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Resilient Flooring.jpg) Resilient flooring offers great choices for cost-effective, easy-to-maintain floors. Unlike old-fashioned linoleum or vinyl flooring, today's resilient flooring is a highly engineered combination of polymer materials. This combination enables a wide variety of flooring colors, designs, textures and sizes. From florals, and decoratives to geometrics and naturals, from 16"x16" tiles to 12' sheet goods, there are hundreds of choices to enhance the look of your room. Versatile, durable, easy to care for, and available in an unparalleled selection of colors and styles, no other flooring product offers you so many options. More comfortable underfoot and warmer to the touch than ceramic or wood and with an endless rainbow of colors and designs to choose from, resilient flooring lets you imagine, plan and create the room of your dreams. Finding the perfect floor is easy with resilient flooring. Whether your decorating style is contemporary, country or traditional, you're sure to find a pattern and color that complements your decorating style.
1. Vinyl Sheet | Vinyl sheet is a layered construction sold in 6' and 12' widths. There are two types of construction, typically described by the type of backing:
Felt represents over 90% of vinyl sheet floors sold today.
Fiberglass is a newer construction format. Fiberglass is the "cushiest" form of vinyl flooring and offers the most installation options. The uppermost layers for both types are identical: A) Protective top coat: Urethane or other high-performance top coats which make the product easy to clean and resist scratches and scuffs.
B) Protective clear vinyl layer: Adds durability and helps protect against rips, tears and gouges. The thicker this layer, the better the performance. The flooring's appearance retention and general durability is largely dependent on the quality and thickness of the clear wear layer.
C) Printed vinyl design layer: The rotogravure printing process offers an unlimited range of patterns and designs, including very realistic interpretations of natural materials.
The bottom layers for both constructions differ: D) Felt: Felt bottom layer that adheres to the subfloor.
D) Fiberglass: A fiberglass structural layer makes the product more dimensionally stable (will not curl, allows it to lay flat, and install without glue). A cushiony vinyl backing provides added underfoot comfort. Keep In Mind:
The type of backing determines how it can be installed | 
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Where Can I Use Vinyl Sheet?
Vinyl can be used anywhere in your home. It's a good choice for high traffic areas such as playrooms, and wet areas including bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. It can be installed below grade level, making it a good choice for basements. Keep In Mind: Although vinyl is waterproof, the installation adhesive is water-soluble. Do not over-expose vinyl floors to water around the perimeter or near any seams. Thicker is better! If you plan to install vinyl flooring in a high traffic area or in a primary bathroom, or if the floor needs to withstand wear from children and pets, choose a thicker vinyl with a urethane or enhanced urethane wear layer. Avoid using vinyl sheet on stairs, as it is meant for flat, level surfaces.
Lifestyle/Performance Durability & Life Expectancy A properly installed and maintained, high quality vinyl floor can last 20 to 30 years. Recent improvements in wear layers have enhanced vinyl's resistance to stains, scratches, moisture and fading. Because the 12' width allows for fewer or even no seams, vinyl floors reduce or eliminate places where dirt or moisture can accumulate. Vinyl's surface is waterproof for worry-free living, even when spills are not wiped up immediately. Because of all of these benefits, vinyl sheet is one of the best choices for high traffic areas, or households with active children or pets. Keep in mind: Typical Warranties Five to 20 year range, depending on quality, against rips tear, gouges and stains. Better quality floors carry a lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects and wear-through. Lower end products may warrant for fewer years and/or just certain aspects. Care & Maintenance Vinyl is the original, and still the best, easy care resilient flooring! Vinyl never needs waxing, buffing or polishing. Simply sweep as needed and mop occasionally with a vinyl floor cleaner. Remember to use protectors on the bottoms of chair and table legs. Liquids pool on the surface, making clean-up easy. Because vinyl is waterproof and stain resistant, clean-ups can wait until you're ready to mop them up. Installation Options Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5: 1 is easiest)
4: Felt traditional full spread or perimeter bond method
4: Fiberglass full spread method
3: Fiberglass loose-lay or modified loose-lay method The biggest installation challenge is cutting the vinyl sheet to size. Vinyl is bulky, heavy and awkward to work with. If this is a DIY project, look for kits that will help you create a pattern and cut the vinyl properly.
