Pros & Cons of Vinyl Plank Flooring

Nowadays, there are too many flooring options available on the market for an average user to easily be confused about which one is most ideal for him. There is hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring, granite flooring, concrete flooring, laminate flooring, vinyl flooring and various other choices available, too.

Therefore, it is meant to become very difficult to choose among them. However, Vinyl plank flooring, as a matter of fact, is one of the best flooring types among them all. People use vinyl flooring in their bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, guest rooms, and kitchens to make their places more elegant. So if you are thinking of installing this versatile flooring in your place, then you must read this article first.

Today, I am going to tell you about the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring, so you can easily decide whether this flooring is suitable for your place or not. Continue reading this article and you will find all the information that you want.

Features of Flooring	Vinyl Plank Flooring Have	Vinyl Plank Flooring Don’t Have
Durable	✔
Easy To Clean	✔
Environment Friendly		✗
Good Appearance	✔
Water Resistant	✔
Repairable		✗
Affordable	✔
Color Retaining		✗
Easy To Repair	✔
Flame Resistant	✔

Pros Of Vinyl Plank Flooring

1. Most Stylish Flooring

If you are looking for the most stylish flooring for your place, then vinyl plank flooring could be the best solution for you. You can get many designs and styles for this flooring, which can completely change the look of your place.

One of the biggest benefits of this flooring is that it can give any look at your place that you want. For instance, the designs of vinyl flooring can make your floor look like a wooden floor, a concrete floor, bamboo floor, or any other floor you want because of the designs of planks.

You can get any colour for this flooring according to the interior of your place. There is almost every colour available in this flooring according to the needs and demands of the customers.

2. Highly Affordable

If you can’t afford expensive flooring for your home, then vinyl plank flooring is the best option for you. The most important thing about this flooring is that it is available at highly affordable rates.

You can easily get this flooring within your budget. The average rate of vinyl plank flooring is $2.5 to $5 per square foot, which is much less than real wood flooring, which is approximately $7 to $13 per square foot.

3. Versatile

This flooring is a completely versatile home decor element. The versatility of vinyl flooring means that it can be adjusted to any interior. You can use it with a retro interior or with a modern interior as well. This flooring is not limited to bedroom usage only, but you can also install it in the bathrooms, too.

You can also use this flooring in your living rooms and dining areas. This flooring is not only best for homes, but you can also use it in offices. In fact, vinyl plank flooring is considered the best flooring for offices because it can easily bear the high foot traffic.

4. Tough

Another advantage of vinyl plank flooring is that it is very tough. You can use this flooring for years with no severe damage. If you have pets and kids at your home, then this flooring will prove very durable for you because it can resist all the damage easily.

This flooring is also resistant to fire. If burning candles and ashes fall on this flooring, it will never get damaged. This is the flooring that will effectively fulfil all of your requirements.

5. Water Resistance

Vinyl plank flooring is not like other flooring types that are prone to water and mold damage, such as wooden flooring. This makes it ideal for floors that get exposed to water a lot, such as the kitchen or bathroom floors.

Besides, you can easily use this flooring within laundry rooms, basements and outdoors, too. This flooring is also best for patio areas or balconies because it is completely resistant to rain and other atmospheric changes.

6. Easy Maintenance

The maintenance of this flooring is very easy and effortless. You can conveniently upkeep it with everyday brooming and/ or mopping. Besides, vacuum cleaning works totally fine for vinyl plank flooring as well. However, stain removal can be a constant requirement of this flooring, i.e. you need to treat the staining in a timely manner.

The stain cleaning process of this flooring is also very easy because you can prepare the cleaner for the flooring at your home. You just need to take vinegar and mix it with water. And then clean the stain by using a mop and you should easily get rid of the stains. You can also use any ready-made cleaner on this flooring.

7. Comfortable

Vinyl planks are softer than wooden planks, so they are cosier to walk on. This flooring gives your feet a luxurious feel when you are walking on them. This flooring is best for those parts of your homes and offices in which you have to spend more time.

So this is best for your kitchen, in which you have to stand for a long time for cooking and other chores. Another useful aspect of this flooring is that it can stay at room temperature. Besides, it can also be used to insulate the interiors quite effectively.

8. Insulation Property

The insulation property of this flooring makes it unique from other floorings. It helps you to keep your room temperature balanced according to your requirements. If you want to keep your room warm in the winter, this flooring will provide you with the most perfect insulation properties.

This flooring never allows the cool or warm air of your room to escape through the flooring. As a result, when you step on this flooring, you will feel cosy and warm underfoot.

