When it comes to new flooring there are almost too many kinds to choose from. With options like hardwood, tile, laminate and carpet, which one is best for you?

One option that is rising in popularity is luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank flooring.

This type of flooring is composed of PVC vinyl layers, a realistic 3D photo layer and then a highly durable layer of protection. Usually these are made to look like real wood, tile or natural stone and have many different options to choose from. Some styles are even water-resistant.

What makes this flooring different from other vinyl tile and vinyl plank flooring? Mostly, they are individual pieces of vinyl in the shape of tiles or planks and they look much more similar to the real thing than sheets of vinyl. These products are thicker than sheet vinyl and are anywhere between 5mm to 12mm in thickness.

They can be installed over existing floors such as concrete, hardwood, tile or old vinyl flooring. As opposed to sheets of vinyl that need a new subfloor before being put in place.

Another reason for the popularity of these floor coverings is that they are simple to install. The pieces are easy to cut, they require no glue or bonding to the floor below and the pieces easily snap together in place.

When it comes to installation, the only tools you will need are a crowbar, level, chalk line, utility knife or power saw (depending on the thickness of the floor you have selected), a square, tape measure and sander. You may have many of these tools already at home. Most of the flooring will come with installation instructions, but you can also find many videos online if you need more thorough instructions.

Because of the ease and simplicity of installation, it shouldn’t be a long, extended project. Depending on the size of the room you are replacing, luxury vinyl flooring installation typically takes between 1 to 2 days to complete.

If you are unable to or would not like to do the installation on your own, there are also plenty of flooring companies that offer professional installation at a reasonable cost and many professionals can install the flooring in one day.

Luxury vinyl planks cost between $2.50 and $12 per square foot, on average. Luxury vinyl tiles are slightly cheaper, with an average cost between $1 and $10 per square foot. These costs are what you will pay for the material only.

According to https://www.homewyse.com/ the average cost per square foot to have luxury vinyl planks or tiles installed is around $12.88.

Luxury vinyl flooring can be great for households with children and pets and can hold up to lots of foot traffic because it is tough and resistant to scratches and scuffs. It is advised however, to keep pads under heavy furniture because it is not indestructible and can get damaged from heavy objects like appliances. The great thing about this flooring is that the product is made up of individual pieces, if part of the floor gets damaged, you can replace just that part instead of the whole floor.

Another wonderful selling point on luxury vinyl is that it can help with sound blocking. It is available in many thicknesses and is much softer than regular vinyl. Both of these traits help dampen the sound when walking around on it. There are also some options out there that have cork or foam layers built in that make it even more soft to walk on.

The life of this flooring is comparable to hardwood floors and when installed correctly and treated with proper care can last anywhere between 10 to 20 years, without the need to refinish like you would have to with hardwood.

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