There’s no doubt about it, vinyl flooring is becoming increasingly popular in our homes; either as sheet form or as a LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles). It’s no surprise, vinyl flooring is relatively cheap compared to other flooring solutions and can create a realistic effect. However, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily appropriate for every single room in your home – there’s some cases where other types of flooring will be a better choice. 

Available in a plethora of styles and colours, finding vinyl flooring that’s suitable is easier than ever. Plus, vinyl is easier than most other types of flooring to install. Vinyl tiles, such as the range of LVT’s at Flooring Direct, are easy enough to install even for your average DIYer. We’d recommend leaving sheet vinyl to the professionals, as it’s easy to go wrong. Still, labour costs will be much less than they would if you were tiling or fitting laminate flooring.

Before you make your decision on which type of flooring to choose for your home, it’s a good idea to look at some of the pro’s and con’s of vinyl flooring so you know what you’re dealing with and you know what to expect. We’ll discuss what you need to take into consideration before committing to a certain floor type.

So, what are the pro’s of vinyl flooring?

· It’s is undoubtedly the easiest type of flooring to maintain and clean. Since it’s fully waterproof, the floor just needs to be cleaned with a mop – no worrying about warping or expanding like wooden floor.

· It’s is extremely durable. With a hard-wearing top layer, vinyl is resistant to scratches and wear – making it suitable for family homes with children or pets.

· It features an anti-slip surface. This makes it a safer choice for children and pets as other types of flooring can become slippery, especially when wet.

· It’s excellent value for money. Compared to the types of flooring that vinyl mimics, it’s usually cheaper per square metre – plus it’s often cheaper to install!

· It provides more comfort to walk on. Vinyl has sponge-like qualities to it thanks to the felt backing, which makes the surface softer to walk on than that of tiles or wood, and also makes easy work of absorbing sound.

Surely, there must be some con’s?

· It will show imperfections from the underneath. Whilst vinyl flooring is relatively easy to install, the subfloor must be in excellent condition to get a good finish. This can often involve a lot of work if your subfloors are in bad condition of are uneven.

· Can be damaged. We know that vinyl is just about the most robust flooring out there, but since it’s soft compared to other flooring, it can be damaged by the likes of dropping a knife in the kitchen or dragging furniture over the surface.

Made up your mind?

We hope we’ve provided enough information to help you make up your mind, but ultimately the decision will be different for each of you. For some, the excellent value, durability and low maintenance will be enough to persuade you into kitting out certain rooms with vinyl. For others, they might be looking for flooring that will instead add value to their home.