Vinyl flooring is intended for domestic and commercial use: home, office, hotels, production and industrial sites, train stations, airports, as well as educational, medical and children's institutions. Depending on the thickness of the protective layer, the floor covering has a wear resistance class of 34-43.
The composition of a modern vinyl floor, as a rule, is dominated by quartz sand or other minerals (70-80%) and contains 1-2 layers of fiberglass. Thanks to this, quartz vinyl is durable, wear-resistant and stable: it can withstand temperature changes, high humidity, retain its dimensions and performance properties at negative temperatures and under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
Pros and cons of vinyl flooring
The main advantages of quartz vinyl flooring
✔ Moisture resistance. Vinyl flooring remains stable at any level of humidity in the room, and the floor covering cannot become wet or penetrate liquids. The floor can be filled with water and washed as desired - any defects are excluded.
✔ Wear resistance. The top layer of polyurethane with a variety of reinforcing additives in thicknesses from 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm provides resistance to abrasion, scratches, sun fading and cracking.
✔ Variety of decors. The technology of direct photo printing and register embossing is used, which allows you to recreate the texture and relief of wood and natural stone. An even greater resemblance to parquet is given by the chamfer cut along the perimeter or along the long sides of the sheets in some collections.
✔ Easy to care for and unpretentious. PVC tiles do not require special care and specific operating conditions. Wet cleaning and cleaning with a washing vacuum cleaner are allowed. There is no possibility of dust particles getting under the floor: there are no gaps between the slats.
✔ Water resistant. Adhesive quartz vinyl tiles are invulnerable to humidity and direct prolonged contact with water.
✔ Durability. The service life is limited only by the desire to update the interior of the room!
✔ Easy installation. Vinyl flooring is glued to the substrate or installed using durable click locks. However, careful leveling of the base is required first.
Minuses
- Preparing the base. The subfloor must be perfectly level, dry, stable and clean. The slightest imperfections will immediately be reflected in the final floor covering.
- Synthetic material. Despite all the positive qualities of PVC tiles, they are of artificial origin and do not give the feeling of a touch of nature, like parquet boards or cork coverings.
- Lots of fakes. Great demand for practical flooring gives rise to a lot of fakes. Trust famous European and Korean brands!
- Incompatible with rubber. Some types of PVC tiles, when in contact with rubber (for example, rubberized mats), permanently change color and become dull. For most of the quartz vinyl presented in the catalog, this problem does not arise - due to the special surface treatment.
Vinyl floor. Thanks to the protective layer and multilayer structure of PVC, the tiles are practically invulnerable to abrasive wear and mechanical damage, and are also 100% waterproof!
✔ Choose interlocking quartz vinyl laminate, adhesive PVC tiles, as well as unique woven vinyl flooring and the latest SPC laminate - a floor without weak points - in the Polov catalog!
Composition and features of the coating
Vinyl tiles are almost 80% made from natural material - quartz sand. It is this that gives the coating strength, wear resistance and absolute environmental safety. The remaining components: vinyl, plasticizers, stabilizers provide flexibility and protect against ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes.
Thanks to coloring pigments and special additives, the material imitates a variety of textures as naturally as possible - from natural stone to wood of any species. Direct photo printing technology combined with register embossing allows you to recreate even the most intricate reliefs.
PVC tiles have a layered structure; the number and composition of layers differs depending on the modification of the product. As a rule, these are 6-8 layers, arranged in the following sequence:
- Bottom vinyl layer that prevents interaction of material components with the screed;
- The base (main) layer is made of quartz vinyl. It forms the basis of the coating and absorbs noise. For additional strength and protection from temperature influences, the base is reinforced on both sides with layers of fiberglass.
- A decorative layer with an applied texture, which can be supplemented with fiber to enhance realism. The use of high-resolution printing allows us to imitate the texture of a wide variety of materials with amazing accuracy;
- A finishing layer that protects the coating from mechanical damage and scratches. For this, molten polyurethane is used, which is additionally treated with UV rays to stabilize and give maximum strength.
Quartz-vinyl laminate for the kitchen may additionally contain an acoustic layer to increase sound insulation and absorb impact noise, as well as a reinforced bottom layer, which allows the coating to be laid on a base with unevenness of up to 3 mm.
Vinyl flooring by installation type
Adhesive PVC tiles
Installation is carried out using contact adhesive for PVC, on a carefully prepared base. Adhesive quartz vinyl is cheaper than interlocking PVC laminate per m2, but the cost of glue and subfloor preparation should also be taken into account when calculating. Detailed instructions for laying PVC tiles. Use adhesive vinyl tiles for rooms with high humidity and difficult operating conditions.
Certified manufacturers of adhesive-installed vinyl flooring: Decoria, FineFloor, Alpine Floor, Art East, Tarkett, CorkArt, Dumafloor Aquafloor, Concept Floor.
Interlocking quartz vinyl laminate
For installation, durable and easy-to-use click locks are provided. Thanks to the flooring without glue and the increased thickness of the sheets, the floor covering does not require special preparation of the base; small differences are allowed. Step-by-step instructions for laying interlocking PVC laminate. Use interlocking vinyl flooring for rooms with normal humidity and in cases where full use of the coating is required immediately after installation.
