Your guide to purchasing vinyl flooring
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 7:23 PM
So you have decided that you want cheap vinyl flooring for a room or several rooms in your house. This is a good choice. Vinyl has many benefits; it comes in a number of different styles to suit any room, it is easy to maintain and clean and it is warmer than ceramics. Now you need to think about certain issues before you buy.
Before you set out, consider where the vinyl will be placed in the house. Wood-like vinyl may suit a living room but for bathroom vinyl flooring you may like a ceramic or tiled appearance.
You should also think about how much sunlight enters the room in which you plan to lay the vinyl flooring. Direct bright light can cause vinyl to fade over time, so if a room gets a lot of sunshine, look at neutral colours rather than strong ones.
A popular trend now is for vinyls that resemble natural elements. Rhinofloor is one brand that offers vinyl flooring in strips or tiles for both wood and stone appearances and with varying degrees of detail to suit your taste and budget.
Many vinyls have a degree of gloss on their surfaces. It may not be advisable to have a high shine in a room that will be used very often, as the wear might show more easily.
Vinyl is warmer than ceramic and for this reason it is more pleasant to walk across barefoot. Think about what sort of shoes or socks, if any, you are likely to be wearing on the floor. You may even wish to stand on a sample to test the cushioning and comfort.
As well as people, of course, a floor will need to take furniture. Look at the furnishings in the room and make sure that the vinyl you choose has the correct recovery level for the weights it will be bearing.
You may also wish to look at how well a vinyl floor can handle things being dropped on it and consider what sort of accidents may happen in the room.
Remember, though, that there are protective products available to help the vinyl flooring withstand pressure and impact.