9. Easy Installation

The installation of the vinyl plank flooring is very easy and you can carry it out on your own. You just need to stagger the flooring planks to make them durable, and then you can install all the planks in your room.

If you want to hire a pro for the installation of this flooring, then you get another benefit that this flooring takes less time in the installation process, so if you are hiring professionals for getting the job done, you don’t really need to spend a lot.

Cons Of Vinyl Plank Flooring

Everything has pros and cons, so vinyl plank flooring also has certain disadvantages, too. Some of the common drawbacks of vinyl plank flooring are:

1. Discoloration

When vinyl plank flooring is directly exposed to sunlight for a long period, then it decolorizes. So this flooring is not so durable for outdoor areas. Sometimes, the laying of rubber under your rugs can also become the cause of decolorization of vinyl plank flooring.

2. Cannot Be Repaired

The biggest drawback of vinyl plank flooring is that it cannot be repaired. Once your vinyl flooring gets damaged, there is no way to repair it. All you can do is replace the damaged planks of your flooring to make it usable again.

The replacement of vinyl planks is very easy, and you can replace any of the planks on your own. You just need to disassemble the plank from the baseboard and reach the damaged plank. Replace the old plank with a new one and then reassemble your baseboards.

3. Chip Around The Corners

If your Vinyl Plank Flooring was installed incorrectly either by you or by some non-proficient installers, then there are many chances that you have to face chipped edges at the corners. And this situation does have the potential to ruin the entire look of your beautiful floor system.

Although the installation of vinyl planks is very easy, you need to take care of your flooring during the installation. Never use too much force on the hammer to check and fix the vinyl planks because it creates chips and makes your flooring uneven.

4. Non-Biodegradable

This vinyl flooring drawback is not for you, but for your environment. It is non-biodegradable, so it can’t be recycled, which makes it unfavourable for the environment.

5. Emits Volatile Organic Compounds

Vinyl products emit harmful gases into the air, which are very dangerous for human health. When vinyl products are installed in living places, they are particularly harmful to people with respiratory problems and allergies. Luckily, vinyl plank flooring only emits gases for just 48 hours after the installation, so experts recommend leaving the room open and not using the vinyl flooring immediately after installation.

But this outgassing process depends on the quality of the planks. If you purchase high-quality vinyl flooring, it will emit gases for less than 48 hours. However, if you use vinyl plank flooring from an average brand, it will continue to emit gases for at least two months.

These gases can cause headaches, eye itchiness, dizziness, or respiratory tract irritation. So try going for high-quality vinyl plank flooring, only. Besides, proper maintenance of the floor, use of air fresheners, and good ventilation can help you get rid of these gases in just a week.

Comparison Of Vinyl Plank Flooring With Laminate Flooring

Although vinyl plank flooring has some drawbacks, they can easily be addressed by using premium quality planks. The list of the advantages of this flooring is endless. Here is a comparison of vinyl plank flooring with laminate flooring to show you how versatile vinyl plank flooring is.

Area of Installation	Vinyl Plank Flooring	Laminate Flooring
Kitchen	Yes	No
Home Office	Yes	Yes
Powder Room	Yes	No
Bedroom	Yes	Yes
Bathrooms	Yes	No
Mudroom	Yes	No
Dining Room	Yes	Yes
Living Room	Yes	Yes

Conclusion

Now that you know the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring, you can comfortably choose vinyl flooring for your floors according to your requirements. You can select vinyl flooring from its large range according to your interior decoration. Best of luck with your next home flooring treatment!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Vinyl Plank Flooring is not likely to scratch easily or quickly as it comes with a protective wear layer which keeps all types of damages at bay, most importantly moisture damage and scratching. This makes it a really useful choice if you’ve children and pets in your home.

Vinyl Plank Flooring can easily last up to two decades and above, if taken care of correctly. Also, a flawless installation ensures longevity of the flooring system and various other factors can also influence this, such as the extent of foot fall, moisture problems, Sun damage, etc.

You can vacuum your Vinyl Plank Floors, as long as you do it the right way. And the first and foremost factor to consider at this point is to take off the beater bar of the vacuum cleaner before you go over the floor(s). This will, most importantly diminish the chance of scratching of the vinyl surface.

Yes, Vinyl Plank Flooring is completely waterproof, which makes it a perfect choice for all residential spaces, most importantly kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and even basements. However, this flooring cannot possibly handle flooding, so you need to be extremely careful about preventing this from happening.