Benefits Of Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Flooring

Luxury vinyl tile is a versatile flooring choice usually made from multiple layers of PVC vinyl, making it ideal for areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and other commercial uses.

Advantages of LVT Flooring

Realistic designs and textures

One of the benefits of LVT flooring is that it comes in realistic plank, herringbone and tile formats in a wide choice of designs that appeal to your own tastes and trends.

LVT has the benefit of being able to combine high performance with designs that mirror the look of natural stone, woodgrains and patterned tiles. Luxury vinyl tile from ranges like Malmo Senses features registered embossed technology which can realistically replicate the look and feel of real wood because the surface texture is printed with the visual pattern of the wood grain.

Easy Installation

A benefit of LVT flooring is how much faster and easier it is to install when compared to natural stone and wood.

Stickdown and rigid click are the two types of LVT flooring products that are installed through different methods. Stickdown is glued to the subfloor whereas the rigid click system is laid and locked into place. The choice of methods allows for flexibility in domestic and commercial applications.

Both installation systems are easy to fit without the need for power tools and the flooring is easily cut to size with a Stanley knife or similar hand tool. This also makes it a straightforward and environmentally safe product to install with no dust or chemical particles to worry about.

Unique Properties

There are many other benefits of LVT flooring, namely its waterproof properties and the fact that it is both warmer and softer than regular tiles and laminate. Yet another of the advantages of LVT flooring is that it is supplied in packs of planks or tiles that are lightweight and easy to handle and transport.

LVT flooring delivers stylish, long-lasting looks with far easier cleaning and none of the ongoing maintenance issues of real wood flooring. Luxury vinyl tile ultimately offers a wide design scope for any room within the home as well as a range of commercial applications.

How To Lay LVT Flooring

If you opt for the rigid click flooring product, here are our expert tips on how to lay LVT flooring:

1. Always allow 48 hours for the LVT product to acclimatise in the room where it will be installed. Store the packs flat.
2. Take the appropriate time to prepare the subfloor ensuring it is levelled. Use a good quality levelling compound with a maximum 2mm variation over a 2m x 2m space.
3. Remember that expansion gaps of 6mm are required around the perimeter of the room and any fixed object.
4. When installed over underfloor heating, expansion gaps should be 10mm and the surface temperature not be allowed to exceed 27’C.
5. Install a door profile in every doorway.
6. The maximum area of coverage without an expansion break is 10m x 10m.
7. Heavy furniture, such as kitchen furniture, cannot be installed over a rigid click LVT floor.

The secret to any successful flooring installation is to ensure the correct products and installation method is used for the application, so take the time to learn about the product you are installing and don’t assume they are the same — this avoids simple mistakes becoming big problems down the line.

For more flooring options take a look at our website or head over to our blog for more flooring inspiration, advice and ideas.