Subfloors must be smooth, flat and dry prior to the floor's installation. Vinyl can install over concrete, hardwood, plywood, or an existing resilient floor, as long as the subfloor surface is correctly prepared. You may need to use an embossing leveler to smooth textured surfaces, fill in grooves or patch irregularities. Installation methods vary with floor construction.
Felt: These floors install with full spread (adhesive spread over the entire subfloor), or, perimeter adhesive (adhesive around the outside edges) methods.
Fiberglass: These floors can be adhered via loose lay (no adhesive), modified loose lay (adhered to the subfloor in a few strategic spots such as under heavy appliances with double-sided tape or adhesive), or, they can be adhered via full spread (adhesive spread over the entire subfloor) methods. Keep In Mind: Full-spread or perimeter installation (felt or fiberglass ) is more durable than loose lay or modified loose lay (fiberglass). However, this method is more permanent and is difficult to remove if you decide to remove the floor at some point in time. Fiberglass floors are more flexible and can be more "forgiving" to minor subfloor imperfections than felt construction. Fiberglass loose laid floors can buckle with temperature and humidity fluctuations if not installed correctly. Leave a 3/16" to 1/4" space around the perimeter to allow for subfloor movement. Always use the brand of adhesive recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, you may nullify the warranty. An experienced DIYer can successfully seal a vinyl floor seam. If in doubt, this is best left to a professional.
Advantages and Considerations of Vinyl Sheet Advantages: Broadest Range of Colors and Designs
If you want to mimic the look and texture of natural materials such as hardwood, stone or ceramic, or if you prefer a visual that's only possible with modern print technology, vinyl flooring offers you the widest array of designs and colors in any one flooring category.
Underfoot Comfort and Resilience
Vinyl is easier to stand on for long periods of time, compared with other hard surface flooring. Its resiliency is more forgiving on dropped glasses or other objects. Vinyl's cushy construction is toddler-friendly and easier on elderly joints, too.
Water Resistant
Vinyl sheet doesn't absorb liquids, so it's suitable for any room of the house, especially bathrooms and kitchens. It also has fewer seams than vinyl tile, for less places water or dirt can accumulate.
Considerations: Will Not Increase Home's Value
Vinyl sheet is less likely than natural flooring products to enhance the monetary value of your home. Easier to Rip or Gouge
Thinner vinyl is more susceptible to gouging and other durability problems. For high-traffic areas, it's best to install thicker and higher quality vinyl. Not as DIY-Friendly as Other Flooring (laminate, glueless vinyl tile)
For DIYers, vinyl sheet is not too complicated to install, but it does require precision and preparation. The subfloor must be prepped to be smooth, flat and dry before the floor goes down. After the floor is laid, sealing the seams can be difficult. When a seam is required, installation is best left to a professional. Must Allow for Expansion and Contraction
Subfloors shrink and expand with temperature and humidity fluctuations.
2. Vinyl Tile | Vinyl tile is a composite, layered construction consisting of: A) Protective wear layer: Urethane and other high-performance wear layers make the product easy to clean and resist scratches and scuffs. Enhanced urethane offers the maximum amount of protection and is priced above regular urethane.
