Step 63 - Flooring

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl Flooring Installed

Flooring for wet areas of the house can be of virtually any type, from Linoleum, Vinyl, Ceramic tiles or even hardwoods.  Most home owners opt for Linoleum, Vinyl flooring or Ceramic tiles, due to their water resistance and easy clean up.   Ceramic tiles are attached to the floor with mortar and the spaces in-between are sealed with  grout, giving a nice, clean finish. Vinyl flooring imitates this appearance, but comes in large continuous rolls that are easily laid in a day. Linoleum typically comes in 12x12 inch squares that are fairly durable, and are typically seen in institutional areas, basements or laundry rooms.

We chose Vinyl flooring for our bathrooms upstairs and laundry rooms.  Vinyl is a bit softer and as a continuous piece is very easy to maintain when you have as many children as we do.   We also like the look of the Vinyl flooring, as you can choose from many styles and patterns for any decor.  Finally, Vinyl is very inexpensive compared to ceramic tile or hardwoods, making for a good replaceable choice for our high traffic areas.

Things We Learned Along The Way

The Differences Between Linoleum, Vinyl Tile, Ceramic Tile, and Hardwood Flooring

When building or remodeling a house or a commercial establishment, flooring is one of the most important aspects. One has many options a few of which are linoleum, vinyl tile, ceramic tile and hardwood. These four types of flooring differ from each other and one can be better than the other based on what you need and what you are looking for.

Linoleum Flooring

What people call as linoleum flooring is not actually linoleum. It is made from various materials such as cork dust, linoxyn, wood flour and calcium carbonate.

The advantage of linoleum is that there is a wide variety of colors and designs. One will spend weeks to see all the available designs of linoleums. From dark to light shades and from plain to patterned designs, linoleum has a lot to offer. In fact, linoleum can be used to mimic the appearance of tiles or hardwood flooring. The difference is evident through the texture. When manufactured excellently, linoleums can be very strong and even stronger than other floorings such as ceramic. Linoleum is also a budget friendly material.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tile, like linoleum, comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. In fact, vinyl tile and linoleum have a lot in common. Both vinyl and linoleum floors are resilient. This characteristic makes them a comfortable surface to walk on. On the other hand, one main difference of linoleum and vinyl tile has something to do with durability. Vinyl tile is much more durable than linoleum. Vinyl tiles are also much cheaper than linoleums and require less maintenance. Vinyl tiles are a top choice if the price is the main concern.

Vinyl floorings are made from polyvinyl chloride or PVC. They are great to be used for imitating other types of flooring such as ceramic tile, stone and hardwood. Other than tiles, vinyl can also come in the form of sheets and planks.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is another material that is commonly used for flooring. It is made from clay and you can expect it to be strong and hard depending on the way it was manufactured.

Like the first two materials, ceramic tiles come in many different colors, sizes and designs. There are also various shapes. The use of ceramic tiles dates back to the medieval period. Today, ceramic tiles are preferred by designers because of the wide range of options. For consumers, ceramic tiles are a good choice because they are very durable. They usually last for years with minimal maintenance.

Hardwood Flooring

As the name implies, hardwood flooring is made from hard wood such as Red Oak, Pine, Maple, Birch, and Cherry or Jatoba. The disadvantage of hardwood flooring is that the color and texture is very limited. It is best for people who want to achieve a warm ambience through wooden surfaces.

There are two ways to manufacture hardwood so you can choose between solid and engineered wood flooring. There are also two types of hardwood flooring based on the where the wood was grown - domestic and exotic.

Differences

There are four main aspects that consumers should look for when choosing flooring namely price, durability, need for maintenance and options in design. For instance, the linoleum, vinyl tile and ceramic tile come in various designs and colors, which hardwood lacks. While hardwood may have various shades, you may not find one that is as colorful as the other three flooring materials. The durability of these flooring materials depends on how it was manufactured. When it comes to affordability, vinyl will be at the top of your list. In terms of maintenance, ceramic and vinyl tiles as well as linoleums are easy to maintain. They can also stand water, unlike wood that will surely get shorter lifespan when drenched.

Navigation

The Land

 

Planning

 

Construction

 

Framing Phase

Rough-in Phase

Drywall Phase

Interior Carpentry

Flat-work Phase

Paint & Stain

Finishing Phase

Completion