Manufacturers represented in the salon: FineFloor, Vinilam, Corkstyle, Alpine Floor, Art East, CorkArt, NOX Ecoclick+, Pergo, Wonderful Vinyl Floor, Moduleo, Egger, Berry Alloc, Dumafloor Aquafloor, Decoria, Concept Floor, Meister.
Wicker Vinyl Flooring
The surface of woven PVC tiles imitates a woven surface: durable polyvinyl chloride threads are intertwined in original and complex patterns. At the same time, the performance characteristics are identical to classic adhesive-type vinyl flooring. Woven vinyl is made in tiles, sheets or rolls and laid with adhesive.
Mineral floor
► Select a mineral floor from the catalog.
This type of flooring is only indirectly related to quartz vinyl floors; it is rather an evolution, the next generation. A rigid mineral board is used as the middle layer, which ensures the strength and water resistance of quartz vinyl. In addition, such a base allows you to avoid the use of plasticizers, which are responsible for the stability of PVC tiles. Thanks to this, mineral flooring is an environmentally friendly, wear-resistant material for rooms under any operating conditions!
We offer mineral flooring only from the best manufacturers: Classen NEO 2.0, Corkstyle Micodur, Art Stone, Aquafloor Quartz, Mineral Plus.
Which is better: regular or vinyl laminate?
When choosing, you need to take into account the features and technical characteristics of materials. Vinyl coating contains polyvinyl chloride and is produced using chloride polymerization. Under certain conditions, it releases toxic substances, which causes asthma and nervous disorders. Toxins can only be released when the coating is heated or burned.
Not afraid of moisture
Trusted companies, worried about their reputation, produce more expensive products that contain a minimum amount of harmful components. Little-known organizations produce panels that may contain dangerous additives, for example, lead derivatives, folic acids or cadmium. Sometimes toxic components of cheap material are released into the air immediately after flooring, and there is an unpleasant chemical odor.
Interesting article on the topic: Is laminate flooring harmful to humans: reality and myths
Conventional laminate flooring contains melamine and acrylic resins. Acrylic is used to produce expensive products; according to scientists, it is safe for humans. Formaldehyde or melamine in high concentrations is harmful; it enters the air when the floor is heated. Products of class E0-E1 contain little of it. The class can be viewed as indicated on the product packaging.
Vinyl tile flooring can be installed in rooms with low air temperatures, for example, in the kitchen or bathroom. You need to consider the level of wear resistance of vinyl. Laminate flooring is laid in rooms with normal humidity and temperature, taking into account the wear resistance of the board.
Typical structure of quartz vinyl floor
- The protective layer is a polyurethane coating that determines the class of application and wear resistance of the vinyl floor.
- The decorative layer is a decorative textured film with a specific image.
- The middle layer is vinyl with the addition of quartz sand, with fiberglass on the bottom and top.
- A stabilizing PVC layer is necessary so that the compressed sand does not crumble over time under loads.
- Underlay - provides sound insulation for vinyl flooring and distributes impact loads evenly over the surface.
The structure of vinyl flooring can vary significantly from one manufacturer to another. For example, Vinilam offers a collection of quartz vinyl tiles with an integrated cork backing, Vinilam Prestige. Many manufacturers improve the protective layer by adding ceramic chips, aluminum oxide and even diamond particles.
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Oleg Grishin
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Pros and cons of vinyl tiles from different manufacturers - links
We offer extensive reviews of the pros and cons of vinyl flooring from selected manufacturers presented in the Polov catalog:
► FineFloor. Belgian-made quartz vinyl laminate of 34 and 43 wear resistance classes with a multilayer structure and realistic decors.
► Decoria. Adhesive PVC tiles made in South Korea. An ideal solution for commercial premises (Office Tile collection).
► Vinyl. Quartz vinyl with adhesive installation or mechanical lock. Made in Belgium.
► Alpine Floor. Performance adhesive and interlocking vinyl flooring for residential and commercial applications.
► IVC Moduleo. Belgian interlocking quartz vinyl tiles with a double layer of fiberglass: stability and durability of the floor covering.
► Aquafloor. Waterproof interlocking and adhesive vinyl flooring made in Belgium.
►Pergo. Wear-resistant quartz vinyl laminate with a reinforced TitanV protective layer 0.55 mm thick and PerfectFold V sealed locking joints. Made in Belgium.
► Art East. Interlocking PVC laminate and adhesive vinyl tiles made in South Korea.
► Corkstyle Vinyline. A collection of vinyl floors from the famous Swiss cork flooring manufacturer Corkstyle.
► Corkart. Concept of quartz vinyl tiles from CorkArt, a cork floor manufacturer from Portugal.
► Tarkett. Russian PVC tiles Art Vinyl with a reinforced protective layer of Extreme Protection.
►Egger. Egger Design+ composite flooring on sealed UWF fibreboard with soundproofing underlay. German production.
Read detailed reviews on the pros and cons of vinyl flooring from each manufacturer to choose the best solution for your space!
