Affordable floors are about more than buying the cheapest around. For something to be good value, it has to look good and really last. Long thought of as the cheapest option, vinyl flooring no longer looks like a poor imitation of the hard flooring you long for. Available in a huge choice of colours and finishes, vinyl cheap flooring has had a makeover, becoming as well known for its flexibility as its low price.
Thanks to the latest digital printing techniques, vinyl floors have progressed hugely over the last decade. Big international brands like Karndean and Amtico offer a range of vinyl floor tiles that install seamlessly and create realistic hard-floor finishes without their drawbacks.
Sheet Cheats
For a professional and seamless finish, sheet vinyl is a great option if you want a quick installation. Sheet vinyl is typically cheaper than vinyl tile or a plank-style vinyl timber floor so is a great option if you are on a tight budget and have a large area to cover. A professional installation team floors a room in a single piece of sheet vinyl, completely protecting the structure below the floor from moisture damage.
With one of its key benefits being reliant on good installation, installing sheet vinyl flooring is not a task for amateurs. Success relies on precise measurements, great planning and accurate cutting. Even small errors can involve high wastage and cost. Unfortunately, if part of the floor is damaged, the entire sheet will need to be replaced, or a patch repair done, which can be difficult to colour and pattern match.
Terrific Tiling
If a vinyl tile becomes stained or damaged, it can be quickly lifted and replaced. If you have ever tried to repair a cracked floor tile or warped floorboard, this is a massive bonus, especially for commercial vinyl floors, where it can be a challenge to carry out repairs.
As with carpet tiles, vinyl tiles put you in charge of your design, as you can cut them and order them to create as complex a scheme as you like. If you are hoping to mimic a stone or ceramic floor with vinyl, you can even buy tiles that appear to have grout in the gaps for a realistic look, but without unforgiving real tile underfoot.
Although vinyl tiles have moved on massively in recent years, the finished floor doesn’t always look as good put together, on a large scale, as it did tile-by-tile in the show room. A classic issue for home installers, for example, is putting vinyl timber flooring planks with identical print patterns next to each other, ruining the natural timber effect. If you’re DIYing your tile floor installation, then do be aware of the repetition issue.
Still can’t choose? Why not come into our Bayswater or Blackburn showrooms and look at the fantastic range of tile and sheet vinyl we have in stock. Our expert staff will be happy to help you choose the best floor to suit your needs and budget.
