Vinyl Buyer's Guide

Like broadloom carpet, sheet vinyl or resilient flooring offers a broad spectrum of style and color, and new technologies can replicate textures found in natural materials, such as stone or wood, or even woven flooring, such as sisal. Vinyl is more forgiving underfoot than other hard surfaces, is wear and stain resistant and easy to clean, and it is the preferred flooring wherever moisture is present. In addition to sheets, vinyl flooring comes in easy-to-install tiles.

HOW TO CHOOSE VINYL FLOORING

Obviously, color and pattern will influence your vinyl flooring choice, but you should note that there are two types of vinyl flooring: inlaid and printed.

• Inlaid: Vinyl imbeds color granules into the vinyl sheet for a richer finish. Colors are an integral part of the floor.
• Printed: Vinyl is produced much like a magazine page. Colored inks are printed onto the flooring sheets.

Also, you may want to examine the backing of your vinyl floor. It provides additional moisture and mildew resistance. Backing also provides the resilience that vinyl is noted for and determines the type of adhesive required for installation. In general, a thicker floor is a better floor.