In the world of music, vinyl has old school charm. In the world of flooring, memories of vinyl sheet goods (or linoleum), are not quite nostalgic… Lino was a good affordable floor twenty years ago, but is now considered kitsch and has an unsavory, plastic look to it.
But about 4 years ago the flooring industry reinvented and perfected Vinyl, calling it ‘Luxury Vinyl.’ Most commonly called LVT or LVP, ‘luxury vinyl tile’ and ‘luxury vinyl plank,’ it is vinyl, but reinvented.
The Latest Innovation in Flooring
Aesthetically, Luxury Vinyl is more like laminate than linoleum, in that it mimics. LVP mimics the appearance of hardwood and LVT mimics the appearance of stone. You know what, on second thought maybe ‘mimic’ isn’t the right word—it kind of implies copying, but falling short… ‘Emulates’ is a better word, since LVT and LVP so closely achieve their desired look. State-of-the-art embossing methods used by manufacturers accurately recreate unique wood grain and stone patterns, as well as – and this is what is especially impressive about Luxury Vinyl – the texture of hardwood or tile. It’s difficult to show in a photo, but the surface of higher quality Luxury Vinyl has a three dimensional texture just like hardwood and tile.
Performance & Durability
What really makes it special though, is its performance. It is extremely durable, waterproof and does not create much of a mess during installation. LVT and LVP is a very hard product. It is harder than hardwood, so even the largest dogs are hard-pressed to claw it up. Luxury Vinyl is also completely waterproof. Whereas most floor coverings are quite susceptible to water damage, LVT and LVP do not absorb water and so cannot warp or delaminate. In terms of installation, Luxury Vinyl is typically a click together, floating-floor, so installation is simple, quick and does not create much of a mess.
The fact that Luxury Vinyl is superbly durable, waterproof and comes as a floating floor makes it a very versatile floor covering option. Its durability and impermeability make it well suited to kitchens, entry ways, bathrooms and utility rooms; not to mention family homes, which see more than their share of wear. As a floating floor, Luxury Vinyl can be installed over concrete subfloors like those found in basements, condos and apartments. All of these applications are quite practical… but nowadays we see plenty of homeowners opting for Luxury Vinyl over more traditional floors—it performs so well and it is not lacking in the style department. For example, homeowner’s often put glue-down LVT in their kitchens instead of ceramic because it is warmer, softer and can be grouted, keeping the appearance of ceramic convincing.
Conclusion
Floorscapes carries all of the major Luxury Vinyl brands and lines from well-respected manufacturers. If you have any questions about Luxury Vinyl, room suitability or design, send us an email or give us a call. Better yet, if you live in Calgary and you’re in the flooring market, stop by our showroom at 525 58th Aveue SE. The Floorscapes team has as much experience as we do passion: combined, we have over 150 years in the world of Calgary flooring. We offer our knowledge, our expertise and our aesthetic sensibility in order to help you create a space that you will love.
Written by guest author Eric Osborne.
