Vinyl Floors Archives - Page 4 of 7

Vinyl Floors
July 4, 2022

What Is The Lifespan of Luxury Vinyl Planks?

When trying to find the perfect flooring choice for your home, it’s about weighing aesthetics and durability with cost effectiveness and longevity.

Do you have your heart set on a specific design, no matter how long it will last? Or is longevity your top concern, wanting flooring that will last for decades?

No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll run across a flooring product called luxury vinyl planks. This flooring product is designed to give you what you love about classic materials like hardwood, and combine it with other features you desire, such as being waterproof. It’s growing in popularity because of all the features it has to offer.

But what good is a product if it won’t last? Hardwood promises decades of use with proper maintenance and care. Tile can offer similar promises with proper care.

What about vinyl? What is the lifespan of luxury vinyl planks? Should you consider it in your next flooring upgrade?

Look at brand names for the highest longevity

This is where brand name manufacturers win every time. If you go with one of the most popular flooring manufacturers, you’ll likely get the best results. That’s because they set the standards within the industry, and build a product that will stand the test of time.

Looking for terms like “high quality” won’t always speak the truth. Instead, pay attention to the details, ensuring it’s installed correctly and properly maintained. Most manufacturers will require it to keep warranties valid.

If you follow guidelines with proper maintenance and care, many of the top manufacturers will tell you to expect a lifespan of 25 to 30 years.

What should you consider?

Look at construction

Luxury vinyl planks are a multi-layered product. Two of the areas you should focus on include the vinyl thickness and the wear layer.

Luxury vinyl planks are created with four separate layers:

Backing layer – the first or bottom layer, used as a stabilizing backing layer specifically formulated for durability and stability.
Core layers – this inner core provides thickness and durability. It builds the strength of the product and ensures longevity.
Print layer – this is the visual layer that provides realistic visuals. No matter what style you’re looking for, the print layer controls how good it looks. Pay attention to the process, as it determines how deep the construction of the visuals goes into the core.
Wear layer – this is the clear protective coat applied to the top, giving it color stability, depth of design, and overall wearability.

When you see a product list a thickness value, it’s usually measured in millimeters, and refers to the vinyl core. Luxury vinyl planks are typically between 2mm to 9mm for a higher quality product line. If you’re looking for a long lifespan, focus on getting a thicker product. The thinner the product, the more often they require specific underlayment in place before the installation. Thicker planks will often include the subfloor built in, and provide a more authentic look and feel.

The wear layer is measured in mil, and typically ranges between 8mil and 12 mil for residential products, and 20mil to 40mil for commercial applications. The thicker the wear layer, the more protection you’ll have from impacting the visual layer. This is when scuffs, scratches, and dents really start to show.

Consider your wear before settling on a product lifespan of luxury vinyl planks is contingent on how well it handles over time. High traffic areas like kitchens and entryways should err on the side of being as durable as possible. In lower traffic areas – possibly a guest bathroom – can do well with a lower quality product.

Focus on care

When homeowners select flooring material such as hardwood, they also look at ways to extend the life of the product, to ensure the best results.

Luxury vinyl planks are no different.

If you want to extend the lifespan, start by selecting a product that can withstand all your family will dish out. In higher traffic areas, select a higher quality product. In lower traffic areas, it may make sense to go with a different product, focusing on looks and aesthetics rather than durability as your top choice.

With the planks in place, provide proper care. Luxury vinyl planks are surprisingly easy to care for. Since they are water-resistant, or in some cases waterproof, they can withstand all your family dishes out. Simply wipe away messes as soon as they occur.

Stick with manufacturer’s suggested cleaning products. Some cleaners on the market today have harsh chemicals that can strip and damage the wear layer. Skip using these, and focus on mild cleaners instead. They will give you lasting results over time.

To provide further protection, consider using area rugs in the heaviest used areas. Rugs made from jute, cotton, or woven backings are better than with plastic latex in place. Plastic can easily scratch the surface as it moves.

You can also make a rule of no shoes in the house. When you remove shoes first, you’re less likely to bring in damaging particles that can scratch and dent floors. It also stops germs at the door instead of tracking them deep inside your home.

Think about your floors as you take everything in stride. If shoes can scratch and dent the floor, imagine what’s happening when an office chair slides across the floor. Consider using a chair mat to prevent damage.

You can also reduce the chances of sharp objects hitting the planks. Be cautious of where you place damaging items. Can you keep them in spaces where they are better contained? Use area rugs underneath dining room tables, or in a home office underneath the desk. Place soft pads underneath furniture legs. Awareness is the first step in prevention.

Are you ready for luxury vinyl planks?

It’s growing in popularity. It makes a dynamic flooring choice. Is luxury vinyl planks suitable for your needs? They may be the perfect choice.

While the lifespan of luxury vinyl planks may differ from other flooring choices, with care and maintenance, it will give you years of enjoyment.

Are you considering luxury vinyl planks for your next remodeling project?

Flooring, Vinyl Floors
March 28, 2022

5 Secrets Nobody Is Talking About With Vinyl Planks

When most people remodel their homes, flooring is the base of new design. Depending on where you’re installing it, new flooring tops your list because it adds aesthetics to your space, and it’s the one thing you hope not to be replacing shortly after. Done right, flooring can last for a decade or more, depending on what material you select.

Still, there’s a lot to learn about any flooring choice you may be deciding on. Vinyl planks – what is your instant thought? Before we get into the details of what makes vinyl planks a good choice, it’s a good idea to dive deeper into what vinyl planks are.

Vinyl as flooring

Like many products, vinyl didn’t come around until the industrial age. Vinyl was discovered in the 1800s, but it wasn’t until 1933 that vinyl flooring made its first debut. The concept was shelved until after the war, but once progress moved us forward into the 1950s and 60s, vinyl became a popular choice in a lot of settings.

Vinyl flooring was a popular choice because of its affordability and durability. The more popular it became, the more manufacturers increased styling and production, taking vinyl into all kinds of directions.

Vinyl planks debuted in the 1970s bringing wood grain and different colors to homeowners and businesses alike. It was the first way homeowners had to bring wood-look flooring into places not conducive to traditional wood. Basements, bathrooms, and kitchens have too many moisture and below-grade problems for traditional hardwood to be a good choice. Vinyl planks changed that, and gave homeowners a chance to have the flooring they loved anywhere in the home.

As technology moved forward, and manufacturers got better at what they did, a new level of vinyl planks entered the market in the 1980s. Over time, a new level of vinyl planks known as luxury vinyl planks, or LVP, was born.

