​The Six Benefits of Vinyl in your Home

The simple equation to choosing the right type of flooring for your home involves weighing up and balancing three factors: lifestyle, look and practicalities.

Carpet, laminate and vinyl options all tick certain boxes for different households. Considerations can include budget, comfort level, sunlight exposure, high-use areas, existing interior design, children and pets.

So, it’s important to understand the benefits of each style of flooring before making your decision.

When it comes to vinyl flooring there are three types – sheets (meaning fewer joins), tiles (mimic ceramic or stone tiles), and planks (mimic hardwood flooring).

Generally, there are six benefits to using vinyl in your home:

1. Durability: Just last year we spoke to New Plymouth Harrisons Carpet franchise owner Peter Briscoe about what he had in his own home and he said he’d chosen vinyl planks for his kitchen precisely because they were “long-lasting, good-looking and user-friendly”. High-traffic areas where there’s a risk of spillages or dirt would seriously test most forms of carpeting. However, vinyl planks and tiles are impact resistant and most ranges have commercial wear layers.

2. For use in wet areas: Kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, wet rooms and apartment hallways tend not to be suitable for carpets and laminate flooring because both styles are easily damaged by moisture. Sheet vinyl is the best option when it comes to water resistance because the fewer joins make it easier to install and creates a uniform barrier. Tiles and planks (when properly installed) also provide water-resistant protection.

3. Easy maintenance: Vinyl’s hardy and water-resistant properties also make it easy to keep clean. Modern vinyl planks and tiles are very beneficial if your flooring has a bad scratch or gouge in it. It’s a matter of simply removing the damaged plank or tile rather than replacing larger areas of carpet or sheet vinyl.

4. Style: Modern varieties of sheet vinyl come with timber, tile and contemporary effects, and the planks and tiles offer great reproductions of stone, ceramic and timber flooring. This gives homeowners a wide range of styles to match to their existing décor. Hard-wearing vinyl flooring also works with carpeting for a cohesive overall style.

5. Comfort: When choosing a hard-wearing flooring for entryways, hallways, kitchens and bathrooms, vinyl has the edge over ceramic tiles because it’s softer and warmer underfoot. Furthermore, it’s also far more forgiving than ceramic tiles if you drop something on it.

6. Budget: Once thought of as a ‘cheap looking’ floor option, vinyl has evolved to cover a wide range from basic, hard-working sheets to beautiful wood-look planking. It is, however, still a more cost-effective option compared to hardwood floors and its easy maintenance and durability equates to lower costs over a lifetime.

For more information from our nearly 50 locally owned mobile carpet retailers and advice about which of our vinyl flooring options would be suitable for your home, contact us on 0800 421001 or via the website to book a consultation at a time that suits you.