LVT stands for Luxury Vinyl Tiles, they have been around for 30+ years but recently have become extremely popular, they have all the characteristics of the real thing but none of the drawbacks. They come in either a dry back which will need gluing down all over or in a Click system, I will go into the benefits later.
General:
- Suitable for every room in your house / office.
- Wear warranties range from 15years – lifetime.
- Easy clean.
- Huge choice of colours / design.
So, what are LVT’s ?
Lvt’s are made of vinyl & they are all basically the same, they all have a backing, then a photographic print, then a PU wear layer, it is the wear layer that separates the products, the thicker the wear layer the better it will wear, they range from .30mm wear layer to 1.00mm. Most of the products above .30mm will also offer a beveled edge to give it more realism. So You’re walking on the wear layer not like laminate flooring where you walk on the print.
- Lvt’s range from 2mm – 3mm in thickness.
- They are individual planks / tiles not sheet on a roll.
- They are glued down using a high temperature adhesive.
Wood LVT’s : Very realistic but unlike real wood it doesn’t warp if it gets wet, they don’t need sanding or resealing, they are less prone to scratching than real wood, on the rare occasion you damage a plank it can be replaced with minimal fuss compared to wood. ( see Feather Finish Below )
The wear layer comes in a smooth finish or a textured finish.
There are numerous options in laying wood effect, straight lay, Parquet, laid diagonally, with strips in between to make it look like floorboards, basketweave + many more.
Tile effects Lvt’s : Replicate the original but are warmer, unlike original tiles they won’t chip / crack & are far easier to clean, you can have grout effect stripping for a more authentic look. Like the wood options above there are different sizes & different layout options i.e. Laid square, diagonally, broken bond ( Like brickwork ) Flagstone design + many more.
Design Lvt’s Design floors are a great way to add a bit wow!
Click Systems
All manufacturers have invested a lot of time / money in click systems.
The thickness of Click tiles are approx. 6mm thick. The majority of tiles now have a built-in acoustic underlay backing.
Unlike the glue down option, Click is in effect floating, this means there needs to be allowances for expansion, so either the skirting’s must be off or a scotia bead must be used.
Benefits:
- Cheaper costs regarding floor preparation.
- Very good acoustic values.
- Quicker turnaround regarding newly laid screeds.
Cons:
- Skirting’s must be off.
- Smaller layout options, i.e. no Design options, Parquet etc
- Not as straightforward to repair damaged tiles.
Summing up: Dryback systems would always be my first choice but in certain scenarios Click is a very good option.