LVP utilizes the floating plank technology found in laminate flooring for ease of installation. They offer a wood-plastic composite (WPC) or stone plastic composite (SPC) core for strength and durability. Depending on the technology used, you’ll find today’s LVP is either water-resistant or waterproof, a characteristic more homeowners are falling in love with.

While hardwood can’t hold up in high-moisture spaces like bathrooms or laundry rooms, or stand the test of time in below-grade living spaces like a basement, you won’t have that problem with luxury vinyl planks. That makes LVP a great choice in modern homes where kids, pets, and busy families are always making messes.

Major Differences between standard vinyl and luxury vinyl planks

Standard vinyl is either sold in sheets or tiles, and is a flexible product that consists of a thin backing layer of felt or fiberglass, with a solid vinyl bonded to the front. This vinyl layer has a printed design and a protective coating to keep it functional and aesthetically pleasing. Most standard vinyl planks have a wear layer of 10 to 15 mil, which equates to 10/1000 to 15/1000 of an inch.

Luxury vinyl planks are a different product, matching the same characteristics as PVC. The wear layer ranges from 2 to 8 mm in thickness, or 8/100 to 3/10 on an inch thick. This thickness gives it a rigid nature which adds to its strength and durability.

It’s also created with up to eight layers of material, which makes the wear layer thicker and able to withstand more pressure. That makes this new level of vinyl plank flooring last as long as 25 years with care and maintenance.

https://pro-flooring.com/how-long-does-vinyl-plank-flooring-last/

Shhh. It’s a secret. 5 reasons we love luxury vinyl planks

If you do any Googling at all, you may already have an interest in luxury vinyl planks. We’ve talked about the benefits right here in this article.

Homeowners are falling in love with LVP for many reasons, but the top tend to be:

It’s waterproof
It has a realistic look that is even fooling professionals
It’s durable
It’s economical
It’s easy to maintain

We would highly recommend luxury vinyl planks for even one of the reasons above. Today’s product is truly a great flooring choice.

But if you’re still on the fence, we have five reasons that aren’t quite as well known. Reasons we feel should be talked about more as you’re settling in on making luxury vinyl planks your flooring of choice. Here are a few other things to keep in mind if you’re considering luxury vinyl planks.

https://pro-flooring.com/7-questions-to-ask-before-buying-lvp-for-your-home/

1. LVP comes in different textures

Texture is what makes LVP even more realistic. But you may not realize there are different textures if you look at only one product, or study the internet looking at options.

LVP manufacturers work hard to create realistic textures. You’ll find products have varying degrees of grain-like texture to add to the realness. These uneven marks can make it slightly more difficult to clean, but can also disguise dirt better.

2. LVP may require new baseboards too

What do you currently have on your floors? Carpet? Vinyl? Because LVP is a thicker, more rigid product, it often needs new baseboards during installation. That can add into the cost and time it takes for installation. But that will only make your room shine even more!

3. LVP color is key to maintenance

Most designers tell you to pick the color of your new flooring based on personality and taste. We think you should also base it on lifestyle. Have you ever paid attention to the dirt on your floor? Does your family have light hair or dark? How about your pets? What activities do you participate in regularly? What ends up on the floor more often than not? Dark spills on light floors will show. Light spills on dark floors will show. If you want dirt to blend in, choose the flooring that best suits your family’s needs.

4. LVP comes in different plank patterns

A plank is not just a plank. Manufacturers realize that if every plank were the same, it would create uniformity throughout your room. They mirror hardwood and create different patterns when printing the final product. How many patterns are different based on the manufacturer. Higher numbers are better. This gives you an opportunity to mix and match the pattern throughout your floor without being repetitive enough to notice it.

5. LVP is best left to the professionals

LVP is often touted as a flooring easy enough for a DIYer to install. And while that’s true, to ensure it’s installed correctly the first time, we highly recommend having a professional install it. They do it for a living, and know all the little secrets that go along with installation.

If you want a flooring that will last and last, hiring it done is your best bet.

Are luxury vinyl planks the right flooring choice for you?

Vinyl Floors
November 25, 2021

Scared of Laminate? You Won’t Be After Learning More About Underlayment

Laminate. When you hear that word as a homeowner, certain thoughts pop into your mind. Whether you’ve had experience with it or not, chances are you’ve formed an opinion about it.

Laminate flooring has only been around for a few decades. Like other home products, laminate flooring was created after a century-old company’s sales began waning, and they looked for other ideas to bring to market. The Perstorp Corporation created the first high-pressure laminate in the late 1970s, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The industry continued to morph and change, increasing strength, durability, and attractiveness. In 1994, Pergo launched its first marketing campaign in the United States, adding its click-and-lock technology as well as more sound insulation by 2000.

How today’s laminate is made

Today’s laminate flooring is a hard surface floor that offers homeowners versatility, durability, and aesthetics to match any decor. People love hardwood. Yet hardwood isn’t always the perfect choice. Laminate is a flooring product meant to give homeowners the look and feel of hardwood, yet provide a few things that hardwood can’t.

Laminate flooring consists of multiple layers, including:

Top layer – a clear coat of extremely durable resin and cellulose designed to give the product strength while increasing the natural beauty of the visual layer
Visual layer – a high-resolution photographic image used to replicate the texture and style of hardwood
Core layer – a high-density fiberboard that helps provide stability and water resistance
Bottom layer – a melamine back layer that provides a foundation for the laminate planks and increases its water resistance

When many people recall the laminate of yesteryear, they think of the hollowness sounds created once it was laid into place. It didn’t have the warmth of hardwood; instead, a hollow sound echoed as you walked across the floor.

Laminate has changed drastically over the years. A part of that is due to the underlayment that is laid into place underneath the laminate flooring of your choice.

What is underlayment?

Underlayment sits below laminate flooring. It’s created from a composite of filaments and fibers, laid together with a vapor barrier on top. These layers are designed to insulate the floor and make it warmer, protect the flooring from moisture, mold and mildew, as well as reduce the clicking noise that is commonly associated with laminate flooring.

Underlayment is a layer between the subfloor and the laminate flooring. It covers up the imperfections in the subfloor, giving the laminate more strength and durability. In some cases, laminate comes with underlayment already attached. Check with the laminate you select to see how it was produced.

However, if the laminate doesn’t have underlayment, or you simply want additional support, you might choose to consider purchasing and installing an additional product. There’s a lot to consider when making your final selection. With several different choices, which is the right product for your home?

