Vinyl flooring has been a top selection for economical and useful flooring solutions in areas where moisture is an issue for a long time. Vinyl flooring, a creation made by humans with no natural components, is nearly invulnerable to destruction caused by moisture and cannot grow mildew. The vinyl flooring industry has mostly been taken over by sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles in the past. These are looked upon as the classic types of vinyl flooring and they vary a great deal from the more advanced and pricey styles of vinyl flooring, usually referred to as luxury vinyl flooring, or LVF.

Residential flooring still heavily relies on standard vinyl flooring. Standard sheet vinyl and tile vinyl share a lot of the same benefits. However, there are also numerous distinctions between the two varieties, which makes them each especially appropriate for specific uses.

Sheet Vinyl vs. Vinyl Tile Flooring: Major Differences

Standard sheet vinyl and vinyl tile flooring are alike in terms of their makeup and functional ability. Both composite materials consist of a thin PVC plastic center connected to a felt or fiberglass bottom layer, then having a printed out design layer and a durable, transparent surface protection layer. Both items are relatively thin, being as little as one-sixteenth of an inch thick.

Sheet vinyl comes in rolls of 6 or 12 feet and can be cut to size depending on the customer’s needs. This great breadth makes it possible for a room to be accessed with only a handful of joints or no seams at all, making it one of the most excellent flooring materials when it comes to preventing water.

Vinyl tile, which is identical to vinyl sheets, is cut into individual squares and laid out on the substrate according to a template. Each piece is put into place one at a time. Tile is a useful option for DIYers as the installation process is quite easy. However, the numerous grouting lines between the tiles create an opportunity for water to penetrate and reach the base flooring.

Appearance

One of the main advantages of vinyl flooring is its low cost, as well as its ability to be printed in many different designs, such as hardwood, natural stone, and ceramic tile.

Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl is quite flexible when it comes to patterns, as it is even suitable for random designs which don’t have a recurring pattern.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tile has a better chance of copying the look of stone or ceramic tile than sheet vinyl due to the gaps between the tiles.

  • Best for Appearance: Tie

Water and Heat Resistance

Sheet Vinyl

A major benefit of sheet vinyl compared to tile is it can often be laid in one or two continuous sheets. This implies that you don’t have lines created from multiple distinct components, such as you do with vinyl tile. Sheet vinyl is superior to tile when it comes to repelling moisture, making it an ideal material for bathrooms and areas with high humidity. You must ensure that the edges of the room are tightly bound with sheet vinyl and that any adjoining pieces are tightly fitted and glued together.

Vinyl Tile

Even though vinyl tile itself is impenetrable to water, the numerous seams provide an opening for moisture to penetrate to the lower region of the floor.

  • Best for Water and Heat Resistance: Sheet Vinyl

Durability and Maintenance

Vinyl flooring, as a category, is only modestly durable. Due to its character, vinyl flooring is more sensitive than other types of flooring as it is softer and more prone to rips and cuts. Stepping carelessly with a solid pan on vinyl surfaces can cause a lasting imprint. The amount of dings and gouges in the flooring increases over time, and this is why vinyl flooring in areas with a lot of traffic typically needs to be changed out after about 10 years.

Sheet Vinyl

It is achievable to take out a piece of sheet vinyl and replace it, yet the repaired region is typically obvious. Eliminating the portion following existing pattern lines can assist, however, it is a tough aptitude to acquire.

Vinyl Tile

Tile repairs are simpler than those involving sheet vinyl because single tiles can be taken out and exchanged. Heating up the adhesive beneath vinyl tile is normally what it takes to get it off, then you pull up the tile, and get rid of the glue underneath it. Once you are finished, you can change out the tile for one that matches. The repair job was done in such a way that it seamlessly blended in with the rest of the floor.

  • Best for Durability and Maintenance: Vinyl Tile

Installation

Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl needs to be affixed with a glue-down methodology, spreading adhesive onto the underlayment. Then, gently press the flooring in and compact with a powerful roller to ensure the connection is firm. Specific methods must be used to connect the edges where two sections of vinyl meet.

Manufacturers of sheet vinyl often strive to make it simpler for DIYers to customize their material by including templates to cut the sheets to the desired size, though this can often be a difficult process. Many DIYers have tried installing sheet vinyl, only to regret it afterwards. Due to the reasonable cost of specialist fitting of sheet vinyl, the majority of householders generally decide that employing a specialist is the best course of action.

Vinyl Tile

Do-it-yourselfers consider tile to be a clearly superior option when compared to sheet vinyl. Once careful guidelines are sketched on the base material, tiles can be put in place with ease. Typically, the project can be completed by someone who has moderate expertise. Once the bulk of the tiling is in place, it is not difficult to manually shape the rim tiles to the particular dimensions of the area.

Vinyl tiles can be set in place using adhesive applied with a trowel, yet many options on the market now come with a backing sheet with adhesive already pre-applied that can be removed when it’s time to lay the tiles down. Some experts think that this approach is dubious and favor applying trowel-on adhesive because it is more dependable. Despite the fact that many home improvement stores carry standard vinyl tiles, these are normally peel-and-stick varieties. To get a good selection of tiles that work with trowel-on adhesive, it is likely necessary to visit a shop that specializes in flooring.

  • Best for Installation: Vinyl Tile

What to Look for Before You Buy

1. Commercial Vinyl Plank vs Residential LVP

Would it be better to opt for vinyl plank flooring for your business or only for your residence? If you’re aiming for a more rustic vibe, you can utilize both hardwood and carpets interchangeably. The excellent quality of Armstrong vinyl plank flooring is that you get a realistic hardwood-like appearance without having to use actual wood.

