Luxury Vinyl Tile – Ceramic Tile Has Met Its Match!
Luxury Vinyl Tile has been getting a lot of attention lately for its gorgeous and realistic appearance, ease of maintenance, and durability. Here at Cardoza Flooring, we sell and install a lot of this new innovative product.
The response we get from our customers? “I can’t believe that’s not ceramic tile!”
Luxury Vinyl Tile – also known as “LVT” – is a tough, flexible and nice-looking alternative to ceramic tile flooring.
We believe it is the best flooring choice for high traffic areas that require easy and frequent cleaning like kitchens, bathrooms and entry areas.
While ceramic tile is definitely very nice to look at, it is hard to replace if damaged. The tiles can chip or break, leaving homeowners with a floor that looks shabby and unkempt. LVT, on the other hand, is much more durable and is also stain, scratch and scuff resistant. Another advantage Luxury Vinyl Tile has over ceramic tile is that LVT is less conductive at colder temperatures – a quality that our New England tile shoppers can appreciate!
Advanced techniques in manufacturing makes LVT a superior product.
Although a vinyl product, LVT is quite different than sheet vinyl flooring. Four layers are fused together to make LVT. Like plywood, this gives LVT its strength. These four layers are: are the vinyl backing, a vinyl layer of color, the layer of photographic film, and a urethane or aluminum oxide layer that goes on top. This top layer is crucial to the overall quality and durability of the product, and it is usually measured between 20 and 40 mil.
The benefits of luxury vinyl tile flooring are numerous; in addition to its realistic look and durability, it is also naturally water resistant. This is another reason why it’s great for kitchens and bathrooms. It is easy to maintain; in most cases homeowners just need to run a damp mop over the LVT to keep it looking clean and nice. Another bonus of Luxury Vinyl Tile is its safety features – it meets slip resistant standards and commercial flammability requirements, as well as a variety of other safety codes.
Perhaps the best advantage LVT has over ceramic tile is cost.
While LVT is not the cheapest flooring option out there, the installed price is usually lower than ceramic floors. It gives both homeowners and commercial clients a rich and luxurious look for a very reasonable cost. Available in a variety of sizes and colors, LVT can also match a home’s colors and style.