Start with your subfloor – it’s what matters most

There are several different types of underlayment created for use with laminate flooring. The best way to determine which underlayment is suitable for your situation is to start with your subfloor.

The two most common subfloors in homes are cement and wood. They each have unique situations when laying flooring over the top.

Wood subfloors provide strength and durability underneath your flooring. It may be a little uneven or even creak from small separations between the boards, depending on the age. Underlayment should complement laying laminate over wood, and provide more benefit to handle well with age. Moving up and getting premium underlayment can increase softness and cushion, as well as provide a stronger moisture barrier.

Cement subfloors provide an additional set of concerns. Cement subfloors present a greater chance of moisture problems. That’s why it’s important to install an underlayment that has a vapor barrier attached. Vapor underlayments protect your laminate flooring from any moisture that could seep up through the cement, and potentially cause floor problems.

While most people spend time looking and finding the perfect flooring to suit their needs and decor, it’s the underlayment and subfloor that set the stage for success. Without a proper subfloor and underlayment combination, the wear and stability of whatever floor you put in may have problems shortly after installation.

Three types of underlayment

In general, there are three different types of underlayment: foam, cork, and felt.

Foam is the most basic format. Foam underlayment comes in a variety of thicknesses, and comes in rolls of varying widths and lengths. Because it’s the most popular choice, you’ll find the best selection of products to complement your laminate flooring. Many foam underlayments come with a moisture/vapor barrier already in place. It’s also one of the easiest to install, even for people who are new to laying underlayment into place.

Cork provides a natural product that’s made from the bark of a cork tree. It’s available in several thickness levels, and offers a natural moisture barrier. One of the biggest reasons people select cork underlayment is because of its natural sound absorbency. If you’re installing laminate in an upper floor room or space, a cork underlayment makes an excellent choice for absorbing footsteps. It’s sustainable, economically sound, and offers hypoallergenic properties to people wanting cleaner living space. Its antimicrobial nature also prevents the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

Felt is considered the premium choice in underlayment. It’s made from recycled fibers, and is significantly heavier and easier to smooth into place. This heaviness of the felt material gives it excellent sound absorption. It can muffle the sound of footsteps, and create a quieter environment. Felt also works well to add insulation to your home. If you’re worried about heating and cooling, felt can make your floors feel warmer.

What’s the best underlayment for the laminate you’ve chosen?

Different laminate manufacturers suggest different types of underlayment.

Now that you’re aware there’s more to installing laminate than simply selecting color and style, come in and ask questions about creating your perfect living space. There’s a combination of laminate and underlayment that will help you create the home of your dreams.

Vinyl Floors
November 4, 2021

Can You Lay Vinyl Over Other Flooring Options?

You bought the new-to-you home for its quirkiness and charm. The flooring … that has to go. It’s a nightmare. But the thought of ripping it out leaves you shuddering almost as much as the thought of leaving it in place.

Can you lay vinyl over other flooring options? Or will it shorten its life and make you regret your decision?

Why vinyl flooring

If you’re looking at new flooring, it’s hard to ignore vinyl. Today’s vinyl isn’t what your mother or grandmother installed. Today’s vinyl is a whole lot more.

The global vinyl flooring market is expanding at a rate of 7 percent per year. A lot of that is thanks to the newest segment, luxury vinyl. Luxury vinyl planks and tiles currently make up more than half the total vinyl market share, and are ever-popular because of the looks they create inside a home. Want a waterproof version of your favorite hardwood? Want a softer version of concrete? You’ll find it with luxury vinyl planks and tiles.

Vinyl is the perfect choice for remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms. Vinyl is both economical and durable. If you have a problem with moisture, vinyl is the go-to choice.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, vinyl is also a great choice because of how easy it is to install. Even if you’ve never done it before, you can generally have a small room completed in a day or two.

As with any remodeling project, preparation is everything. If you ensure the base or subfloor you’ll be laying vinyl over meets the criteria laid out by the manufacturer, your vinyl flooring will give you a long life. Checking with the manufacturer’s guidelines is your important first step to ensure a job well done.

If you’re installing vinyl over wood flooring, it’s essential to ensure you have a smooth surface area. If there are excessive gaps between the boards, these must first be filled. If the hardwood is cupped, bowed, or swollen, it may need to be pulled out or have another underlayment laid over the top to ensure your flooring remains stable over time. A professional can look at your floors to help you make the right choice before installation.

If you’re installing vinyl over laminate flooring, the same rules apply as with hardwood. If the laminate is cupped, bowed, or in any way damaged, you might need to fix the area before the vinyl is installed. If your laminate isn’t glued down, and was installed using a click and lock system, you will have better results if you pull it up first. Having a click and lock vinyl plank installed over other click and lock technology may cause trouble in how the product handles over time.

If you’re installing vinyl over tile, it can be installed directly over the ceramic or porcelain tile. If you have cracks, missing tiles, or large gaps or uneven spaces in the flooring, it’s better to fill those in to create a smooth surface. Starting with a smooth underlayment will ensure the quality of the vinyl flooring, and ensure that it continues to look good for the life of the floor.

The most important characteristics for a floor that lasts for years

What makes vinyl flooring a popular home improvement product, especially for do-it-yourselfers, is that you can lay it over existing flooring. Generally, as long as the flooring material underneath is in good shape to act as a subfloor, you won’t have any problems with your new vinyl floors.

Keep in mind that vinyl planks and tile may appear hard, but they are a thin, soft, flexible material. If you have major flaws underneath, they will eventually be reproduced in your vinyl floors. That means cracks, holes, bridge gaps, uneven seams, or other major structural issues in the floor you are laying on top of should be smoothed out before installing your new flooring.

When it comes to laying luxury vinyl over existing flooring, you should ensure the flooring underneath is:

Height

Before you install vinyl flooring over the top of your existing flooring, be sure you won’t have height issues after installation. Measure out transitions between the room you’re installing vinyl in and other spaces around it. Will your new floors be too high for cabinets and vanities? If you have any questions, a professional can help you make the right choice about installations methods, to ensure you have a uniform flooring method throughout your home.

Imperfections

If you’re replacing your current flooring because of imperfections, they can easily show up in your new vinyl flooring if they aren’t dealt with first. They may start to appear over time as more pressure is placed on the vinyl flooring.

Moisture

It’s important to have a dry surface area before you install your new floors. Depending on the vinyl you choose, it can offer you water-resistant or even waterproof features. By laying this new product over water-damaged subfloors, you will lock in the moisture problem underneath. This can allow mildew or mold to fester and grow, with no means of escape.

