Trendy, modern, comfortable flooring - vinyl laminate (22 photos)

A few decades ago, only a few varieties were present in the market of building materials for flooring, including wood and metal. Today, real estate owners are presented with a huge assortment. From such a diversity eyes are scattered, and numerous doubts creep into the soul. Today we will ease the torment of choice a little and tell you about cutting-edge vinyl coating.

As you already understood, this type of flooring materials appeared in Russian stores relatively recently. According to manufacturers, a vinyl laminate is distinguished by perhaps the highest rates of wear resistance, practicality and protection against mechanical damage, but these are not all the pros and cons. You can learn all the most interesting about this unique coating from our today's article.

What it is?

Flexible vinyl laminate is a real find for those who appreciate ease of installation and ease of use. It is made, as you probably already understood, of polyvinyl chloride. Today, various varieties are on sale. The first line of the ranking is occupied by a laminate for tiles. It is an imitation of rectangular or square ceramic tiles. The most common sizes of boards: 300 * 150, 200 * 200, 300 * 300, etc.

Vinyl laminate has standard sizes - 191 * 1316 and 324 * 655 mm, but its main distinguishing feature is its thickness - not more than 5 cm. This gives an undeniable advantage: now there is no need to peel off the old coating. A new layer will not create any discomfort and does not reduce the usable space.

Vinyl chloride was created in the early 19th century. And in 1872, Eugene Baumann made polyvinyl chloride (PVC). By the beginning of the 19th century, the mass production of PVC was already debugged, but its active use began only in the 30s. After this, this material has conquered all the existing spheres of production. Now the most developed area is the manufacture of decorative finishing coatings.

The most interesting thing about vinyl laminate

In addition to technical features, there are some points that distinguish it from other finishing materials for the floor. They should be considered if you want to lay a vinyl laminate with your own hands:

1. Mounting on glue. Today in large quantities are sold special adhesives designed specifically for working with PVC. Tile is glued onto the base treated with adhesive mastic. It should be noted right away that this technology has a significant degree of complexity, which makes it not very popular.
2. Castle quartz vinyl laminate, you guessed it, has locks similar to similar coatings. This allows you to make all the necessary work quickly and without much work. This installation of vinyl laminate is considered one of the most popular and relevant today. In addition, the presence of such locks allows you to use the material in a wide temperature range from 0 to 40 degrees.
3. Panels with an adhesive layer. The main feature of it, as you already understood, is the presence of an adhesive layer on the back side. It is protected from drying by paper strips. You can easily lay this coating on top of the old one.This is perhaps the best vinyl laminate, the only drawbacks of which are that during installation it is impossible to move the board from which you have already removed the protective paper layer.
4. Tile with adhesive tape. This type assumes the presence of a lock around the entire perimeter of the panel, but it does not only snap in mechanically, but with the help of a special fixing structure.

It should also be mentioned that vinyl tiles are divided into two classes: flexible and rigid. The peculiarity of the first is that they can be laid on uneven surfaces, and their solid counterparts do not tolerate neighborhoods with irregularities, therefore, during installation, they often crack and deform.

If you want to lay a vinyl laminate yourself, give preference to castle models. In the case of glue, any mistake can fly into a pretty penny.

Now let's talk a little about design. Today, there are a large number of different shades, ornaments and imitations of natural materials, such as wood or stone. Modern equipment makes it possible to create truly unique drawings and prints. Particular attention should be paid to this year's fashionable images of marble and aged wooden boards. By the way, the options "made of wood" are considered the most successful, because the tiles have a beautiful relief and texture.

You should also talk about the structure of the laminate boards. It is multi-layered and complex. The basis, of course, is the previously discussed polyvinyl chloride. It is he who gives the products strength and the necessary level of rigidity or softness. The second most important layer is PVC. A special substance is applied to its surface, namely fiberglass. Next comes the turn of the layer, giving the board strength.

Many manufacturers add fine quartz sand here. On the next layer there is a paper base on which the manufacturer applies the desired shade and ornament. At the end is protection - polyurethane, which has high strength characteristics against mechanical and other types of damage.

Remember that a vinyl laminate for the kitchen must also have high protection against aggressive moisture. Food is cooked almost constantly in this room, therefore, it is characterized by temperature differences and the presence of moisture in the air. Water and other drinks are often spilled on the floor, and it is very important that the laminated boards do not swell.

Advantages and disadvantages

As you already noticed, with the appearance of any new type of flooring, manufacturers immediately begin to praise it, telling customers about its wonderful properties, such as durability, safety and practicality, but loud statements often do not correspond to its true characteristics. Now we will analyze in more detail the main advantages of a vinyl laminate.

• The increased indicators of wear resistance and durability. According to the manufacturers, the floor will not be scratched, and you simply won’t see traces of massive furniture in the form of dents.
• Durability. There are allegations that the board can last home owners for about forty years.
• Ease of operation. Any contamination can be removed with a damp cloth.
• Moisture resistance. This distinguishing feature allows tiles to withstand the effects of liquids for a long time. According to construction companies, the vinyl laminate can be compared with tiles in this indicator.
• A variety of design solutions. This item is not subject to dispute.
• Easy installation. Specialists put the material in a small amount of time.
• Fire safety.
• Profitability.

But, as practice shows, everything is not as rosy as they describe us in high-profile advertisements. Let's look at a few examples:

1. For cutting panels it is enough to have an ordinary knife on hand.What do you think, if a board is cut so easily, how does it resist scratches? On the Internet you can read a lot of reviews. Some users claim that after a month of operation, various deformations appear on the laid laminate. Any heater or stove can significantly damage the coating. And if you are a person who likes to smoke a cigarette at home, an accidentally dropped cigarette butt can leave an indelible mark on the floor in no time. And if natural coverings (parquet or flooring from wooden boards) are easily restored, then vinyl tiles will have to be changed.
2. The material cannot withstand solvents and other household cleaning products for furniture and other surfaces. Rubber is able to spoil the color in the places of contact and leave spots. Even the highest quality waterproof vinyl laminate can not withstand such experiments, so be extremely careful during wet cleaning.
3. Water can penetrate the seams, rendering the locks and adhesive base unusable.
4. As for the installation, its ease ends when the process begins. If you chose rigid models, you need to make a screed, otherwise any unevenness will cause the tile to crack. Although experts say that putting it is much easier than the analogue of MDF.
5. Of course, today manufacturers can skillfully create an imitation of any material. But why overpay for such materials if, for example, natural wood costs several times cheaper?
6. The price for a piece of natural parquet is much less than an oak laminate. Then what kind of savings can we talk about?
7. In a fire, the tile, of course, will not burn, but exposure to high temperatures causes the material to release toxic chlorine-containing substances.