In our last blog we talked about the various types of vinyl floors and the advantages of each. We said that vinyl is a durable and stylish option for homeowners on a budget. Do we stand by that? Yes. We do think that vinyl tiles or planks are a good idea for many customers, but they are not the best choice for everyone. Sadly, vinyl flooring does come with a few challenges that you'll need to carefully consider before you set your contractor to work.
First of all, you must realize that where you're saving money on the floor itself, you are sacrificing resale value. As nice as vinyl floors can look in a home, they don't really add any value in the eyes of potential buyers. Someone wearing a Rolex watch will draw a lot of admirers, while a knock-off gets by on being nice, but not impressive. If a buyer is going to spend thousands of dollars on a living space they need to be "wowed" by said living space. A vinyl floor won't be the thing to get that job done, no matter how nice it looks.
Second, repair and removal of vinyl floors is difficult at best. They can't really be fixed if something goes wrong or the tiles/planks are damaged. Beyond that, the "peel-and-stick" design of flexible vinyl floors in particular are close to impossible to combat. Have you ever tried to get a sticker off of something without leaving a residue and ripped up pieces of paper hanging off? My guess is no. Now, just imagine that same frustration over trying to remove something that is hundreds of times bigger than that sticker! That's a lot of work.
Next on the list we have the difference in longevity. Yes, vinyl floors are durable. Yes, they will give you quite a few good years out of them. They will not, however, last as long as a wood floor will. If you can spring the extra cash for genuine wood floors, we would highly encourage you to do so.
Finally, vinyl floors are not particularly eco-friendly. They are made from colored polyvinyl chloride, otherwise known as PVC. If you work your way down to the core of it, PVC is just another word for fancy plastic. It's not natural, it's not biodegradable, and it won't win you any "green" points for having it in your house.
Again, we do think that vinyl flooring is a good option if you're looking for a decent floor on a budget. Every floor comes with it's pros and cons, and as a customer, you deserve to know what they are. We wouldn't be doing our job correctly if we didn't give you all of the information you need to make a well-informed decision. So, if you have any further questions about vinyl or any other type of floor, give us a call and we'd be happy to answer them.
Happy flooring!