Seamless

While uneven grout lines or seams between hardwood planks may seem minor to you, they can be exacerbated once your new vinyl flooring is installed. An easy way to solve this is by laying a substrate of large format boards over the top to give you a smooth surface. Installers often use MDF particleboard sheets or 4 by 8 foot plywood sheets to provide a smooth surface and reduce the problems associated with an uneven floor. Don’t lock in problems. If your flooring is suffering from water damage, for example, it’s best to clean the surface area and get rid of the problem before installing the new flooring.

Sturdy

This is your biggest indicator of success. If you are replacing your existing flooring because of unevenness, gaps in the boards, or cracks in the tiles, you’ll only replace one problem for another if you lay your luxury vinyl over the top. Consider removing the flooring if it’s in bad shape and is difficult to repair. Also consider what the subfloor is like underneath your existing flooring. If it isn’t in good condition, is rotted, or cracked, it too could become a problem in the future, reducing the lifespan of your vinyl flooring product.

As a do-it-yourselfer, vinyl can be one of the easiest flooring materials to install inside your home. Without the need to pull out an existing flooring product, you can have your new floors installed in a short period of time.

Is vinyl the right flooring choice for you? Stop by, and we’ll answer all the questions you have about this ever-growing, ever-popular flooring choice.

Vinyl Floors
September 10, 2021

4 Reasons Luxury Vinyl Will Be Your Flooring of Choice

Luxury vinyl is one of the hottest trends in flooring right now. Yet when you hear the term, it might bring back flashbacks of what your parents or grandparents had in their homes. What could possibly be luxurious about vinyl?

Well, today’s luxury vinyl is nothing like you remember from a few decades ago.

Where vinyl flooring started

While vinyl itself wasn’t used as a flooring until the 1930s, the substance was developed in the late 1800s. Chemist Eugen Baumann developed Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in Germany in 1872. In 1913, Friedrich Klatte found a way of getting the substance to polymerize, and received a patent on the process.

In 1926, vinyl was developed by accident. Scientist Waldo Lonsbury Semon was trying to create an adhesive to bond to rubber, when he transformed the once rigid vinyl into a more gelatinous substance. Semon received patents as well, and the product was quickly used in many different products, from golf balls to heels of shoes.

It wasn’t until 1933 when the first vinyl tile was presented at a Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. And the rest, as they say, is history. Shortages of materials during WWII made experimentation with the product even greater. With a lack of rubber, vinyl became one of the leading materials to create a wide array of products.

Vinyl continued advancement into the 1980s, when asbestos was added for strength. It was removed from production after years of research when it was discovered asbestos was cancer-causing.

Today’s luxury vinyl flooring may have roots from the original vinyl developed years ago, but it is distinctly a different product.

Today’s luxury vinyl flooring

Today you’ll find both luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl planks, commonly referred to as LVT and LVP. These products are waterproof, easy to maintain, and easy to install. They can take on a variety of looks, mimicking some of the most loved flooring options in the world, including hardwood and tile.

Both LVT and LVP are made with synthetic materials formed by melting polyvinyl chloride resins with white pigments, calcium carbonate, plasticizers, fungicides, and UV stabilizers. They are combined using heat and pressure, before adding a backing layer to bring it all together. Luxury vinyl typically has four main layers:

Wear layer – a transparent top coating that protects the floor

Decorative image – this gives it its realistic appearance

Vinyl core – the PVC material that gives it its flexibility and makes it 100 percent waterproof

Backing layer – the finishing layer that helps prevent mold and mildew

Why luxury vinyl flooring makes a great addition to your home

Today’s luxury vinyl is being added to homes across the Front Range.

LVP was developed to give your floors the appearance of authentic hardwood floors. It’s realistic enough to make experts take a second glance. It improves on hardwood by being more durable, 100 percent waterproof, stain-resistant, and durable enough to handle all your family can dish out.

LVT consists of individual squares of various sizes that give you the look of stone tile. Using LVT is easier than handling real stone tiles, and it provides the durability of using vinyl rather than stone.

What’s making both LVP and LVT so popular?

Luxury vinyl flooring looks incredibly realistic

Both LVP and LVT are synthetic and completely fabricated, they look real enough to make anyone who enters your home take a second glance. As you’re installing the planks or tiles, you can see the various levels of construction. But once it’s laid into place, it produces a flooring that handles as well as it looks.

Using modern technology, the design layer consists of photographic images taken of different hardwood products. Want hickory flooring with its distinctive dark wood look? LVP handles it well. Prefer a light oak wood or a whitewash as light as possible? You’ll find that too. In fact, LVP makes it possible to get colors and shades more difficult with actual hardwood. The unique plastic coating over the top seals the look, and adds depth through embossing and other finishes.

Luxury vinyl flooring is water resistant or waterproof

This is one of the leading attractors to the product. If you’ve ever been nervous about installing hardwood in places where moisture might be a problem, you’re going to love luxury vinyl flooring.

Since LVP and LVT are made of vinyl layers, it’s extremely water resistant. Some products on the market today go the extra mile, with certain luxury vinyl products being 100 percent waterproof – talk with a sales associate about the difference. If you’ve ever worried about the flooring you select in a bathroom, laundry room, or basement, you’re going to love luxury vinyl.

But LVP and LVT aren’t just for rooms prone to moisture. You’ll love the look enough to use luxury vinyl throughout your home. And if you have an active household, it’ll make cleanup and maintenance a breeze.

Luxury vinyl flooring is low maintenance

What makes luxury vinyl waterproof also makes it low maintenance. The protective layer makes it easy to keep clean, with just an occasional swipe of a mop with water and a mild detergent. No more worrying about cleanup if the kids (or you) spill more of dinner than they actually consume.

The durable wear layer also makes it slip resistant, quiet when you walk on it, and warm to the touch. If you want a flooring with a little more give, LVP and LVT is the choice for you. It can be the perfect choice for homes with small kids, or with adults with mobility issues where falling is at increased risk.

Luxury vinyl flooring is easy to install

Looking for a DIY project? Both LVP and LVT are an ideal flooring option for people wanting a hand in home renovation. LVP and LVT come either in glue-down or click-together product lines. The click-together is easy to install, and the flexibility of the product makes it easy to cut to fit along edges or in corners.

But don’t worry about installation if it’s not your thing. It can be easily installed by one of our professional installers, and you won’t have to wait days while the hardwood settles in your home’s environment. Installers can be in and out in a day, depending on the size of your project.

