stone. The remaining layers consist of stabilising sheets of fibre glass, impact resistant core layers and moisture resistant backing layers to prevent any warping or disfiguration of the tiles. During the manufacturing of Luxury Vinyl Tile an interlocking click fitting system is also added to the tiles. This helps to provide an easy and straightforward way to install the floor. [caption id="attachment_1630" align="alignnone" width="337"] Quickstep LVT Beige Oak[/caption]
Is Luxury Vinyl Tile easy to install?
LVT is extremely easy to install. Depending upon where you want to install it and your personal preference you can choose different types of LVT to either glue it directly down to your prepared subfloor or float the LVT by simply clicking and locking each part into place. The glue down version of Luxury Vinyl Tile is commonly known as ‘dry back’ LVT. The click version of Luxury Vinyl Tile has been designed with an easy to use interlocking click system, which creates a beautiful seamless and gap free floor when installed correctly. The beauty with LVT is that it is easy to create unique patterns and designs during installation. The tiles come in either the shape of a planks of wooden flooring or ceramic tiles, depending upon your chosen style of LVT. The obvious option is to lay the planks to look like wooden flooring, or the tiles to be in random patterns to mimic real ceramic or stone flooring. However, if you are thinking about perhaps a more unique style of flooring you could lay the wood plank flooring LVT in a chevron pattern and even use contrasting coloured planks to create a border or striped effect. There are many different variations of LVT flooring so you definitely have the option to be creative when designing your next room.
Which rooms in my home can I use Luxury Vinyl Tile?
LVT is suitable for any room in your home. Its robustness and durability means that it is a great option for busy areas such as entrance halls and living spaces, while the sound reducing benefits make it a perfect choice for upstairs rooms such as bedrooms, nurseries and studies. LVT are also waterproof so are suitable to be used in rooms with a lot of water, such as bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and even porch areas. Its ability to cope with fluctuations in temperature and humidity is another amazing benefit of LVT, which means that it can be fitted into conservatories, orangeries and even used with underfloor heating systems. The thin and flexible nature of the LVT means that it can even be fitted onto a staircase. Generally speaking, LVT flooring is an incredibly versatile, practical and resilient flooring option that has the added benefit of looking like a natural product. It can be used in any room in your home and will help to add warmth, character and charm. With so many different options of LVT to choose, from wood flooring effect through to slate and ceramic tile effects, it will be easy to find something that will complement and enhance the surrounding décor and furniture of any room. Some ranges of LVT have been designed to withstand even more footfall and have extra protection so that they are suitable to be used in commercial venues.
Why is LVT becoming so popular?
In recent years Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring has become more and more popular with homeowners. It has the realistic look of wood flooring or ceramic tiles but is more practical in every way. It is easy to see why more and more people are choosing LVT when you think about all of its benefits:
• The wood, tile and stone effects are extremely detailed and realistic. More and more innovative designs are being produced with rich, bold and natural colours to add to the already convincing wood grains and stone textures.
• LVT is much more durable that wood and stone flooring. It can easily withstand daily wear and tear due to the built in scratch resistant layer and stain guarding technology. The surface of the flooring will not dent or scratch as easily as some natural wood or stone flooring options.
• It is waterproof so ideal for any areas in your home with excessive water, such as bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms where natural products like wood may not be suitable.
• It is tolerant to humidity and challenging environments. Natural floor coverings can sometime react to humidity and moisture in a negative way, but LVT can comfortably cope with constant changes in temperature and humidity. Perfect for conservatories, orangeries or rooms with large amount of glazing.
• Luxury Vinyl Tile is suitable to use in any room in your home. Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, bathrooms can be transformed. It can even be fitted onto your staircase.
• The installation of LVT is very straightforward and simple. Depending upon you existing subfloor and your personal preference you can either glue the LVT directly down or alternatively you can float the tiles over an underlay by simply clicking and locking the joints into place. This allows you to fit the floor without the need for glue, nails or any specialist installation equipment.
• Luxury Vinyl Tiles are naturally warmer to touch. Bare stone or slate can become extremely cold, especially in the winter months, but LVT stays at a regulated temperature so that it is always warm and comfortable under foot.
• LVT flooring is completely compatible with both electric and water based underfloor heating systems. The flooring is thin enough so that the heat can transfer through to the surface sufficiently, while it is stable enough to cope with the constant changes in temperature.
• Luxury Vinyl Tile is a very low maintenance choice of flooring. All it requires to keep it looking fresh and new is a regular sweep to remove any dust or dirt, and an occasional mop to restore its beauty and sheen.
• The flooring itself has sound reducing benefits. It is much quieter to walk on than wood or stone.
• If you are a pet owner, this type of flooring is a great choice for you. LVT has a scratch resistant top layer and some styles even have anti-slip properties too. This makes it easy to sweep away pet hair to ensure that it does not build up as it may do in carpets.
• It is also perfect for allergy sufferers as it is naturally hygienic and extremely easy to clean. Remember to sweep and mop your floor regularly. This will help to remove dust and dirt participles and leave a clean and sanitary space.
• LVT is a very thin but durable floor covering, so is perfect for anyone covering over an existing floor, or undertaking household renovations. Perfect if you want a natural looking floor but only have a thin or narrow gap between your existing floor and your doors.
To prove how strong and hardwearing LVT is, some manufacturers are offering up to a 25 year guarantee on their domestic styles of LVT flooring.
With all these benefits there is no doubt why Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring is becoming increasingly popular with both homeowners and property developers.
