Why Vinyl Flooring >>

Of the many invalid accusations hurled at vinyl the following are the top four myths of which some people are reluctant to let go.

Myth 1: Vinyl Flooring Emits Toxic Fumes and Poses a Health/Safety Risk

We've all heard the tale that vinyl poses some kind of health or safety risk simply because it's synthetic. The truth is, according to a 1999 study completed by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the manufacture, installation, transportation and even the daily use of vinyl flooring emits less toxic chemicals than most other floors - including linoleum -- vastly outperforming them in virtually all measures of indoor air quality (IAQ). In fact, some heterogeneous sheet vinyl floors were found to emit 10 times less volatile organic compounds (VOC) and/or aldehydes than linoleum flooring, and roughly 50 percent less VOC than recycled rubber flooring.

But most damaging of all to the myth of vinyl's unsafety is the fact that -- even when burning, vinyl flooring releases no more phosgene, cyanide, hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide or other toxic chemicals than most other flooring materials. based on studies by the Vinyl Institute -- a research and testing arm of the American Plastics Council -- In fact, vinyl's tendency to stop burning when an external flame-source is removed has led some to describe it as "self-extinguishing," vastly increasing its overall safety versus most other forms of flooring.

Myth 2: Vinyl is a Low-Class, Unstylish Flooring Option With Low Market Appeal

A quick, unscientific poll of architects and interior designers will generally reveal one thing with regard to vinyl flooring: the design community thinks of vinyl as a low-end, bargain basement, unchic, practical surface. Indeed, though 52 percent of interior designers and installers cite the durability of a flooring product as a primary motivator in making purchasing decisions, and 36 percent cite the simplicity of its installation and/or maintenance as a leading motivator, the fact that a majority of designers surveyed cite the design-style of a product as the chief motivator of their purchasing / specifying decisions is a clear indication that the design community longs for more than just practicality. What many designers and installers don't know is that they can have their cake and eat it too -- they can have durability and simplicity of installation / maintenance and exciting designs.

Many designers aren't aware that vinyl's material composition actually facilitates the creation of unique-cut geometric patterns and flooring designs. Furthermore, while often realistically replicating the look of a variety of hard surfaces such as tile, cork, and especially wood, heterogeneous vinyl floors feature a layered structure that preserves the beauty of the floor's designs beneath a tough, high-performance and easy-to-maintain wear layer. What's more, unlike such hard surfaces as wood, laminate, terrazzo or ceramic tile, vinyl floors have give that reduces noise and provides comfort underfoot. Indeed, the impressive beauty of some vinyl floors, combined with vinyl's unique design qualities, helps explain its increasing popularity as a sports surface whose high-density vinyl foam cushion backing systems provide shock absorbing surfaces that reduce impact-shock and leg fatigue.

In addition to the wide array of smooth vinyl flooring designs available, a handful of select manufacturers also offer an impressive array of embossed vinyl floors for everything from boutique retail and office designs to heavy-duty commercial, institutional and industrial applications in locations as pragmatic as locker rooms, lobbies and school gymnasiums to installations as exotic as private yachts, premium restaurant-nightclubs and TV show sets.

Myth 3 : Vinyl Flooring is Less Friendly to the Environment Than Other Options

A survey of architects and designers quickly reveals the preponderance of an overwhelming assumption: that "natural" floors -- such as wood, linoleum, ceramic tile and even recycled rubber -- are better for our environment than floors composed of synthetic materials, such as polymer-based vinyl. The apparent premise behind this assumption is that because the materials used are not manufactured, they do not harm the environment with volatile emissions produced in their fabrication. Further, it is argued, because renewable resources are used in the fabrication of such ecofriendly floors, their negative impact on the environment is less than that of synthetic floors. In many cases, the insinuation is even made that floors comprised of synthetic materials are dangerous because they produce volatile emissions even in their daily use, let alone their installation or manufacture.

Moreover, scrap vinyl is itself often recycled, along with other plastics, into new vinyl. Even during the manufacturing process, 99 percent of all scrap vinyl is reformed into new vinyl.

Myth 4 : There Are Many Kinds of Flooring That Are a Match for Heterogeneous Sheet Vinyl's Durability, Resilience and/or Cost-Effectiveness

According to several studies, in terms of strength/durability, sheet vinyl floors are typically in use years after their installation. The life of the Vinyl Flooring depends on the wear layer and thickness of the material and the application area. An example of the same could be the application of ‘Tuff’ in an Office Lobby or an Auditorium. Since the surface of sheet vinyl is resistant to scratching, scuffing, staining, indentation and other daily abuse such as rips, tears and gouges, and cannot be damaged by most cleansers -- and because its color/pattern resides beneath the wear layer surface rather than on top of it -- the appearance of heterogeneous sheet vinyl floors is virtually immune to fading or deterioration. Plus, vinyl's durability also allows it to withstand heavy foot and equipment traffic, as well as stationary or static loads in most applications.