Yes, I want luxury vinyl flooring

What’s not to love about luxury vinyl flooring?

If you think it’s the perfect choice for your product, why not visit us today to find the ideal product for your needs. With different sizes, styles, colors, and patterns, there’s a lot for you to choose from. We’ll help you find the right product for your home.

Vinyl Floors
June 3, 2021

Does Your Laminate Contain Formaldehyde?

When you’re creating a home for your family, you pay attention to the little things that will keep everyone safe. You install smoke detectors. You ensure the blinds are cord-free and don’t pose a safety risk. You select cleaners that don’t use harmful chemicals that can make your family sick.

But what about the laminate you install on your floors? Do a little research and you’ll find laminate contains formaldehyde. Or at least that’s what a quick Google search will have you believe.

Is it true?

Is laminate safe?

Or should you pull laminate out of your home, and never consider it again?

Let’s talk about formaldehyde

If you want to learn more about formaldehyde and its impact on health, it’s best to go to a respected resource such as the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which is a division of the CDC.

According to the ATSDR:

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas that has a distinct, strong smell
Formaldehyde can be quickly broken down in the air, usually within hours
The emissions put out by formaldehyde will decrease as the product ages
Formaldehyde dissolves easily but dissipates quickly in water
Formaldehyde will not build up in the human body
The primary way humans are exposed to formaldehyde is by breathing it in if it’s in the air supply
Indoor air is more susceptible to carrying formaldehyde than outdoor air

In general, people won’t show reactions from small amounts of formaldehyde entering their systems. Low exposure may irritate eyes, nose, throat, skin, or airways. Of course, it depends on a person’s sensitivity as to how much of a reaction they have. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions, the very young, and the very old may produce more severe reactions.

Prolonged exposure can give rise to sensitivities, and create chronic conditions over time. Formaldehyde is also linked to certain types of cancers, including leukemia.

If you’re attempting to keep your home as free of chemicals as possible, the thought of introducing formaldehyde into your home can be unnerving – why bring something potentially harmful into your house? If laminate contains formaldehyde, wouldn’t you be better off to select something else?

There’s more to the story than that.

Laminate and formaldehyde – what’s the story?

Back in 2015, 60 Minutes ran an expose that revealed through investigative reporting, laminate from Lumber Liquidators’ contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde. They eventually agreed to pay a $33 million penalty for misleading investors about formaldehyde-laced laminate flooring from China.

With this history, it should be easy to find safer laminates. In many cases, it is. But it’s still a marketplace filled with buyer beware. If you buy based on price alone, you may not get the product you think it is. Without a little research first, you could be installing something in your home that puts your health at risk.

Protect yourself when buying laminate – and make sure it’s free of formaldehyde

When you purchase flooring based on price alone, you’re often getting an inferior quality product that was mass produced for selling in large quantities. You’re less likely to know where the material is sourced from, and run a greater chance of having problems with the product at some point in the future.

These mass produced laminates are often for sale at online resources that contain discounted flooring materials. You may also find them at local big box stores that sell one product for an extremely reduced price.

There’s a reason it’s such a good deal. Is that what you want as you’re flooring for the next decade or more?

When buying laminate flooring, the best way to make your final selection is to follow guidelines set up by the EPA. Only buy products that are labeled or stamped with compliance from one of the major organizations that check for safety, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and California Air Resources Board Air Toxics Control Measure (CARB ATCM).

Why laminate?

Laminate is more susceptible to using chemically-laden materials in production because it’s constructed from multiple materials. Laminate flooring is a multilayer product that contains:

A plywood base layer
A realistic photo image layer that mimics the look of real wood
A hard, durable plasticate wear layer

Some laminates have a built-in underlayment attached for easy installation.

People choose laminates over other wood types for a variety of reasons.

Laminate is traditionally more budget-friendly than most other types of hardwood. It also has a durable wear layer that makes it more durable than hardwood, able to resist scratching far more than a softer flooring. It’s also more resistant to moisture, making it an even better choice for the multi-purpose rooms in your home, such as the kitchen, laundry room, and the basement.

Learn to shop for non-toxic products

Laminate is created from multiple resources. That means depending on which laminate you select, there might be more than formaldehyde that lurks inside.

Laminate is made up of multiple layers. It takes adhesive and other products to put them all together. And that’s where other chemicals can creep into the production line and be in the final product you select.

VOC means volatile organic compounds. Have you ever noticed a “new car smell”? That’s VOCs, and you smell it as it goes through a process of off-gassing. This is where it releases chemicals back into the air supply as it settles into place. VOCs can contain a variety of chemicals, including:

Benzene
Ethylene glycol
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
Xylene
And yes, formaldehyde

Can you find non-toxic laminate? Yes. Pay attention to the manufacturer, and look at your labels. GreenGuard Certified is just one organization that checks for harmful chemicals, and pays attention to what is released in the off-gassing process.

Also pay attention to the installation process. If an installer uses harmful chemicals to attach the laminate to the floor, you’re defeating the process of trying to reduce exposure. Choose a click-in-place laminate that floats and isn’t directly attached to the floor.

What other questions do you have about laminate flooring? If you’re ready to choose the safest product for your home flooring, we can help you make the best selection for your family’s needs.

Flooring, Hardwood Flooring, Vinyl Floors
March 18, 2021

7 Questions To Ask Before Buying LVP For Your Home

Are you looking to replace existing flooring in your residential or commercial space? After extensive research, are you leaning towards luxury vinyl planks – LVP? Great choice. There are many reasons to consider this product for your next project.

1. What is LVP and why should I consider installing it?

Where did you start researching your new flooring? For most, it’s a combination of:

Seeing what your neighbors are installing in their remodeling projects
Looking through websites and television shows to see what’s popular
Discovering flooring options as you wind through the aisles of your favorite big box store

If you’ve done even just one of the three, chances are you’ve come across LVP. It’s trending as a great alternative to traditional hardwood floors because it adds several characteristics not available with hardwood. It’s easy to install, making it a great do-it-yourself project. It’s waterproof – yes, waterproof. And it’s hard to ignore the cost.

2. What should I pay attention to when making my final selection?

Let’s talk about the LVP flooring wear layer.

When luxury vinyl planks are created, they are designed with several layers. There is the base, or core layer for strength and endurance. You’ll have the print layer that gives LVP its classic good looks. You’ll also have a wear layer, which gives added protection between the printed design of the vinyl plank and the finish that goes on the very top. This is what protects your floors from things like scuffs, scratches, and dents. Choose wisely and you’ll ensure longevity for your flooring choice.

