Pros and Cons of Vinyl Flooring

By Sandy

Posted on Friday, November 24, 2017 8:42 AM

Pros and Cons of Vinyl Flooring 

updated Febuary 7, 2019

The entire vinyl flooring has been transformed as luxury vinyl products have hit the market with incredible performance features such as waterproofing, ease of installation plus high design and fashion. But let's not forget traditional sheet which vinyl has benefitted from those same advances.

Pros

Performance

Vinyl is  king when it comes to performance, especially in areas where moisture is present. Advanced wear layers can stand up to scuffs, stains, fading, wear, dents – vinyl can stand up to it all. 

When it comes to performance, vinyl is hard to beat.

Waterproof

Waterproof flooring has become a hot button lately and vinyl is the newest thing in waterproof flooring. While it may not always stand up to flooding, surface spills, even ones that sit for a long while, are usually no problem for vinyl flooring. That's why many of these floors also offer warrantied protection against pet accidents. 

 LVT is perfect for "wet" areas of your home. Shown Armstrong LVT.

 CoreTec is the original waterproof luxury vinyl floor. 

Installation

Upgrades like luxury vinyl, offer several installation options including click installation systems making it suitable for so many settings and make it a DIY favorite. 

 A DIY favorite 

Style and Design

Vinyl flooring, especially luxury vinyl, has also made significant improvements in styling and design. As a result, vinyl is finding its way out of the kitchen and bath and into signature rooms of the home. People are finding that vinyl's combination of realistic visuals and performance make it a great option for family rooms and even nurseries.

 Realistic wood visuals are just part of LVT's style and design story. 

Price

Vinyl offers many low priced options, including sheet vinyl and VCT (vinyl composition tile) that can still meet the demands of a busy household and are proven winners.

Easy to Clean

Advanced wear layers make vinyl flooring easy to clean -- mop, sweep, Swiffer, anything you like. One caveat -- don't use abrasive chemical cleaners. Otherwise, easy peasy. 

Cons

PVC

The same feature that gives vinyl flooring its incredible performance may also be viewed as a drawback by some -- PVC. In the past, there have been concerns about additives such a phthalates, but most vinyl flooring manufacturers have removed these from their flooring products. Look for FloorScore certification to ensure your floor is safe.

Tear and Gouge

Sheet vinyl in particular has a tendency to tear, especially when heavy kitchen appliances are dragged across the floor. Be careful. 

Price

While vinyl is a great value floor, today's luxury vinyls can get quite expensive. Don't be surprised you find an inexpensive engineered wood floor (definitely not recommended) at a similar price to luxury vinyl's upper end price range. 

- Sandy