The Pros and Cons of Loose Lay Vinyl Flooring
To meet the demands of today’s commercial spaces, the world of commercial design offers numerous flooring options, including hardwood, ceramic, carpet, laminate, and the list goes on. Therefore, choosing the right floor for your unique space can be quite overwhelming, no matter whether is a commercial or residential space.
A strong contender among the many options though is luxury vinyl, which is designed with style and functionality in mind. High-quality vinyl flooring offers the richness and texture of more expensive natural materials like hardwood or stone without breaking the bank. Available in many colours, designs, and styles, luxury vinyl can suit all kinds of homes and spaces, adding an aesthetic edge.
Vinyl flooring is typically offered in tile, plank, and sheet formats, all rigid, reliable, and easy to install. One of the hottest luxury vinyl products available is the loose lay vinyl flooring. Loose lay vinyl flooring comes in both plank (LVP) and tile (LVT) styles, though LVP is a bit more common. Loose lay vinyl flooring planks can be found in various patterns to mimic wood, stone, and more.
Loose lay LVP has many of the same performance attributes of traditional luxury vinyl products: it is easy to install, simple to clean, and hard-wearing for years of reliable use thanks to its thick, durable wear layer. However, many are sceptical about loose lay flooring due to the fact that this resilient floor doesn’t require using adhesive to be installed. But if installed correctly and in the right conditions, this type of floating flooring can be a solution for many applications, boasting a high level of comfort, especially in commercial environments.
This type of flooring comes with many benefits. But there are also a couple of drawbacks with it too. So let’s weigh in all the pros and cons of buying loose vinyl flooring.
Contents
The Pros
Easy to Install
Loose lay vinyl plank flooring is some of the easiest floorings to both install and uninstall. It’s quite simple to install as loose vinyl flooring is generally 5mm in thickness and requires an adhesive only for planks or tiles surrounding the perimeter of the room. Whereas the remaining pieces inside the perimeter are simply installed by laying pieces down without an adhesive. Loose lay LVP can be installed over existing floor coverings too, which makes it especially useful for existing flooring materials that may be difficult or costly to remove.
Fairly Simple to Maintain
Loose lay vinyl type of flooring is easy to maintain with a specialized backing for traction to stay firmly in place after installation. Lay loose is naturally water, scratch, stain as well as scuff resistant, so, therefore it can be cleaned with a broom, mop, or two-bucket system. If you want to move your floors or change the flooring design, loose lay is also equally easy to remove and replace without risk of residue or damage. Just quickly pull up the planks and voila.
Exceptionally Durable
LVP flooring has an unmatched level of durability for all settings. Its 5mm thickness and a 20 mil wear layer make this flooring sturdy and reliable, and therefore planks can stay securely in place after installation. The protective top layer resists scratches, dents, and stains from family pets. Most manufacturers guarantee that loose lay planks will actually stay in good condition for up to 15 years. They typically use a highly technical and rigorous process in order to create a strong, clear, and high-quality LVP as possible. Basically, lay loose vinyl flooring is just as durable as any other LVP, only the backing and weight are different.
Able to Provide Sound Insulation
Loose lay vinyl flooring is a thicker product with a textured back, which makes it naturally sound-absorbing, offering improved sound testing results. Its specialized rubber backing provides a natural sound barrier, and adds another layer of padding, hence providing more comfort underfoot. This is especially helpful in corporate, multi-family, or hospitality installations as all of these environments require a sound-absorbing solution.
The Cons
Lack of Formats
One of the major drawbacks of loose lay flooring is the lack of formats in which it is available. Not all manufacturing companies produce loose lay vinyl flooring, therefore there is a limitation to how many designs you can choose from. Most loose lay vinyl flooring style options are limited to just stone and wood designs with a pretty standard rectangular form factor. Of course, if you don’t mind the shape of the planks or the look that they create, then loose lay LVP can be a good option for you. Otherwise, it’s important to realize that you are limited with loose lay vinyl floors from the beginning.
