What is vinyl flooring and how is it made?

A popular modern option when it comes to commercial flooring is vinyl. It’s aesthetically pleasing, easy to maintain, durable, stain-resistant and cost effective. For those who had their hearts set on wooden flooring, but can’t have it installed for practicality reasons, vinyl is often a great substitute.

Available in sheets, planks and tiles – vinyl flooring is comprised of synthetic plastic and applied to a smooth, levelled sub-floor using specially formulated adhesive.

With so many benefits, including its visual appeal, you may be wondering how vinyl flooring is constructed. All vinyl flooring products are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). From there, various compounds are added to create the particular look, colour, hardness, flexibility and sheen that is desired.

To produce the vinyl sheets that form the basis of vinyl flooring, manufacturers suspend the vinyl in a liquid and then create a mixture which is spread into a thin layer during a rolling process. This liquid plastic is known as plastisol, which is dried through the application of heat and air, fusing the material into a strong, robust sheet. This sheet can then be cut, if required, to create solid vinyl planks and tiles.

Because the patterns are created during the liquid plastic stage, their appearance is limited to block colours, or simpler designs that can be introduced as colouring agents. For the more intricate designs now popular in modern settings, these floors require the use of contemporary printing technology, using a layered, homogenous construction. This is then topped with a clear, urethane based coating known as the wear layer. Thicknesses of this layer vary, though for commercial applications we’d strongly recommend the highest thickness. The wear layer provides the stain and scratch resistance, as well as enhances the durability of the floor. We recommend vinyl flooring for industries such as; aged care, education, hospitals, industrial, retail and hospitality.

Some of the advantages of vinyl flooring include:

• Durability – vinyl is ideal for heavy foot traffic.
• Easy walking – vinyl is comfortable and quiet to walk on.
• Pet-friendly – pets don’t mark or scratch the floors easily.
• Cost effective – vinyl is a much more affordable flooring option than similar looking alternatives.
• Variety – a wide range of patterns and colours are available, including realistic wood grains.
• Installation – it’s a relatively simple installation process for an experienced floor layer and the flooring is low maintenance.

Some limitations of vinyl flooring include:

• Natural sunlight – vinyl flooring isn’t designed to withstand the impact of direct sunlight (as it can cause colour fading) or extremes in temperature.
• Sharp objects – some sharp objects may be able to cause damage and scratching when dropped on vinyl flooring.
• Indoor only – if your commercial premises is outdoors, or partially outdoors and exposed to the elements, vinyl flooring isn’t recommended for use in these spaces.

If you’d like to know more about vinyl flooring as a commercial option, please feel free to call and speak with a member of our team at Bass Floor Newcastle on 4951 6166. We have extensive experience with vinyl floors and have completed many projects which you can view in our gallery.