When it comes to home upgrades and renovations that we’d recommend, floors are definitely up there. In general, we believe that you should never save money on beds, shoes, or floors as if you aren’t using one you’re using another. It’s generally a decent idea to spend a bit extra on things that you frequently use as the difference in quality there is generally quite stark. We recommend quality vinyl flooring as not only will it improve the quality of using the floors but it will also greatly extend their lifespans.
Luxury vinyl flooring isn’t cheap but we believe it’s well worth the cost considering how large the difference is between it and cheaper flooring options. We’ll go a bit more into detail about it in this text so that you can more easily decide if you want to make the purchase or not.
Luxury vinyl flooring, also known as LVF or luxury vinyl plank (LVP), is a versatile and durable flooring option that has gained popularity in recent years. The purpose of it is to mimic more expensive or fancy materials such as hardwood, stone, and tile. It is made from multiple layers of vinyl and is finished with a high-resolution photograph of the desired natural material. The result is a floor that looks almost identical to the real thing but at a fraction of the cost. It also allows you to get the feel of certain materials in places where they aren’t practical, as, for example, stone isn’t easy to integrate into many places.
One of the main advantages of luxury vinyl flooring is its durability. It is made from a strong and resilient material that can withstand a lot of wear. It is of course made to endure lots of heavy traffic by foot through that area but it’s also quite resistant to dents and scratches which would otherwise be permanent damage in some other types of flooring. It has good water resistance, making it a great option for areas of the home that are prone to spills and moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchens. It’s also quite easy to clean and maintain. A simple sweep or vacuum is all that is needed to keep it looking like new.
The main benefit that it provides is incredible versatility when it comes to the looks and feels it can emulate. Most often people opt for hardwood as it’s a material that can fit into almost any kind of room and looks quite beautiful. You can easily emulate the looks of it while also retaining all of the durability that vinyl flooring offers. Of course, if you want stone or tiles vinyl can do that too. If you want some weird thing that doesn’t exist anywhere else, well that’s an option too. If you can think of it then it can be done.
When it comes to installation, luxury vinyl flooring is relatively easy to install. It can be installed as a floating floor, which means it does not need to be glued or nailed down. Instead, the planks are locked together and then laid on top of foam or cork. You may be wondering what the point of that is. Well, it’s made in such a way that you can easily replace individual parts of the floor if they are damaged without needing to strip the whole room and redo it all. This means that not only is it resistant to damage but even if it is damaged it’s relatively inexpensive to replace that area and make it good as new.
Vinyl definitely has an insane amount of upsides and the only real downside is the fact that at the end of the day even if it may emulate all kinds of materials it will never truly be something like hardwood or stone. Regardless, we firmly believe it’s one of the best flooring options out there and is perfect if you’re on a budget but still wish to have something that looks very nice. As with anything it has its place and uses, but considering how versatile it is we think it may have more uses than most other options so definitely consider using it if you wish to refloor some rooms.
