Are vinyl floors harmful to health?
The manufacture of PVC products is associated with the existence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These, when released, can have a detrimental effect on people’s health.
Today the authorities and manufacturers are aware of this problem, and there are strict regulations on acceptable levels to avoid these harmful effects.
In addition, the brands are committed to solutions with which to ensure that these substances remain inside the floor and do not spread to the environment. Some even make significant investments in research and innovation to reduce and avoid using plasticisers, such as phthalates, in the vinyl production process.
Maintenance
Few flooring options offer such low maintenance. We only have to worry about cleaning on a day-to-day basis.
Regarding the effect sunlight can have on the durability of the design or drawing, the usual recommendation is to avoid areas of excessive exposure. If this is not possible, or as usually happens, this problem is not considered at the time of installation; it is recommended to use curtains or blinds.
Cleaning
Regularly sweeping or mopping and occasionally using a mop will be more than enough. We should not worry, as happens with laminate floors, about using a little more water than it should. However, we should not turn our house into a swimming pool either. A frequent recommendation made by manufacturers is not to use steam cleaning machines.
small repairs
Some vinyl flooring manufacturers and brands offer kits for minor repairs. Scratches. If the damage is significant, we will have to consider whether to replace the part.
These repair kits are essentially small pieces of wax with which to fill in the small crack or scratch. They are purchased in packs with various colours and specifications on combining them to obtain the desired colour.
Office chairs and vinyl floors
Office chairs, due to continuous movement, can accelerate the deterioration of many types of floors. In this sense, vinyl is no exception. It is advisable to use chairs with soft wheels or a plastic mat.
Types of Vinyl Flooring
Not all vinyl flooring is the same. They come in different sizes, with varying systems of installation, and courses, with different compositions:
According to the Format
- In planks, tiles or tiles.
- Self-adhesive. Each piece is ready to be glued on any surface just by removing the protective paper.
- Click system. It is a similar format to wood laminate flooring in terms of size and installation process. The mechanical slats on the edges fit with each other.
- Cut or in the roll. This flexible format comes in large rolls, several meters wide. It is unrolled and cut to size, then fixed with adhesives.
According to its composition
- Not all vinyl flooring is created equal. There are significant differences. The first and most apparent is the number of components or layers used.
- On the one hand, we have homogeneous ones, where the same material makes up the entire floor. And on the other the heterogeneous, where there are several layers to achieve additional properties. The latter are the ones that are most in-demand today.
There is no industry standard regarding the number of layers and their composition. Nor should we make the mistake of thinking that more layers imply higher quality. A possible design would be:
- A protective layer against wear and scratches.
- The decorative layer of vinyl is printed with the design.
- Nucleus. Depending on the quality of the floor or the manufacturer’s objective, various materials can be used. PVC or WPC (composite of wood and fibres) are the most common. Recently, SPC, a high-density compound based on limestone, PVC and stabilisers, has been gaining ground. This is a much more stable and resistant support than the previous ones.
- Stabilising layer.
Additionally, a second protective layer can be added on top of the design, which can have filters for UV radiation. This stabilising base allows us to forget about using the insulation. The thicknesses are usually 4mm and 5mm.
Installation or Placement
Both in roll format, as in tiles or slats, the installation of vinyl floors is carried out on a pre-existing pavement. This must meet a series of primary and logical requirements:
- Do not have an excessive level of humidity, especially in cases of continuous and adhesive installation.
- The pavement on which our vinyl flooring will be installed must be perfectly level. If it is not, the usual thing is to resort to self-levelling pastes or mortars.
Fulfilling these requirements, the type of installation will largely depend on the format.
In floating installations, similar to those made with laminate flooring, no adhesives are used, and the pieces fit together using a click system. To cut the details to the appropriate measurements, a cutter will suffice in most cases.
Using supports to improve stability has meant that expansion joints are only necessary for massive installations (those exceeding 16 meters long by 12 meters wide). And that the perimeter separation, the one that will cover the skirting board or plinth, should not be greater than 0.5 cm. This does not happen in all cases and the same magnitudes, so it is always advisable to consult the manufacturer’s specifications.
It is also installed by fixing the existing pavement. Either by purchasing ready-to-glue self-adhesive vinyl flooring or using an adhesive, glue or glue. The first option, self-adhesive vinyl, is the favourite of many consumers due to its simplicity. For installation on some porous floors, for example, on marble or rustic stoneware, it will be convenient to use a primer.
Vinyl Flooring Price and Installation Costs
We come to one of the most common questions: how much does vinyl flooring cost? There is no completely satisfactory answer until we analyse each particular case.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the total bill will be made up of:
- Price of vinyl flooring. We will move at different prices according to the type of your vinyl floor. In roll it is cheaper, we can find them from €5 per square meter, even below. As for the tile format, we will hardly see something decent for less than €10. From there up what we want.
- Accessories: Glues, baseboards or skirting boards, profiles, expansions, transitions, blanket. This expense goes unnoticed a priori and can represent a considerable percentage of the total. The necessary elements and the amount of each depend primarily on the specific job.
- Installation cost. Here the variability can be significant. The price of vinyl flooring installation is set by the installer.
Sometimes we will find some companies that offer us a fixed price per meter. That is, they will not say, for example, €40 per m², and here the floor, accessories and installation are included.
Neither the price of the material nor the installation will be the same for a plank or roll format. With the latter, you can get much more competitive prices in both concepts. On the other hand, in tile format, the installation could be done by ourselves, which would imply significant savings. Another critical issue is the quality of the soil. Usually superior in the format of slats or tiles.