Even experts are unable to spot any differences when they closely examine these floors. The real difference comes in the price. Vinyl plank flooring is going to be much cheaper than purchasing genuine hardwood.

Buying this floor for your business has numerous advantages. On Armstrong’s website, you can read about the innovative elements they have included in the commercial version of their vinyl floor planks.

Be sure to check for the capability of creating original designs and patterns quickly and easily. By having a selection of carefully matched colors, you can easily personalize your choice of commercial flooring, which is an important element.

The appearance of hardwood is achieved through the use of sophisticated printing techniques and embossing techniques. Ultimately, this brings more realism to make it convincing.

Above all, though, learn about Armstrong’s attention to durableness. There is probably a lot of people coming in and out of your business, particularly if it is in the retail sector. By opting for Armstrong’s vinyl plank flooring, you can be sure that it will withstand even the harshest of conditions.

Real hardwood would not be able to withstand the same climate situations. It would be much more difficult to do maintenance if Armstrong was not an option. You won’t have to pause operations during your hectic hours since you’ll need to spend less time on cleaning.

2. Looking at Size

Examine the dimensions of the vinyl plank flooring you would require for your residence or business prior to purchasing any brand.

This can be determined by assessing a plank’s length and width. There are a variety of different sizes available from Armstrong for different types of rooms. In your residence, the size of the planks you can get can range from 3-4 ¾ inches to an enormous 18 by 18 inches.

There are also wide boards available with a width of 5 inches and greater.

Sizes for commercial businesses are even more diverse. Armstrong makes a noticeable contribution in this area, and as well Next Floor and Forbo also supply bespoke measurements.

The most frequent size purchased for business purposes is 6” x 48”. A 4” x 36” size is equally popular.

No matter what the configuration of your living or working space is, you should have no difficulty locating the exact size you need when shopping from the correct retailer. At Floor City, we have a very broad selection of vinyl plank flooring in a range of different dimensions.

3. Thickness Level

It is important to examine the thickness of any vinyl floor plank prior to making a purchase. Some companies may cite the thickness of the upper layer of the plank instead of the plank’s total thickness.

Brands like Armstrong have the advantage of offering data in terms of accurate thickness, which is always reported in millimeters (mm). Usually, this thickness will be in the range of 4mm to 8mm, with thicker gauges providing a superior quality.

A large selection of Armstrong vinyl plank boards, such as Salvaged Plank White (in the PRYZM series), are typically around 6.5 mm thick.

Find out precisely how thick your vinyl floorboards are before putting them in an adjoining room. Mixing two different thickness levels could result in unevenness, which can be displeasing in both commercial and residential settings.

Also, related to thickness level is wear layer. This will directly decide how strong your floor can be in the face of the expected foot traffic in the future. This will be expressed in mils, which is equivalent to one-thousandth of an inch. If you want a superior quality of planks, you should search for ones with a thickness of 20 mils or greater. A slightly lower wear layer is still high quality.

Armstrong vinyl plank options like Plank Bamboo Carbonized features a 20 mil wear layer that totals 0.5 millimeters.

4. Warranties On Your Vinyl Plank Flooring

Do not disregard the guarantees you will obtain with your vinyl plank flooring. Generally, there are two different varieties of warranties given for commercial and residential flooring because of multiple reasons.

Armstrong vinyl plank floors come with a 20-year commercial warranty. For a few commercial products, it’s sometimes less. This is due to the fact that more frequent foot traffic will cause a commercial floor to have a more rapid deterioration.

Most residential warranties are for life with Armstrong’s products. Certain commodities are distinctive as a result of the substances used, shape, and thickness. The Cherry Maple Medium item is only covered by a 10-year commercial warranty.

It is important to pay attention to what the Armstrong warranties will include and what they will not. The policy does not provide reimbursement for destruction stemming from fire, flooding, or malicious activity.

No harm caused by you utilizing your own cleaning products or vacuum cleaner will be paid for. Any errors that occur during the installation process, as well as any damage done to a structure after the installation process has been completed, are not included in the warranty.

Remember that the subfloor will not be compensated for any harm caused by flooding water that remains stagnant. Armstrong assures that their vinyl plank products are completely impervious to water.

5. Price Range

Price should certainly be a primary factor when searching for vinyl plank flooring. When you opt for vinyl flooring, you can be sure that you’re going to save a lot of cash in comparison to using traditional hardwood flooring.

It has been reported that homeowners may pay more than $4,000 when they put in authentic hardwood floors. Soft woods typically cost between three and six dollars per square foot. Mid-range woods such as teak and oak cost slightly higher.

For those of you who desire a premium quality wood material, mahogany would be a great choice. This usually sees costs as high as $14 per square foot, thus making it too pricey for your particular financial constraints.

Vinyl plank flooring is nowhere near this price. Armstrong keeps their products at a very low cost because vinyl is always cost-effective. Despite the fact that it is not genuine wood, the lifelike appearance of wood is impressive.

We at Floor City offer Armstrong’s industrial level vinyl floorboards for an inexpensive price – less than $3 per square foot. It’s the same with residential vinyl plank flooring. No item in our selection of vinyl plank will ever cost more than $4.

It is evident that vinyl is a much better value than real wood, as it is highly convincing and costs significantly less.

The Verdict

Sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles or planks are comparably priced flooring options, and each come with their own set of benefits. The final decision you make will depend on what is most significant to you and how you anticipate the floor to user. Those who like to do their own work around the house are likely to consider tiles as the best option; however, when there is a lot of moisture in the air, sheet vinyl is the better option.

Jonathan
Author: Jonathan