Advantages and Disadvantages of Vinyl Floor - Practice Test

• Advantages of vinyl floors
• Disadvantages of vinyl floors
• Practice tests and user opinions
• Tips for quick readers

Vinyl floors have a large number of advantages. But where there is light, there must be shadow, there are of course disadvantages. To objectively offset these against the benefits, we looked at the practical tests and experiences with vinyl flooring. Here you will find all the advantages and disadvantages of vinyl flooring.

Whether it's about the acoustics or the pleasantly warm foot feel, vinyl floors are becoming increasingly popular in private households. The benefits that a vinyl floor covering can have in your household are shown here as well as the disadvantages. For pet owners, this flooring will probably be a win in any case. In the user reviews, especially the hygiene is highlighted. So we looked at the many reports from users and considered them in our field test.

Here is an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of vinyl flooring. However, some points may differ slightly depending on the manufacturer. Thus, the low construction height is not so pronounced in some types of vinyl laminate, since here in some cases an additional footfall sound insulation must be installed.

advantages

• sound insulation
• Room noise reduction
• warm underfoot
• suitable for most floor heating systems
• Protects joints
• pleasantly soft
• huge number of decors
• moisture resistant
• no swelling
• hygienically clean
• good for allergy sufferers
• ideal for children and owners of pets
• usually produced without chemical softeners
• low construction height
• easy and dust-free to lay
• different types of installation possible

disadvantage

• somewhat sensitive to pressure, especially from heavy objects
• partly expensive
• only to be laid on firm ground
• no installation on electric underfloor heating / direct heating mats

Advantages of vinyl floors

Here are some more explanations of the many advantages vinyl flooring can offer.

Impact sound insulation and room sound reduction
Depending on the type of vinyl floor, this reduces room sound by up to five decibels. Above all, the firmly bonded varieties of vinyl reduce the transmission of footfall and room sound. This is a distinct advantage over laminate wood or a tiled floor, especially in apartment buildings.

Foot warm and gentle on the joints
A vinyl floor is not only pleasantly soft, but also gentle on the joints. This softer texture makes the floor warmer on the feet than other floor coverings. In addition, vinyl is almost always suitable for the installation of underfloor heating. While many types of laminate have a problem with the fluctuating temperatures caused by the underfloor heating, vinyl handles it very well and tends to enhance its positive effects.

Hygienically clean and easy to clean
You do not have to be particularly careful with the moisture when wiping a vinyl floor, nor do you have to make an extra effort. Without much ado, the vinyl floor becomes hygienically clean by simply wiping it. Bacteria can not penetrate into the surface, so they can not get stuck. So this floor is ideal for small children and the owners of pets but of course especially for allergy sufferers.

Tip: Many medical practices have been using vinyl for some time because it's so hygienic. As a result, vinyl today can have a distinct advantage over tiles in kitchens and bathrooms. So the laying is not limited to the living spaces.

Without chemical softeners
Most vinyl is produced without chemical softeners, especially since the flooring in this country is subject to intensive tests and tests by specialist institutes. Of course, there will always be a black sheep among the manufacturers, so you should pay attention to the selection of the floor, the appropriate seals and markings.

Tip: If you want to glue a vinyl floor firmly, you should pay attention not only to the s of the vinyl, but especially to the s of the adhesive. This is where malicious components often lurk, which later leach out over a long period of time. Today, however, there are excellent adhesives that no longer have these problems. The small extra charge you should gladly accept.

Low construction height
The usually very low height of the vinyl floor makes a complete change of the rooms in a few hours possible. Above all, it is advantageous if you live in rented rooms. In most cases, you are not allowed to cut a door or saw off the door frame.

decors
A vinyl floor can not only have a huge number of different decors. The floor can deceptively imitate the structure of the decor shown. So there are beautiful wood decors, which have a perfectly imitated grain in the structure. Even tiles or even slate decors are imitated by the matching structure deceptively real. The decor, together with the structure, is one reason why many visitors have to stoop first. They feel the ground to see what it really is. This advantage is usually given even with the very cheap variants.

moisture Resistant
Vinyl floors are made of vinyl through and through, making them moisture resistant. Since no wood layer is installed, there is no swelling. Even if you flooding when wiping, the soil will dry easily without being damaged.