You’ll find the planks will be listed and sold with a mil thickness level. Don’t mistake this for millimeters. In general, the higher the mil level, the more durable the wear layer will be on your LVP.

With standard residential spaces, we recommend selecting 12-mil or thicker. High traffic spaces will do better with a 20-mil or thicker level plank. And if you’re installing this in commercial spaces, move to the 28-mil or thicker level. Remember, these are guidelines. When we chat about your project, we’re happy to make suggestions based on what we’ve seen in the past. We have experience with multiple manufacturers and varying product lines, and understand what products handle best in different situations.

3. What about longevity – how long will LVP last?

When you’re installing a new flooring, looks may be what you focus on in the beginning. But very quickly, your thoughts will turn to longevity. Installing new flooring isn’t something you want to do frequently. The longer the product can exist within your space and look good in the process, the better.

Luxury vinyl is a highly durable product. If you install it correctly and maintain it over time, you can easily expect to get ten to twenty years of life. Depending on the manufacturer you select, you may even find warranties up to 15 years, protecting you from problems that might come from the wear layer.

Of course, results may vary. That’s why it’s important to be honest with yourself about your expectations. LVP is a great resource for the high traffic areas you spend most of your time. LVP is growing in popularity in living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens. Plus the waterproof feature means you can extend the look beyond and into your bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements. That’s one of its greatest benefits – you can keep the same product in every room in your home if you choose.

4. Let’s talk about style – will LVP really give me the look of hardwood?

When you start looking at LVP, you’ll discover there are three different categories of vinyl plank flooring.

The first is LVP. These vinyl planks are created with a rigid construction that is durable and higher quality than the typical vinyl flooring products you might be used to. The focus on this product line comes with its rigid construction. These planks can stand up to much of the abuse your family can dish out. Have pets, kids, and high traffic rooms? Not a problem. They are built with multiple layers that stand up over time.

The second is waterproof planks, sometimes listed as WPC vinyl flooring. This product is 100 percent waterproof and can be installed basically anywhere inside your home. Worried about your basement? Not a problem. Have an imperfect subfloor or one made of concrete that has caused problems in the past? Install it and love it. This product typically has four-layer construction that includes a waterproof core. When installed correctly, it can give you a base you’ll spend less time worrying about and more time loving.

Third is rigid core vinyl planks, sometimes sold as SPC vinyl flooring. These can also be 100 percent waterproof. The difference is in composition. Rigid core vinyl flooring has a stone-plastic composite core that is practically indestructible. That elevates this product and makes it installable in high traffic areas, even commercial locations, and stands up well over time.

5. What other options are there? Does it just mimic hardwood?

Just by the description, you can see that LVP makes the perfect addition to your home because of how closely it resembles hardwood. If there’s a color you’ve been dreaming of, you’ll find it. If you want exotic wood without exotic prices, you’ll find that too.

But LVP isn’t just for hardwood. You’ll find stone-look flooring products that resemble ceramic plank flooring too. Concrete, travertine, and slate are growing in popularity in the LVP product lines. It produces a unique look that may be the perfect choice for your home.

6. What about installation? Should I attempt this myself?

Does the thought of installing hardwood sound difficult and tedious? It can be. You want to ensure hardwood planks are installed correctly to avoid common problems such as warping and cupping. Install it incorrectly, and you may void the warranty too.

But with LVP, its interlocking installation uses a tongue and groove method of installation that makes it easy to install. Want a do-it-yourself project? Look no further than LVP. It’s a great way to add high quality products to any remodeling project, no matter what budget you have in mind.

7. Why go with a flooring dealer instead of a big box store?

If you’ve looked at your local big box store, chances are you’ve seen a small selection of what’s available on the market today. Why not just shop there – the price fits your needs?

Bog box stores buy on margin. They have specific price points they purchase at, and often the manufacturers design products exclusively for their needs. Are they the best products available? Well …

Flooring companies buy differently. If you’ve been afraid the prices will skyrocket because we specialize in flooring, stop. We have every end of the spectrum, and can often match or beat the prices you’ll find at those stores.

Plus you’ll get a fuller array of products, higher quality service, and better knowledge on what you’re installing. Really, it’s a win/win all the way around.

What are you waiting for? Stop by today.

Vinyl Floors
August 18, 2020

How To Disinfect Laminate Flooring

The year 2020 will go down in history as the time when everything changed. Working remotely is becoming the new norm. Shopping moved almost completely online. And cleaning – we look at that in an entirely new way.

It’s no longer acceptable to run a dust cloth over your personal items and call it a day. What else lurks in the corners of your room? We’ve taken cleaning to a whole new level.

It’s one thing to wonder how to clean a shelf in your living room. But what about the floors? They have to be the dirtiest places in your home, right?

If you have laminate flooring, you might be wondering what to do. You installed laminate for all the right reasons. You wanted a flooring that looked as good as hardwood, but stands up better to everyday living. And the coronavirus has definitely challenged what “everyday living” means.

How do you clean it? Better yet, how do you disinfect laminate flooring to ensure it not only looks good, but is safe for your family to live with?

Taking precautions with your laminate flooring

When you install new floors, you do so mostly for the beauty of the floors. You have a certain style in mind. You are creating aesthetics that will blend with your personal decor.

You might even take a second look at how well your flooring choices will do under pressure. Are they easy to clean? Are they easy to maintain over the years?

There’s a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. We’ve also become manic about ensuring everything is safe, sanitized, and doesn’t harbor germs that can make our families sick.

I was doing a few searches the other day in Google. Did you know people right now are searching things like:

How do you kill germs on laminate floors?
Can you use Lysol on laminate floors?
What cleaners are safe for laminate floors?

Yep, this is front and center of every homeowner’s mind.

So what is the answer?

It starts with paying attention to what the manufacturer suggests.

When the manufacturer created the product currently residing in your home, they did so knowing it could sustain certain types of wear. It depends on what the laminate is made of, what topcoat is put into place, how it’s installed in your home. If you do things according to guidelines, it’ll wear well for the life of the product. If you follow the rules, whatever warranty is in place will ensure you are covered for the entire time frame.

The manufacturer knows best.

Some tips hold true no matter what product you choose:

Less water is better. Laminate might be better than hardwood when it comes to standing up against moisture, but it still isn’t made to have standing water in place. Water can soak in and cause extensive damage. It can peel and separate the layers. And it takes surprisingly less than you would imagine.

