Often selected for the kitchen and bathrooms, sheet vinyl and vinyl tile have always been a favorite flooring material that homeowners love. When compared with other flooring materials, vinyl has a reputation for being cheap. However, with luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) or luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP), it is not the case. Available in long planks with a tongue-and-groove system that you can snap together, AKA click-lock, vinyl plank flooring is much thicker instead of featuring a thin layer of flexible vinyl. Because it mimics the look of wood plank flooring quite well, much better than plastic laminate flooring, vinyl plank flooring is popular. It is also ideal because it mimics the appearance of other flooring types, such as ceramic and porcelain, or even natural stone such as granite or marble. Instead of square tile shapes, it comes in long, narrow strips. Today, we at Mike’s Custom Flooring would like to share why luxury vinyl plank floors are a good option.

What are the Layers of Vinyl Plank Flooring?

Vinyl plank flooring is a multi-ply product boasting four layers whereas sheet vinyl is flexible vinyl with a printed top layer covered with a clear wear layer. The four layers include:
– To prevent light scuffs and scratches, the topmost layer of aluminum oxide.
– For protection against severe tearing and ripping, the next layer is a clear film.
– To give a photo-realistic look of stone or wood is the design layer.
– Making up nearly 90% of the thickness, the backing layer comprised of rigid vinyl.
Luxury vinyl is about five times thicker than traditional sheet vinyl in fact. You snap the luxury vinyl planks together instead of rolling it out over the floor and gluing it down.

Does Luxury Vinyl Plank Look Real?

Featuring a deeper embossing and clearer graphics, it is available in dozens of styles to match the appearance of various wood species. Additionally, you can get vinyl planks that are heavily antiqued or distressed, hand-scraped, scratched, dinged, or rendered with nail holes. With a width of about six inches, on up to 7 3/4 inches, vinyl flooring planks usually run between 36 and 48 inches long.

Cost & Maintenance of Luxury Vinyl Plank Floors

Being typically five to 10 times more costly than vinyl planks, vinyl plank flooring won’t cost you nearly as much as genuine wood flooring. Pretty comparable to porcelain or ceramic tile are material costs for this type of flooring, however, with tile, you also have to consider the cost of additional materials, like thinset and grout, as well as tile-specific tools. Additionally, ceramic tile is much more labor-intensive. One of the easiest floors to maintain is luxury vinyl plank flooring. All that’s needed is just some simple daily sweeping and weekly damp mopping. As that pressure could drive moisture through the seams and into the wooden subfloor, you need to avoid using a steam cleaner on them.

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If you are considering luxury vinyl plank floors, contact Mike’s Custom Flooring and let us ensure quality installation.