Tip: Even red wine and coffee can not harm a vinyl floor at all. To a certain extent, vinyl is even resistant to acids and alkalis. If a splash of nail polish remover gets to the floor, you just have to wipe it off quickly, then not even a stain will stay behind.

Easy installation
Since only rubbery vinyl is contained in the soil, it can usually already be cut with a craft knife. A saw will only rarely be needed. As a result, the vinyl is easy to install and dust-free. In addition, different types of installation are possible. The floor can be laid floating like laminate, or glued like PVC. There are even self-adhesive vinyl panels that only need to be pressed on the floor.

• floating installation with click system
• self-adhesive laying of panels
• full-surface bonding of panels or webs

Tip: Both the floating and self-adhesive installation ensures immediate accessibility of the floor. Only when glued over the entire surface must you look at the adhesive label to see if it has to dry first.

Disadvantages of vinyl floors

If we look at the disadvantages in detail, there is probably little left of it. But decide for yourself, what is important to you, in a vinyl flooring.

pressure sensitive
Above we have described that the vinyl floor is much softer than other floor coverings. However, this advantage can be a disadvantage. The vinyl floor can be somewhat sensitive to pressure, especially as a result of heavy furniture, dents and notches can penetrate the floor over time. These will usually persist after moving the furniture. But that's usually the case with a carpet.

More expensive than other floors
Vinyl floors are considered more expensive than other floor coverings. Above all, very cheap laminate or cheap tiles are often attractive in terms of price at first glance. But with the laminate you have to expect the durability against this point. In addition, it is not mandatory to buy the most expensive variants of vinyl. If you are looking for a bit longer and do not necessarily fall in love with a specific décor, you can already get a vinyl floor for prices starting at around twelve euros per square meter.

Solid ground required
On carpeted or uneven old floorboards you can not lay a vinyl floor so easily. Therefore, the vinyl is not applicable to cork. If the vinyl is to be laid on tiles, you should first adjust the joints to the rest of the floor with leveling compound.

Tip: If you have an uneven floor, it does not help to use a click vinyl and simply place a layer of footstep sound. The footfall sound would adapt to the bumps and the vinyl then also. The click system would then release and jump the individual panels.

Direct heating mats - electric underfloor heating
Very few vinyl floors are suitable for laying on electric underfloor heating with direct heating mats. The heating coils of the electric floor heating become temporarily over 35 degrees hot. That does not like the vinyl in the long run. In addition, the vinyl can expand greatly due to the direct heat and then make waves.

Practice tests and user opinions

The experience with vinyl flooring of all kinds has consistently been very positive. The usable area has so far shown no stronger tracks in the running zone. Of course, this may be because most of the soils have not been in use for too long. Individual users had problems that their click system was difficult to connect. These were really only very isolated voices.

Tip: If the vinyl from Germany or the EU, it should get along without CFCs and the like. Outside the EU, however, you can easily get on contaminated floor coverings. Therefore, you should not buy vinyl without looking at the seal of approval.

Even the self-adhesive panels or tiles made of vinyl should stick very well and durable. You should not, however, relocate them if the soil below must be preserved. If, for example, parquet is laid there, which has to be uncovered when moving out, the floating installation of vinyl is the better choice.

Tip: You really only buy real vinyl if you really want to enjoy the benefits. Many types of click vinyl that are sold are in fact cheap laminate versions that have been vinyl-plated only. These variants then have a wood or cork core, which can swell due to moisture. In addition, this vinyl laminate can not be easily laid dust-free. Basically, this product eliminates most of the benefits of vinyl.

Tips for quick readers

• Vinyl floor insulates impact sound and room sound
• softer than other soils / thus gentle on the joints
• Moisture resistant and durable
• In most cases, no chemical softeners are used
• very hygienic to keep clean
• allergy friendly
• good for children and owners of pets
• low height of the floor
• easy to lay by newcomers
• Different types of laying additionally facilitate the work
• floating or glued to lay
• slightly sensitive to pressure from heavy objects
• not to be laid on carpet or cork
• Vinyl is often wrongly considered expensive