They say that if something is around for long enough, it comes back into style. That seems to apply to flooring as well.
Many older Americans may remember vinyl flooring, the kind mom and pop had in the kitchen or the grandparents swore by for ease of care. The black and white, red and white or yellow and black checkered patterns or the plain Jane flooring that yelled “It’s the 60s and this is grooving.” The good news is that although vinyl is back, it is definitely not the same flooring grandma and grandpa had.
Technology has brought some remarkable advances,some of these have been in flooring, vinyl in particular. Rather than down-the-street café or diner flooring, the new offerings are luxury vinyl, more resilient and flashier than the flooring of years past.
While gran or mom had to wax the floors? No more. The latest in chic vinyl flooring has a no-wax surface. In order to clean up, just wipe it with a wet mop, and voila. This vinyl is also scratch and stain resistant and applying a specific coating material in heavy wear and tear areas spiffs it up nicely. Check with the manufacturer for the right flooring formulation.
Unlike old vinyl which did not hold up for very long, the new vinyl flooring is four-layered, making the flooring highly wear resistant and providing a much longer life span. Layer one is the top, also referred to as the wear layer.
Beneath that is the printed pattern layer, then an optional cushioning layer, which makes the floor even easier to walk on, and the base. Flooring like this has the pattern just on the printed layer, as opposed to inlaid vinyl flooring where the pattern is imprinted on every layer. Inlaid flooring does not have a wear layer and is more expensive.
Along with all the maintenance aspects of the new vinyl floors, there are aesthetic options including wood, marble, tile, brick and stone and in any color imaginable. Even if the budget is a bit tight, with the wide variety of textures, patterns and colors, this choice of flooring is a homeowner’s dream.
Today, there is a wide range of styles and colors to choose from that are uniquely suited to just about any room in any house. Stuck on a particular color for the kitchen? Want a certain kind or look or pattern? Well, vinyl is now printed using a process called rotogravue that rolls the design on the second layer of the flooring. It involves using a rotary press and photoengraved plates, meaning that it can imprint just about any design desired.
No matter what look a house is aspiring to, it is available with today’s vinyl flooring choices. If renovators just do the research before buying, the home renovation project will go well.
