What is the difference between sheet vinyl and LVT vinyl flooring?
Vinyl flooring is a practical, popular flooring solution for utility rooms where the presence of moisture is more common, such as kitchens and bathrooms. This is because vinyl flooring is usually made of synthetic polymer, or some other variants use limestone powder, making it completely waterproof and impossible for mould to grow on it.
Vinyl flooring comes in a few different forms. Though two stick out as the most popular on the market. Sheet vinyl and LVT. Sheet vinyl, sometimes called roll vinyl, is a budget effective solution frequently employed in large commercial premises. Coming on a sheet, it is cut and fitted to a room almost like a carpet, and glued to the subfloor. LVT flooring (luxury vinyl tiles), or vinyl click flooring as it is sometimes called, is a higher end product designed to be a very realistic imitation of wood, stone, or tiles. So, what is the difference between sheet vinyl and LVT vinyl flooring?
Click vinyl, part of the our Next Step Richline 31 range
Aesthetics
Sheet vinyl comes on a large roll, like a carpet, and has a series of patterns on the top layer, these patterns can be anything from mosaic patterns to wood effect. Though on sheet vinyl, wood, stone, or tile effect do not look very realistic, and it is very clear to the eye that the flooring is not a natural material.
LVT click flooring on the other hand has a wear layer with an ultra high resolution digital image on the top, and manufactured with grooves and seams so that each board feels like real wood (or any other effect) to the touch. LVT flooring is a very convincing replica to real wood flooring, and once laid, most people would not be able to tell the difference.
Installation of sheet vinyl and LVT flooring
In terms of practicality, the better option depends on what the customer needs the flooring for. If on a budget, and you simply need to cover a large area with some waterproof flooring, then sheet vinyl is a good option. It is usually selected for large commercial premises, such as a big kitchen used for business purposes.
If design and style is important to the customer, and they need a floor that matches and complements the style of a high end interior design, then LVT click flooring will be the way to go. Wood or stone effect LVT floors can come in a variety of colours from natural woods to contemporary greys.
In terms of installation, sheet vinyl requires the subfloor to be flat, and it must be perfectly level, otherwise the floor will be uneven. With LVT click flooring, you can be a bit more flexible. It is important that the subfloor is level, but due to how rigid the boards are, some minor inconsistencies in the subfloor will be fine.
LVT click flooring is easier to install than roll vinyl, as roll vinyl requires a more specialized set of skills to get it right, and one mistake could ruin the floor. But with LVT click flooring, where the boards simply fit together like jigsaw pieces, with the added benefit that most LVT vinyl floors come with built-in underlay, anyone can fit it as a DIY job.
Summary
Benefits of LVT click vinyl compared to sheet vinyl are:
Easier installation
Realistic wood, stone, and tile effect with ultra high resolution digital images
Fully waterproof