The biggest focus for homes and businesses over the last few years has been the pursuit of flooring solutions that come with no compromises.
Rather than having highly practical but somewhat industrial-looking flooring systems or beautifully natural but relatively unfeasible for a busy business or home office setting.
This is where vinyl floor tiles attempt to provide the best of both worlds; they are versatile yet sophisticated. They are solid yet comfortable, and they are long-lasting yet can be replaced easily as and when the need arises.
All of these are key to why luxury vinyl tiles have become particularly popular in recent years as an alternative way to get a more natural-looking floor finish, but without all of the expense and frustrations that come with it.
To illustrate this best, here are five of the biggest benefits of LVT and why they have made it so popular for businesses and at home.
Highly Durable
Despite being so thin and so light, LVT is a remarkably durable material, thanks in no small part to its layered construction, and particularly its wear layer.
The wear layer works like the sealant on a stone or wood floor, but rather than being a relatively thin coating that provides around a year of protection before it needs to be reapplied, the wear layer is a significantly thicker transparent layer that can withstand high-traffic situations for years at a time.
They are designed specifically to take the types of constant wear and impacts that come with thousands upon thousands of footsteps a day in their stride for year after year.
Easy To Maintain
LVT flooring is very easy to maintain and only requires a little bit of mopping and sweeping to keep it clean. It does not require the same types of tailored routines and specialised machinery as stone, wood or even carpeted floors do.
Beyond this, if any individual tile is showing its age, the best part of an LVT system is that it can be easily taken out and replaced seamlessly, saving a lot of money and time in the long run.
Water Resistant
Polished natural stone looks far more water-resistant than it actually is, and many common flooring and countertop stones, such as marble, can erode and suffer permanent marks at an alarmingly quick rate without proper sealants.
Wood is even more permeable, and too much water can cause permanent and significant damage due to the effects of damp and decay. Carpets can potentially be ruined entirely if too much water is spilt onto them without any chance to properly dry.
By contrast, LVT is engineered specifically to be water-resistant, with some types being outright waterproof if installed correctly.
This is an essential feature for any flooring that would be used in a room with a risk of water splashes, spills or leaks, but is particularly important for kitchens and bathrooms.
The only comparable alternative is ceramic tiles, which can be significantly more expensive and arduous to install.
Comfortable Underfoot
Stone and ceramic floors have absolutely no give whatsoever, and this can not only make them somewhat uncomfortable to walk on but can also lead to particularly loud footsteps that can be disruptive to a busy office space.
They can also be quite cold and imposing when stepped on barefoot, with little recourse outside of particularly thick socks.
By contrast, LVT is softer, has more scope for soundproofing and is warmer underfoot, as well as being compatible with most types of underfloor heating, allowing for the flooring to be even more comfortable.
This can make it more practical in areas where the aesthetics of certain kinds of flooring is highly desirable, but it is otherwise impractical to use said types of flooring for a range of reasons, in the same way that the famous parquet floors of Versailles were a necessity.
A Vast Range of Design Options.
The biggest appeal of LVT is just how many options there are to choose from when it comes to patterns and designs, with a vast scope to mix-and-match, customise and experiment with different flooring designs and styles.
One practical benefit of this is that offices that want to take advantage of a beautiful natural stone effect but for either noise, structural, cost or other practical reasons cannot do so.
Thanks to the huge number of highly detailed and textured stone and wood effect floors, almost every type of stone and wood you could imagine is available in some form of LVT, as well as countless patterns, textures and designs inspired by other great forms of flooring.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the CVT Direct team via our Contact Us page or give us a ring on 0345 121 1234.
Browse our flooring and accessories product ranges and use the filtrs when searching for your new flooring and the accessories needed.
