Vinyl Wood Planks
A growing trend in today’s residential flooring market is Luxury Vinyl flooring. Easier to clean, more resistant to water, scrapes and scratches, and increasingly difficult to distinguish between natural flooring products (like stone, ceramics or hardwood), Luxury Vinyl has become a valued choice for homeowners with children, pets and high traffic areas.
Similar to Laminate, Luxury Vinyl is a man-made product consisting of several layers. However, while Laminate’s core is made of high density fiberboard’s (giving it the added benefit of extra durability) Luxury Vinyl’s core is made from PVC vinyl – a component that gives it dimensional stability and flexibility while maintaining its durability. The second layer is the printed design layer that offers realistic hardwood visuals. The bottom layer is the tile backing, which adds structural strength and durability.
With the increased sophistication of modern technology (and the availability of an array of color and design choices) higher quality Luxury Vinyl Planks are becoming more difficult to distinguish from some natural hardwoods.
Because of the inherent flexibility of Vinyl Planks, they are more easily installed than hardwoods. They can still be laid like regular wood planks, or ‘floated,’ but they are more ‘bendable’ and can adjust better to some of the smaller imperfections in the subfloor. In the case of severe water damage (like leaks or flooding) planks that are 100% waterproof can simply be lifted, dried off, or replaced with another plank.
Sources:
http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/luxury-vinyl?intcid=link_TopNav_Products_LuxuryVinylhttp://www.consumerreports.org/cro/flooring/buying-guide.htm