Never use bleach. Bleach may be the king of getting rid of germs, but it’s not a friend to laminate flooring. Laminate is porous. That means the bleach will soak in and cause a wide array of problems. It will often take the shiny finish off the floors first, before soaking into the color layer and dulling the look of your laminate. As it penetrates deeper, it can warp and curl your floors.

Avoid “promise” products. There are a lot of floor cleaners on the market today that make an array of promises. “Protected shine,” for example, promises to keep your floors radiant no matter how much your family can dish out. But what it’s really doing is filling in the tiny scratch and scuff markets with a filler product. Over time, this product can build, dull the finish, and create a filmy residue that’s difficult to get clean. It may make your floors look good in the beginning, but it will quickly disappear.

Your first step: Keeping dirt at bay

The key to great looking laminate flooring is to keep it clean and dirt-free. Dirt builds over time. By removing the dirt quickly, it means your flooring will stay cleaner naturally.

That means quick clean up when things happen. That’s why you should keep the proper tools right at hand, to be able to get rid of dirt quickly. Swiffer products make it easy to pick up messes fast. Invest in a small vacuum you can use whenever needed. Dust mops are good at picking up surface dirt and pulling them off of your floors. Use a dust mop daily at a minimum, more if your family is busy.

Always have a mop at hand

Sweeping and dusting are your first line of defense in keeping your flooring clean. But even if you dust daily, you aren’t removing the hidden grime that settles into your floors. And that’s where bacteria can live.

Dusting is your starting point. But from there, mopping provides you with a deeper clean.

Always use a soft mop so you won’t hurt the finish on your laminate floors. Not all mops are the same, so it’s wise to find one that works well with the product you have in place.

Keep a towel handy to dry any wet spots that remain after mopping. Excessive moisture – even small residue – can be enough to damage the finish. That means your floors may be impacted by things like swelling or warping.

And always pay attention to the chemicals in the floor cleaner you are selecting. Chemicals might promise to kill bacteria, but many do more harm than good. Avoid harsh chemicals, and refer to your warranty to ensure you’re using products the manufacturer recommends.

You should never use detergent-based cleaning products, as they will leave behind a sticky residue. And never pour any type of cleaning product directly on your floors. Make sure the mop or rag you use is thoroughly rung out, so it’s damp, and rub gently over the surface, ensuring no moisture is left behind.

Now it’s time to disinfect

Cleaning your floors is half the battle. The key to ensuring your floors are disinfected is to use an EPA-approved cleaning agent.

The CDC has issued guidance on what to use on porous materials. Use these guidelines to find a product that works well for your needs.

As always, before trying anything new, use a small amount of product in an inconspicuous place, to ensure it doesn’t leave a mark. If you’re getting down on the floor, be sure to wear gloves to keep your hands safe from harm, and dispose of them after, or wash them and hang them to dry.

All disinfectants can be harmful or fatal to people and animals, so keep the products away from your kids and pets.

Clean floors can give you peace of mind during these trying times. How have you been disinfecting your laminate flooring?

Flooring, Vinyl Floors
August 10, 2020

The Secret For More Beautiful Laminate Flooring

Are you thinking of changing the flooring inside your home? One step into a flooring center can leave you overwhelmed and confused.

Maybe you planned to replace what’s currently installed. You have carpet, and want to stick with carpet.

Or maybe you’ve been uttering “hardwood is the only way to go” for years. Now is your time – you can’t wait to install traditional hardwood.

But even that is turning into a massive headache. The more you learn about hardwood, the more you’re wondering if it’s the right choice for you. You have a busy household, after all. Dogs, kids, football parties on the weekends, potluck always seems to be at your house on Friday’s. Is hardwood really the right choice?

Maybe it’s time to consider laminate flooring instead.

We get it, laminate might cause your eyebrows to come together in puzzlement. You’ve heard a lot about laminate, and not a lot of it’s good.

We’re here to tell you that you shouldn’t believe everything you read. With today’s technology, laminate flooring has undergone massive change since its inception. And it really might be the right choice for your home.

What is laminate flooring?

People often stop by our retail center and say:

We love hardwood and really want to install them inside our home. But we’d like it to be a little more maintenance-free, easy to care for, and have resiliency against everyday mishaps like a spilled glass of water. What hardwood floor can do that?

They are surprised when the answer is: laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer product designed to give you the good looks of hardwood, with the resiliency of other flooring choices like vinyl.

Laminate starts out with a backing layer designed to keep moisture out and prevent water from seeping in and ruining the floor. Think of this as the insulation that provides protection against everything your family can dish out.

Next, laminate floors have a fiberboard core that provides structure, stability, and impact resistance. This is what gives your flooring overall strength, and helps it hold up well throughout the years. The core layer is made from a high density fiberboard (HDF) or medium density fiberboard (MDF), which is created typically from recycled wood fibers.

The decorative layer sits on top of the core layer. This is what gives the laminate its good looks. Because technology has increased so much over the years, today’s laminate flooring can take on just about any look, come in a plethora of color, grain, and texture options.

Finally, the top layer is smoothed over the decorative layer to add protection. It’s a thin coating of aluminum oxide, which helps give it shine, protect it from scratching, and even provide UV protection from natural sunlight.

Why laminate is the right choice for today’s homes

When most people think of laminate, they judge it off of what they learned in the 1970s, when laminate first hit the marketplace. The new product may have looked like hardwood, but it was a lower quality by far. This is what created the stereotypes that are still in existence today.

By the 1980s, the dominating company produced a product called Pergo, which took off quickly across Europe, and slowly penetrated the US market during the 1990s. It was an easy way for homeowners to enjoy the beauty of hardwood floors at a more affordable price. But they rarely passed for hardwood. There was no mistaking the look and feel.

Fast forward to today, and there are many more advancements in laminate flooring. Pay attention to manufacturers’ quality; you won’t be able to tell the difference between traditional hardwood and laminate.

Each layer has seen advancements to make stronger, better looking, and more resilient than ever before. One of the most recent developments is an increase in water-resistance. Where traditional hardwood often fails in places like kitchens and basements, you can now install laminate, knowing you’ll love your choice for years to come.

Are you sold on the idea of laying laminate flooring throughout your home? You’re going to love the results.

This is how you care for laminate flooring

To ensure you love your flooring for years to come, we’ve put together a few care tips to keep your laminate flooring in top shape and looking good throughout your busy days.