Less expensive vinyl no-wax tile does not have this protective wear layer. B) Protective clear film layer: This film adds durability and helps protects against rips, tears and gouges. C) Printed design layer: On this layer, a rotogravure printing process creates the myriad of designs available in vinyl tile. The visuals range from very realistic interpretations of natural materials to original and unique patterns. D) Vinyl tile backing: This bottom-most layer adds structural strength and durability. Generally the thicker the backing, the more durable the product. Vinyl tiles come in several qualities, from inexpensive "peel and stick" to luxury vinyl tiles. Luxury tiles, like Congoleum's DuraceramicTM and Mannington's AduraTM have excellent durability and have edges that are milled precisely enough to allow installation without any gaps between the tiles. To add to the realism of the designs, both DuraCeramicTM and AduraTM can be grouted to give the look of a ceramic tile, while still being warmer and softer than ceramic. | 
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Where Can I Use Vinyl Tile? Vinyl tile can be used anywhere in your home, including below grade level bathrooms and basements. It is a good choice for areas where you want a combination of economical performance and design. Vinyl tile has many of the benefits of vinyl sheet, but inexpensive "peel and stick" tiles have seams where dirt and moisture can accumulate. For these tiles, take extra care in bathroom installations to promptly wipe up moisture and pooling water, which might soak into the seams and damage the floor substrate. Like sheet vinyl, vinyl tile should not be used on stairs Durability & Life Expectancy Vinyl tile should last five to 20 years, depending on the quality of the tile and the level of care it receives. Congoleum's DuraceramicTM has a lifetime wear warranty. Tile with a urethane or enhanced urethane wear layer is more durable and will last longer than a vinyl no-wax tile. The tile thickness is also a factor – the thicker, the more durable the tile. Keep In Mind: Typical Warranties Five year to lifetime warranties. Care & Maintenance Caring for a vinyl tile floor is simple: regular sweeping and occasional mopping with a cleaner recommended by the tile manufacturer will keep your tile looking beautiful. Remember to use protectors on the bottoms of chair and table legs. It's important to follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions: mopping with too much water can soak the tile and loosen the adhesive; abrasive cleaners can harm the tile's surface; waxing will damage vinyl tile's wear layer; some cleaners may actually dull the tile's finish. Installation Options Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Rating [On a scale of 1 to 5: 1 being the easiest]
1: Glueless (adhesive tabs or spray adhesive)
1: Peel 'n stick self adhesive (no glue needed)
3: Full-spread luxury vinyl tile (needs adhesive and trowel) Today's vinyl tile installation options are as versatile as the designs! New glueless (adhesive tabs or spray adhesive) tiles are the easiest to install. They are designed for easy placement and easy removal. These products are sold with a roll-out underlayment that has a premarked grid pattern that assists with installation. This new-to-the-market tile and adhesive system was developed for DIYers for easy down/easy up installations. Peel 'n stick self adhesive tiles (no glue needed) are also easy to install. The backing on these tiles has an adhesive under a peel-away sheet. Simply remove the sheet to stick the tile to the floor. Peel 'n stick self adhesive tile has a strong adhesive. Once the tile is placed on the floor, it is very difficult to remove. Measure twice; stick once! Full-spread (glue needed) tiles, also known as luxury vinyl tiles, require adhesive and the proper sized trowel for installation.
Look at the installation instructions carefully! No matter what kind of tile you're installing, the subfloor surface must be prepped so that it is smooth, flat and dry. Any bump, ridge, or indentation in the subfloor may eventually show through on the surface of the vinyl tile. If you're laying the tile over an embossed vinyl floor, you'll need to level the surface with an embossing leveler. If you're installing directly over concrete, it should be tested for moisture emission rates and pH level to ensure it has cured prior to the tile's installation. If the tile is self-adhesive, it's a good idea to apply a latex primer to the subfloor before installation. Keep in Mind: - Full spread "luxury vinyl tile" is not recommended for installation over resilient flooring, due to adhesive bonding issues.
Advantages and Considerations Advantages: Wide Variety of Designs, Sizes and Shapes
A wide variety of designs ranging from natural materials to original patterns in 12" x 12", large formats and planks. Vinyl has the look of wood, stone or ceramic tile at a lower price point.
Considerations: Gouging and Tearing
Resilient, vinyl tile is easier to gouge and tear than ceramic tile. In higher traffic areas, be sure to install thicker vinyl tile for better performance. Does Not Increase Home's Value
Vinyl tile is less likely than natural flooring products to enhance the monetary value of your home.
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