Finding the right vinyl flooring

There’s a reason vinyl flooring is one of the most popular choices for homes and offices, as you’ll see in our discussion of the various types of vinyl flooring. It’s not only flexible and versatile, coming in a wide variety of styles and colors, but it also provides added value and cost efficiency.

In addition, there are numerous other benefits. These include:
1. Vinyl is the most affordable option of all flooring options, as Consumer Reports indicates in their vinyl flooring buying guide, which means you can save money for other home improvements.

2. Vinyl is durable so you won’t need to worry anytime you have more than a few people in the same room.

3. It’s good for noise reduction, making it a smart choice for busy areas. If you’ve ever been in a room where it seemed every noise was magnified, you’ll appreciate the difference a vinyl floor can make.

4. It’s long-lived, so while you can update the look anytime you choose, you’ll never be forced into replacing your vinyl flooring simply because you’ve had it for several years. You can wait until you want a new look for your residence or business before deciding to replace the flooring you’ve chosen.

5. Vinyl flooring is easy to keep clean, which is always an advantage for busy people!

Probably the most difficult part in making your choice is deciding whether you want a vinyl plank floor, vinyl tile or vinyl sheet flooring. Each has its own advantages.

• Vinyl plank flooring is an affordable way to get the look of hardwood, and luxury vinyl planks can provide an impressive variety of choices depending on the style of your home. With a lower cost than actual hardwood, even if you choose luxury plank vinyl, this durable flooring can be installed directly above the sub floor. Take a look at our top five recommendations for your vinyl plank floor.
• Vinyl tile flooring lets you choose how you want any area to appear, whether that means resembling the grandeur of a marble floor or the informality of classical tiles. It’s important to remember that moisture left untreated may cause vinyl tiles to buckle, so make sure to wipe up spills before that can happen. Fortunately, it’s easy to replace a few tiles if they are affected.
• Vinyl sheet flooring is created especially for bathrooms, laundry rooms, or any other area of your home or business that routinely encounters a great deal of moisture. While it costs more than the other types, the fact that it comes in widths ranging from 6 to 12 feet makes it easy to cover the entire surface of your floor smoothly and seamlessly.

You’ll also want to choose the right wear layer finish for your new floor:

• Grade 1 is the thickest, making it ideal for areas with heavy traffic. It’s your best option for a busy family room, eat-in kitchen, hallway, lobby or reception area.
• Grade 2 is in the middle of the sealant-layer thickness choices. Think of it for areas that get some activity, but not constant movement.
• Grade 3 is for low-traffic areas that aren’t used frequently such as a spare bedroom, a guest closet, or a private study.

Regardless of which brand you choose, you’ll want to keep it looking as good as it did on the day of your vinyl flooring installation. That involves a few simple steps:
1. Avoid unnecessary dirt getting tracked onto your floors by placing good quality floor mats at every entrance from the outside. Not just your front door, but also any that open onto patios or balconies as well as a back or side yard.

2. Take precautions when moving furniture. You won’t need to worry about that when Express Flooring handles your installation, because our professionals are well experienced in moving all types of furniture out of the way and back when your flooring is complete. But if you acquire a new table or cabinet later, make sure to cover the area it’ll be moved across with sheets of plywood to protect your floor.

3. Whether you’ve chosen Mannington vinyl plank flooring, Mohawk vinyl flooring, Shaw vinyl flooring or one of our many other brands, make sure to sweep, dry-mop or vacuum your floor periodically. This will remove any dirt, hair and dust that tends to linger under cabinets and other furniture.

4. When mopping the floor, aim for damp rather than wet, and dry it when you’re finished. Apple cider vinegar in a gallon of warm water will help remove dirt without leaving any soapy residue on the floor. For a particularly dirty floor, add a few drops of dish-washing liquid and then remove any remaining traces of soap by mopping again with the vinegar-water mixture. If you’d like to add an extra shine to your vinyl flooring, add a few drops of baby oil to the water when you damp-mop.

5. Don’t let moisture build up, even on vinyl basement flooring or vinyl garage flooring. Wipe up spills rather than leaving them to dry on their own, because accumulated moisture below the floor can cause vinyl to buckle around the edges. Fortunately, in most parts of Arizona wet weather is a rare occurrence so just watch for bathwater splashing on a vinyl floor in the bathroom or over-watered plants that stand on your living room or office floor.

6. To keep the vinyl from looking dull, never use cleaners with high pH levels or abrasive scrubbers. Use a soft bristle brush rather than steel wool or a hard bristle brush for cleaning. To take care of stains, a towel with jojoba oil works well for rubbing the area.

Depending on the stain, try using:

• Mineral spirits for paint or crayon marks.
• Nail polish remover for nail polish stains.
• Baking soda and water as a paste for ketchup or juice.
• Rubbing alcohol for ink, dye or lipstick stains.
• Once you’ve finished treating the stain, clean the area with a soft cloth and plain water.

7. To avoid damaging your floors, never use the beater bar attachment on your vacuum. Make sure, too, not to use rolling casters under heavy furniture because those can leave track marks.

8. Don’t use wax to polish your floor. There are commercial polishes created just for vinyl flooring which can be used periodically, or you can always call a professional cleaning service if the floor has begun looking dull. Otherwise, routine maintenance like the steps shown here will be enough to keep your vinyl floor looking great for years to come.