Dust can be the enemy – in a gas-forced heated home, which is prominent all over Colorado, dust is something you learn to live with. But dust and laminate flooring aren’t a good combination. Invest in a vacuum that works well on hard surfaces; use it regularly. Consider investing in a Swiffer and pick up the dust each day. Dust has the ability to get between the spaces and deteriorate the laminate boards faster. Avoid using steam or water as that can also seep in and harm the base of the flooring.

Stop the dirt in its tracks – With any flooring, it will remain looking its best if you stop dirt at the front door. Invest in high quality mats to wipe your feet off before entering. Consider a “no shoe” rule and have each family member take off shoes before moving through the rest of the house. The cleaner you can keep your house, the less dirt will settle onto the flooring. That also means you can avoid using abrasive cleaners that can further harm your floors.

Protect with padding – your home is all about living comfortably. While laminate does have scratch-resistance built into the top layer, it’s equally important to help withstand scratching from some of the most common items inside your home. The kitchen chair can be a lethal weapon to your flooring. Luckily, you can invest in padding and covers that will allow you to freely move your furniture around while adding a little more protection for your floors.

Say YES to laminate flooring

A lot of homeowners come in looking for the perfect flooring to suit their needs. And in the back of their minds, they also question resale value – will people be interested in buying their homes if laminate is installed?

Increasingly, the answer is yes.

Laminate flooring works well in places hardwood traditionally does not. And it carries the look to places where you might have installed something else.

Laminate flooring may be the right choice for your home. The best way to find out is to give us a call today.

Vinyl Floors
May 24, 2020

Vinyl Plank Flooring Is The Perfect Waterproof Choice

Tip a glass of red wine onto a white carpet, and you’ll see just how fast homeowners can run. They know the clock is ticking for action. And if you don’t treat the stain in the right manner within the first few minutes, you’ll see that stain for life.

The same holds true with a variety of flooring products. Spill a pitcher of apple juice, for example, and you’ll see a homeowner scramble just as fast, depending on what flooring is in place. Hardwood? Definitely. If it seeps into the wood, it can easily warp and crack. Tile? It depends on how porous the tile is, and what color grout is in place.

Flooring, no matter what you have installed, takes its fair share of abuse.

But what if there was a flooring choice that could withstand a higher level of abuse, and look good in the process? Such a flooring choice doesn’t exist. Or does it?

Maybe it’s time for another look at vinyl plank flooring.

What is vinyl plank flooring?

Vinyl plank flooring is designed to resemble hardwood flooring, and it does so in a good way. It comes in strips – planks – and can be modified for different sizes. You can find this product in a number of styles, each mimicking different types of wood. If you like traditional oak, you can find it in vinyl plank. If you have your eye on something a little more exotic, you’ll find that too in vinyl plank flooring.

Vinyl plank flooring is waterproof

If you’re looking for a resilient flooring choice, one that is waterproof in many different situations, look no further than vinyl plank flooring. They’ve grown in popularity in recent years because technology now makes it possible to find styles that mimic other popular flooring choices, including stone, tile, hardwood, marble, and even concrete flooring. It gives you the appearance you desire, being as trendy as you want, without sacrificing durability and ease of maintenance in the process.

When vinyl plank flooring is exposed to water, it will not lose any of its structural integrity. That makes them the perfect choice for any room in your home.

Are they great for the kitchen? Yes.

Will they work in bathrooms? They’re the perfect choice for bathrooms.

How about laundry rooms? Yep, they’ll work there too.

In fact, they are becoming so popular, you’ll find vinyl plank flooring in every room in the home. They’re the perfect solution for combining good looks with durability, especially when care and cleaning are at the top of everyone’s mindset.

What makes it waterproof is it’s four layers of construction.

The backing layer – what gives a flooring its waterproof qualities starts at the base. The backing layer is made from an underlayment of cork or foam. This serves two purposes. One, it means you won’t have to purchase additional underlayment in order to install it over the subfloor. Two, it provides softness and noise reduction to your floor.

If you’ve ever walked on a floor without underlayment, you realize just how noisy engineered flooring can be. It has a hollow sound that echos throughout your room. With vinyl plank flooring, the base is already in place. You won’t need to invest in additional backing before installation.

The waterproof layer – for a vinyl floor, this is the most important layer to give it a waterproof quality. The waterproof layer is high density and won’t contract or swell no matter what is dropped on it. Most waterproof layers today are resilient, thick, and dense. The core may have been manufactured with a foaming agent that makes it equally as comfortable underfoot as it is durable.

The print layer – thanks to technology, the print layer is more realistic than ever. The manufacturer photographs each product with clarity and full-color to ensure you have a final look that’s as gorgeous as the real thing. It looks so realistic, even discerning guests will swear it’s the real thing.

The wear layer – the wear layer is one of the most important parts, ensuring durability and a long life. Think of it as protection from anything you can dish out. Dents, scratches, spills, scuffs, movement – it’s designed to stand against possible problems, and continue looking good for years to come.

Why buy waterproof vinyl plank flooring

If you’re already sold on why you should put waterproof vinyl plank flooring into your home, congratulations. We couldn’t agree more! We think it’s one of the best choices you can make for your home.

But if you’re still debating on whether it’s the right choice for you, here are a few additional reasons to fall in love with it.

It’s 100 percent waterproof. In case we haven’t mentioned it enough, we thought we’d add it in here one more time. Just be sure you talk to our flooring contractor to ensure you purchase vinyl planks made by the right manufacturer. Not all are resilient, so you’ll have to do a little homework to find the product that suits your needs.

It’s a perfect choice for subfloors that are anything but perfect. You might already be aware of a few problems that exist in your home. A flooring that’s not level.

Technology is changing everything. That includes the realism of vinyl plank flooring too. No matter what styles or design you’re thinking of for your flooring, you’ll find it in the luxury vinyl market. The top-end flooring manufacturers are now able to create realistic prints that mimic real products better than ever before. It’s so realistic, you’ll have to get down on the floor to tell the difference.

Tile is one of the most durable flooring materials available for your home. It’s also one of the hardest. While that might work in some places – it’s great in the shower – it can grow wearisome in places where you spend a lot of time. The softness underfoot of vinyl plank flooring is greatly appreciated in places like the kitchen where you stand for hours on end.

You’ll also be impressed with how little maintenance it takes to keep it looking its best. An occasional vacuum and damp cloth will let the quality shine through every time.

What are you waiting for? Vinyl plank flooring is an addition you’re going to love, no matter what room you install it in.

Get started today.