Vinyl plank flooring is a popular choice for both residential and commercial properties because it is waterproof, incredibly durable, and designed to offer the look of natural wood at a fraction of the cost.
Durable – Floating vinyl plank flooring comes in thickness sizes of up to 6mm. Because of their thickness, these planks can last for years and still retain their stability and noise-reducing quality.
Floating floors are designed to freely move in the room as a whole and should never be glued down or nailed to the subfloor.
Hard Set — Similar to a broadloom carpet adhesive, a hard set adhesive spreads along the subfloor — which in turn holds the vinyl flooring firmly in place.
Most floating floors are eco-friendly, simply because it uses less wood and some are made of entirely eco-friendly materials. It can also be easily placed over existing flooring or a variety of different materials and is highly flexible.
Underlayment for laminate flooring is a must. Since laminate is a floating floor, it must be evenly distributed across your subfloor. Underlayment is what allows the floor to float, gives it stability, support, noise reduction, and supports the locking systems in between planks to assure the sturdiest flooring project.
Any new laminate floor product, including Swiss Krono, needs to sit in your house for at least 48 hours in the room it will be installed in order to acclimate or to become accustomed to a new climate or conditions.
Floating floors should not bounce unless there are some underlying problems. Many factors like uneven substrate, water, moisture damage, wood floor structure damage, inadequate expansion gaps, and lack of proper acclimatization may cause a bounce in floating floors.
Because the materials simply lay on the subfloor and are rather thin, floating floors typically feel somewhat hollow and are sometimes loud underfoot—especially laminates. This problem can be minimized by installation of a good-quality foam underlayment.
Vinyl has a longer lifespan and better overall durability than laminate. Don't forget to factor in your budget, however. Vinyl flooring may be more expensive than laminate flooring, especially if you choose luxury vinyl flooring.
Vinyl stands up the best against excess moisture and spills, and it can be less expensive than laminate. However, laminate gives a more realistic wood look to enhance the design aesthetic in your home.
Vinyl plank flooring is versatile and all, but it will never be real wood. Despite vinyl's popularity, hardwood is still the most popular and desirable flooring type. If you're looking to change the floors to increase your home's resale value, investing in vinyl might not be worth it.
If you have pets and kids causing a ruckus in the house, vinyl does not scratch easily, chip or suffer any kind of major damage that is going to make it look bad. Cleaning and maintenance of vinyl plank flooring is easy. Sweeping or vacuuming is all that's needed for daily maintenance.
Glue-down floors are better for rooms with heavy load and foot traffic because they're more stable. On the other hand, floating floors have more room for warping and buckling that are triggered by changing temperature and moisture levels in the room.
Porcelain and ceramic are some of the longest lasting flooring materials available, and they require little maintenance. Tile flooring is also moisture resistant, making it the perfect choice for areas where spills are common like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
If furniture must be moved within a room, do not drag it across the floor. Dragging heavy furniture across floating laminate flooring can seriously damage, or even rip apart, the laminate boards. If furniture that is too heavy to carry must be moved, load it onto a dolly and slowly push it across the floor.
A laminate floor that feels spongy can be caused by any of these 5 conditions: an uneven sub-floor, an underlayment issue, an expansion gap issue, water damage, or termite damage. While some of them can be addressed easily, you may still need to hire professionals to help you out.
One of the main reasons why floating floors like laminate may bounce is because of temperature and moisture issues. If there are water or roof leaks in the room where the laminate flooring was installed, make sure to solve it immediately before it causes more damage to the floors or the home.
Putting a refrigerator on a floating floor is a little risky but not impossible. As much as possible, ensure that the floor does not come in direct contact with the walls or cabinets in the kitchen so that it has plenty of room to shift in any direction without creating problematic lumps.
As long as you address the overriding concern of moisture, you can install laminate flooring in the kitchen. If you want to eliminate worries about moisture, install sheet vinyl or luxury vinyl plank (LVP).
Laminate flooring can be installed over concrete, wood or carpet subfloor or other surfaces. Installation of good quality underlayment is highly recommended. Installing underlayment is easy but it has to be done precise to avoid any tears.
Any type of flooring can benefit from an underlayment — even luxury vinyl tile. This holds true no matter what type of subfloor it will be installed on, including concrete, wood flooring, or any other type of flooring. Underlayment can improve the vinyl tile's ability to absorb sound.
For vinyl flooring installations over wood subfloors, you will not need to worry about a moisture barrier, but you may want an underlayment for added cushion or sound reduction. It may also be a requirement in certain HOA or apartment complexes to have a sound barrier with your flooring.
Underlayment: Some types of flooring can be installed directly on top of the subfloor, such as vinyl flooring. Other types need a middle layer, called underlayment, such as laminate,carpet and tile.