LVT Flooring

Achieve a stunning, natural looking floor with LVT flooring. The primary material is vinyl, and it's considerably cheaper and more hard wearing than laminate while, at the same time, looking just as good if not better.

LVT also known as luxury vinyl floor tiles or vinyl click flooring is designed to closely mimic either a wood effect or natural stone and aims to provide a flooring solution for practically every room in your home. With its water resistant materials it is particularly useful in rooms with high moisture levels, such as the kitchen and bathroom.

LVT Flooring
Shop By
Category
Price your floor
mt
x
mt

What is LVT Vinyl Flooring?

LVT or “luxury vinyl tiles” is a type of flooring that is becoming more popular due to the advantages that it offers over conventional stone, wood, or tile flooring. It is made of multiple layers of PVC vinyl, a type of plastic comprising various mixed compounds. 

Most vinyl floor tiles have three distinct layers: 

  • A shock-absorbing felt layer on the bottom
  • A printed vinyl layer in the middle carrying the design
  • A protective layer of transparent material on the top

Manufacturers roll and compress it into sheets in a liquid-suspended rolling process before it goes through an oven, fusing the various elements together, adhering it to the backing. Graphic designers then create and print the design on the surface before applying the protective sheeting. 


What are Luxury Vinyl Tiles made of?

  • 1. The top layer when breaken down typically consists of 2 separate layers including a 3D print protected by a scratch and scuff resistant lamination layer.
  • 2. The middle layer mostly contains a sandwich of up 3 layers consisting of a highly compressed vinyl encapsulated by fibre glass on both sides. This layers allows for deep penetration for embossing to allow for grooves and grains that provides more depth and realism to create the natural effect of wood or stone.
  • 3. The bottom layer is a durable water resistant PVC backing with a unique click system for easy installation.


Key Features

The new Luxury Vinyl Flooring products provide more benefits than any other floor due to its layered properties and the innovative technology used to construct the product.

  • Moisture & Water Resistant: Since there is no wood or ceramic materials involved and uses intensive compression it makes it ideal for use in kitchens and bathrooms so you can have one continuous floor flowing throughout your floor plan.
  • Weather Resistance: The materials used do not expand or contract it will be very resistant to change in environment saving the hassle of warping and bulging.
  • Anti-Slip: The combination of the top protective layer with fine grains and the deeper grooves and grains gives it a good grip even when its wet.
  • Easy to Clean: You can hoover it, broom it or wet mop it.
  • Click Installation: No glues, no grooves, just click and lay it down without much hassle
  • Noise Reduction: The materials used are highly compressed it reduces the echo while you walk on it
  • Highly Durable: Most brands offer a 10 year guarantee for commercial and 20 years for domestic use
  • ECO Friendly: Most brands use a combination of recycled materials
  • Design: This type of flooring has no limits on the effect that can be created.


Are vinyl floors better than laminate?

Whether vinyl is better than laminate largely comes down to personal preference. Both are highly affordable and effective flooring solutions. 

Because LVT is made of PVC-based materials, it tends to be extremely strong. Many floors last for decades before requiring replacement. Because of this, some manufacturers offer longer warranties than laminate floors.

By contrast, many people prefer the visual appearance of laminate floors. They also like the feel of hardwood beneath their feet.

The fact that both products exist proves that neither is always better than the other. There are some situations where vinyl has the upper hand and others where laminate comes out on top.

 

What are the pros and cons of LVT flooring?

The advantages of LVT flooring include:

  • Durability: Vinyl floorings are extremely durable, making them ideal for both residential and commercial settings. They resist mechanical wear from people walking and damage from moisture, mold, mildew and stains
  • Affordability: LVT is exceptionally affordable. Prices can go as low as £1.50 per square foot, depending on the design you choose. What’s more, vinyl tends to be an exceptional long-term money-saver. It doesn’t require periodic replacement, unlike many other flooring solutions
  • Comes in a range of designs: PVC vinyl can mimic many premium flooring options, including stone, tile and hardwood

The disadvantages of luxury vinyl flooring include:

  • Prone to denting: As vinyl floors are very thin, placing a heavy appliance on vinyl flooring can result in permanent denting which doesn’t occur with tiles, stone or hardwood
  • Fades in direct sunlight: To protect vinyl tiles from UV radiation, you may need to apply UV-reflecting films to your windows
  • Hard to remove: If you decide that you don’t like your luxury vinyl flooring, it can be difficult to remove. As the adhesive hardens, it bonds with the subfloor, so you’ll need to use a lot of elbow grease in any future renovation

Because of the way it is made, LVT flooring dents easily. By contrast, SPC vinyl is made of tougher stone plastic polymer composites and plasticisers that are more resistant to heavy loads. 

 

How to lay Vinyl Click Flooring

Thanks to modern LVT click flooring systems, installing click vinyl flooring is considerably easier than it ever was in the past. All you need to do is slot and lock the tiles together thanks to its click mechanism and then cut the unwanted ends using a sharp cutting blade and snap them off to ensure that you fit the room perfectly. Most people with intermediate DIY skills should find it relatively easy to lay all types of click flooring. You don’t need to be particularly handy to do a good job.

If your target room is a regular shape and has minimal features interfacing with the floor, then going down the DIY route could work for you. However, if you have an irregularly-shaped room or there are many features, such as pillar sinks, toilets, pipework and other accessories, then you might need an expert fitter to achieve the desired results.

If you want to find out how to lay LVT floors professionally, check out our step-by-step guide on how to lay LVT flooring. Learn the tools you’ll need and get clear instructions for the entire floor-laying process.