New flooring can vastly improve a room’s appearance. It can also get quite expensive, depending on the type of floor you install or have installed for you. Fortunately, advanced technology in flooring materials has made it possible to get the look of expensive, professionally installed floors, such as hardwood or natural stone, without the exorbitant cost or need for professional installation. Vinyl tiles are a durable, affordable flooring option for homeowners today. Vinyl flooring is also easier to install than traditional hardwood, ceramic or natural stone tiles.
What floor styles can vinyl tiles provide?
Vinyl flooring can mimic almost any type of hardwood flooring, from traditional oak or walnut to exotic woods such as, fruitwood or bamboo. Unlike real wood flooring, vinyl tiles are waterproof, so they can be installed in any room of your home, including high moisture areas like bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Vinyl flooring is also resistant to scratches and dents, making it a great choice for high-traffic areas as well.
If you prefer the look of ceramic tile or natural stone flooring such as Slate or marble, vinyl tiles will give you the look of these types of floors, without feeling as cold or hard as the real thing. Vinyl tile is warmer and softer on bare feet.
How are vinyl tiles installed?
In addition to the appearance and durability of vinyl tiles, the simplicity of installation makes vinyl flooring a great option for do-it-yourself homeowners trying to save money on home improvement costs.
You don’t need expensive or special tools to install vinyl tiles. Each tile has a super sticky, self-adhesive backing that allows the tiles to adhere to each other or the base flooring underneath, depending on the type of tiles used. The tiles can be cut with scissors or a utility knife. In addition to a cutting tool, a tape measure and rolling pin will come in handy for the installation.
Although many people have installed vinyl tiles over linoleum, the best base floor for vinyl tiles is concrete or 1/4″ plywood. It is also extremely important to start with a clean, dry surface. Home Depot recommends using a primer on porous surfaces such as concrete and plywood, as the primer provides a solid surface for the adhesive to adhere to.
You can find many helpful videos on installing self-adhesive vinyl tiles on YouTube.
A good way to find out how incredibly dirty carpeting can be is to remove it. When you pull up old carpeting and the padding underneath, you will likely be quite disgusted with what you find. Carpet literally traps dust, dirt and grime and then holds on to it. You’ve probably noticed how stains come back after shampooing your carpet. Vacuuming, shampooing and steam cleaning carpets temporarily removes dirt and stains from the surface. However, it’s impossible to get the dirt and grime that makes its way through the carpet fibers and ends up trapped in the padding and floor underneath.
If you suffer from allergies, asthma or other respiratory ailments, your health will benefit from vinyl flooring, which can be kept much cleaner than a carpeted floor.
If you’ve been wanting to upgrade any of the floors in your home but thought you couldn’t afford it, vinyl flooring may be your best option for an attractive, easy to install new look that will last for years to come.
