Vinyl Sheet Flooring? Yes, A Good Alternative.

Vinyl sheet flooring has been very popular because it's durable, easy to clean, and inexpensive. But there are some things to look for, before you buy.

Vinyl sheet flooring comes in a wide range of styles and textures. The designs available range from beautiful stone to complex looking hand scraped woods. The more expensive flooring is hard to distinguish from the real thing. Mother nature is hard to copy but these floors can come close.

Moisture and water will not affect these floors and cleaning can be done with a mop and bucket. Chemical cleaners will not hurt these floors either. The cleaning is the easiest of all floors.

Pro's
• Inexpensive
• Quickly Installed
• Easy To Maintain
• Newer Vinyl Floors Are Very Durable
• Easily Fixed When Damaged

The biggest downfall of a vinyl sheet floor is dirt and grime can get ground into the surface. Making it dull, and wearing away the protective coating. Care has to be taken not to get course dirt or sand on the surface. If your kitchen has a door to the outside it's a good idea to have a throw rug or some other flooring type immediately inside the door.

Another downfall of this flooring is dropping sharp objects can damage the floor. If this damage does occur it is very important to fix it right away. This is done by "gluing" it back together with vinyl glue. Which is actually a special alcohol that melts the two sides together. Ask your flooring installer to leave some of this behind so if you do need it you have it available.

Proper preparation is important for a long lasting floor. The underlayment has to have every single hole and divet fixed or filled in prior to the laying of the floor. Any hole or imperfections can show through the floor after a couple of years or even months. By this time your warranty for the installation has lapsed. The manufacturer will not have to replace it because of an improper installation.

Installing vinyl sheet flooring is harder then you may think. Some types of this flooring only require the edges to be glued down, while others require the entire area of flooring be glued down. Also installing vinyl sheet flooring needs to be somewhat precise in the cutting of the flooring. If the wrong cuts are made you may need to buy a whole new sheet if the cut is way off.

I recommend getting a vinyl flooring installer to install your new flooring; if you don't already have experience with vinyl that is. These installers have the knowledge and experience to do the job correctly. Especially if there are complex areas of your kitchen to fit the vinyl around, such as a kitchen island.

Seams in the flooring also require special knowledge to seal the seams. The seams need to be fused together with special glues that actually melt the two sides together. If this glue is not applied correctly the seam could get moisture underneath it and, in time, the vinyl will start to come away from the sub-floor.

Installing vinyl sheet flooring is not a budget breaker, and you should also get a warranty from the installer. This insures you against any problems that may arise in the future. Warranties for installation are normally 1 to 3 years, depending n the installer. If they don't offer you a warranty in the contract, find another installer who will.

Con's
• Easily Damaged
• Not Unique
• Dirt And Grime Can Get Ground Into The Surface
• Imperfections In The Sub Floor Can Show Through

If you plan on installing a new floor and the existing vinyl needs to be removed please visit my page on vinyl floor removal. Removing an existing vinyl floor is not as difficult as you may think, just a lot of elbow work.

Overall, vinyl flooring is a good choice if you don't want to pay for a more expensive flooring type. It's low cost and ease of installation is why this floor is a favorite for a lot of people.

Sheet vinyl flooring will always look like vinyl, and not like what it's supposed to mimic. The manufacturers are constantly improving their designs and are getting closer to the real thing. Before long these floors will be almost perfect.