Whilst redecorating with the latest colours can instantly refresh your home, updating your flooring can also make a massive difference to its look and feel.
As with furniture and colour trends, flooring to has changed over the last few years and one of the most popular choices nowadays is for Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
The Property Centre spoke to Matt Court, from Courts Flooring in Stroud, to find out more about this type of flooring and the benefits it brings.
What is Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)?
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is an incredibly versatile, affordable, practical and resilient flooring option. Adding warmth and character to a room, it has the added benefit of looking natural, but without the downsides that come with a natural product.
One fantastic thing about Luxury Vinyl Tile is that it is available in a variety of different effects, including wood planks, ceramic tiles or stone. With so many different options, it’s incredibly easy to find something to complement and enhance the surrounding décor and furniture of any room in your home.
There’s also the flexibility of creating your own floor design with individual LVT planks and tiles, as opposed to sheet vinyl. You could choose a chevron using planks, a monochrome style with contrasting tiles, or parquet in popular herringbone and Shaker styles.
What are the benefits of LVT flooring?
- Much more durable than wood or stone flooring, LVT can easily withstand daily wear and tear due to its built-in scratch resistant layer and stain guarding technology.
- Water-resistant and tolerant to humidity.
- Suitable to use in any room in your home, including staircases.
- Naturally warmer to the touch than bare stone or slate, as it stays at a regulated temperature, making it more comfortable under foot.
- Very low maintenance – simply give it a regular sweep and mop to keep it looking fresh.
- Has sound reducing benefits and is much quieter to walk on than wood or stone.
- A great choice for pet owners, with its scratch resistant top layer and some styles even have anti-slip properties too.
- Perfect for allergy sufferers too as it’s naturally hygienic and extremely easy to clean.
- Very thin but durable floor covering, making it a perfect choice if you’re covering an existing floor.
Are there any downsides to LVT flooring?
- While LVT is extremely durable, it isn’t totally indestructible. LVT can dent, scratch or scuff, especially from heavy appliances, furniture, or other weighty objects.
- Over time, vinyl can fade slightly, especially when hit with direct sun exposure. However, Luxury Vinyl Flooring won’t fade as much as other cheaper types of vinyl and it’s possible that it won’t even be noticeable over a few years.
Where can I use Luxury Vinyl Tile?
LVT is suitable for any room in your home. Its robustness and durability mean that it’s a great option for busy areas such as entrance halls and living spaces, while the sound-reducing benefits make it a perfect choice for upstairs rooms such as bedrooms, nurseries and studies. LVT is also waterproof, so it’s suitable to be used in rooms with a lot of water, such as bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and even porch areas, whilst its ability to cope with fluctuations in temperature and humidity means it can be fitted into conservatories and even used with underfloor heating systems. It can even be fitted onto a staircase, thanks for the thin and flexible nature of the tiles.
How expensive is LVT?
The average cost of Luxury Vinyl Tiles is between £15 m² – £60m² but the cost of your flooring will depend on the type of LVT you buy, together with the labour and materials needed for preparation, and whether you pay a flooring specialist to fit it for you. While some homeowners install the flooring by themselves, most will hire experienced contractors to do the job efficiently and quickly.
What are the leading brands in LVT?
Two brands dominate the industry in the UK – Karndean Flooring and Amtico, but there are others too.
If you’re looking to renovate your home or business, contact Matt from Courts Flooring for a quote for all your flooring needs.
