Description
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT), is a type of flexible resilient flooring produced in either tiles or planks. Amazing visuals and design realism are the major driving force behind the astounding consumer acceptance of LVT. Continued improvements in film printing technologies combined with in-register printing and texture embossing capture the authentic appeal of natural wood and stone. LVT is a sensible, smart and highly attractive alternative to more expensive flooring systems including ceramic tile, stone, and hardwood.
Advantages of LVT
- Design realism combined with the ability to produce longer and wider planks and larger-format tiles reduces the pattern repeat which significantly enhances product appearance.
- With the beauty and realism of natural wood and stone combined with low installation costs, water resistance attributes and low maintenance requirements, LVT offers excellent performance for busy lifestyles and in a more practical format compared to far more expensive natural products like wood, ceramic, and stone.
- Highly durable – scratch and scuff resistant.
- Shapes of the tiles ranging in size from 12 x 12, to 24 x 24 and even 12 x 24 rectangular are a distinguishing feature of LVT.
- For luxury wood looks, LVT comes in standard plank shapes such as 3 x 36, 4 1/2 x 36, as well as extra-long and wide such as 9” x 72”
- LVT lends itself well to commercial spaces due to its versatile design aesthetics and incomparable performance attributes.
- Provides a wide range of exotic species visuals for design versatility – want the look of endangered African rosewood, you can have it with LVT.
- Ideal product for pet-loving owners – scratch resistance for energetic pets, easy to clean and durable.
- It is water resistant, can withstand frequent mopping and heavy foot traffic.
- Pet-friendly for multifamily or hospitality environments.
- Damaged individual tiles or planks easy to replace.
- Commercial grade wear layers and associated finishes provide high-performance attributes of LVT.
- Grout can be added to some LVT products which offers consumers a high-end design option at an affordable price, especially compared to ceramic tile. Adding grout to the LVT installation further enhances the tile or natural stone visual.
Construction
Luxury Vinyl Tile (glue-down)
Luxury Vinyl Tile (loose-lay)
Installation
There are three basic ways to install LVT:
- Dry-back or glue-down where planks or tiles are glued directly to the subfloor.
- Floating, which uses a click or locking system to keep the floor in place.
- Loose-lay where the products are designed to stay flat on the subfloor using minimal or no adhesives. Great for installing over existing floors that are difficult or costly to remove.
- An underlayment is often used to provide a moisture vapor barrier and for sound absorption.
Each method offers its own unique features, as well as applications it is best suited for. Most manufacturers offer multiple products across all different installation categories.