How to Transition Seamlessly Between LVT and Other Flooring Types

 LVT Flooring is a popular hard surface flooring choice with a wide range of styles and visual looks to mimic traditional hardwood or stone floors. It has grown in popularity for its durability, performance, low maintenance, ease of installation and lower lifecycle cost when compared to other natural flooring options. New technologies have also made it possible to design this flooring with texture and appearances that closely resemble many natural flooring choices.

Type of flooring

If you’re considering this type of flooring for your home or business, it is important to understand how the product is made and how it compares to other hard flooring options. LVT is not a cheap flooring option but it can provide long-lasting quality and beauty with minimal upkeep requirements.

What is Luxury Vinyl Tile?

While this flooring isn’t a perfect option for every application, it is a great choice for high traffic areas such as hallways and foyers where people are removing their shoes and tracking in dirt. It’s also a smart option for bathrooms and kitchens that have a lot of moisture, as the flooring is water-resistant and designed to keep its shape even under these conditions.

Manufacturing process of this flooring

The manufacturing process of this flooring uses a number of layers to create a product that is durable and visually appealing. The first layer is a base made of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which provides the strength and foundation for the other layers. Depending on the brand, this layer can vary in thickness, with more rigid and thicker products usually having a stronger core.

Layer can be printed with a protective coating

The next layer is an HD photographic image layer that replicates the look and feel of natural wood, stone or fabric, with some products being nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Various textures can be used on this layer, along with a variety of gloss levels to help reduce glare and make the floor easy to clean. This layer can be printed with a protective coating to prevent damage from scuffing and scratches.

Stability layer is then bonded to the image layer

A stability layer is then bonded to the image layer with heat and pressure. This helps to create a stable, flat floor and allows for the addition of an acoustic layer if desired. There are both glue-down and click-together versions of this flooring available, with the latter being easier to install and remove if needed.

LVT can be found in a wide variety of colors

LVT Flooring  can be found in a wide variety of colors, sizes and patterns, with the style of each product being determined by how it is constructed and its intended use. It is also being manufactured more sustainably with fewer raw materials like phthalates that are known to have health concerns. Most responsible manufacturers like TileBar will be using phthalate-free materials that meet FloorScore IAQ standards for low VOCs.

Conclusion

While this flooring is a great option for most applications, it’s important to consider how it will impact the value of your home when deciding whether to use it or not. This type of flooring won’t add to the resale value of your home and may actually detract from it.