commercial linoleum flooring melbourne

Commercial vinyl flooring is a durable flooring material made from a combination of natural and synthetic polymer materials. It’s found everywhere from hotel lobbies and office foyers to schools and hospitals. And it’s rapidly being adopted in more and more settings due to design and material innovations.

Choosing the type of commercial vinyl flooring best suited for your application depends on several factors including lifetime cost, design preferences and length of time you intend to use the product. While there are many vinyl flooring options, they fall into three broad categories:

Vinyl sheet flooring

  1. Vinyl composition tile (VCT)
  2. Luxury vinyl tile (LVT)

While all three are durable materials well-suited for high-traffic commercial applications, they’re differentiated by maintenance requirements, lifetime price and design versatility.

VCT tends to be the cheapest initially, but it requires regular stripping, waxing and polishing. Over time, the extensive maintenance VCT requires can cause its lifetime cost to far to exceed vinyl sheet flooring or luxury vinyl tile. Both vinyl sheets and LVT have minimal maintenance requirements. But if a roll of the vinyl sheet is damaged, you have to re-cut and install the entire roll, rather than replacing one tile.

LVT tends to have the greatest design options, with products on the market that are nearly identical to the premium products they mimic. And with the lowest maintenance requirements and greatest durability, LVT provides the greatest long-term value of the three options.

If you only intend to use the facility for a couple of years —as with businesses leasing a property— or upfront costs are a big concern, VCT or vinyl sheet flooring are great options. In general, though, LVT tends to provide the best value over the life of the flooring system. Read on for a more detailed look at the pros and cons of each type of commercial vinyl flooring.

What is vinyl sheet flooring?

Sheet vinyl flooring is a continuous sheet of polymer materials manufactured in widths of about 6 to 16 feet. It’s similar to LVT in that it has a protective outerwear layer above a digital graphic film layer, but the film layer sits on an internal felt layer. It’s durable and used for unique designs that require larger sheets without visible seams.

Vinyl sheet flooring comes in large rolls, minimizing the number of seams and making it ideal for healthcare facilities where fall prevention is a key concern. Conversely, the lack of seams makes maintenance more difficult: If a section of vinyl sheet flooring gets damaged, you’ll need to cut and replace the entire section rather than just swap a tile.

Vinyl sheet flooring tends to cost more than VCT, but less than LVT. And while it has similar design versatility as LVT, it makes sense to pay a little more for LVT if enhanced durability is a key concern for your application.

What is vinyl composition tile (VCT)?

VCT is a mixture of natural limestone, filler materials, thermoplastic binder and color pigments. Made by fusing chips into solid sheets and cutting them into tiles, VCT requires layers of polish to protect its porous surface. Because of this, VCT is not a low-maintenance flooring product. It requires regular stripping, waxing and polishing, while LVT and sheet vinyl can get by with routine sweeping and mopping.

High maintenance costs can cause the lifetime cost of a VCT installation to exceed that of the vinyl sheet flooring and LVT. And while VCT comes in a variety of colors and patterns, it doesn’t meet the same level of texture and design versatility available in LVT tiles and or vinyl sheets.

Until LVT came along, vinyl composition tile (VCT) was the standard for high-traffic commercial areas. While it isn’t used as much today as it was 10 years ago, you’ll still find VCT used in many healthcare and educational applications due to its durability and low upfront costs. When upfront material costs are a primary concern, VCT is a functional and durable commercial flooring option worth considering.

What is luxury vinyl tile (LVT)?

LVT is made of a predominately limestone-based material mixed with composites. On the composite material sits an adhered digital graphic film, which can be created in nearly any look, sealed beneath an outerwear layer.

While LVT is the most expensive of the three initially, its lifetime costs tend to be lower due to its superior durability and minimal maintenance requirements. And due to the versatility of its graphic layer, LVT provides superior design capabilities to VCT.

In the past decade, manufacturers have released an impressive spread of new LVT products. Materials are now available in new sizes and shapes, such as hexagons and planks, making new and innovative designs possible. Digital graphic film layers have improved to the point that many are indistinguishable from natural materials, such as premium stone finishes and rich wood floors.

At the same time, the quality of new LVT composites and wear layers has made the material durable enough to withstand some of the most heavy-duty settings, often replacing traditional materials such as ceramic, marble and wood. And because LVT has the best lifetime value and greatest design versatility, we tend to recommend it over other commercial vinyl options.

Why select commercial vinyl flooring for your facility?

Vinyl can withstand water, sunlight and heavy use, and some materials even come pre-treated for cleaning and infection control. At the same time, the emergence of digital graphic layers provides nearly limitless design versatility.

Because of its versatility and durability, vinyl is a good flooring material to consider in almost every commercial application. Some of the only areas vinyl isn’t used as commonly are in heavy-duty kitchens and industrial applications. Quarry tile has been proven to withstand the high-moisture, high-impact environments of commercial kitchens. And polished concrete or epoxy flooring might be more common industrial flooring materials.

For almost any other application, though, vinyl is a functional and aesthetically appealing option. Many vinyl floors now offer premium-quality finishes and durable surfaces at far less cost than traditional materials, such as stone and wood.

At Melbourne Flooring, we help you select the most cost-effective commercial vinyl flooring with a life cycle costing analysis, which shows the cost of your floor, both up-front and over time. In the majority of cases, the analysis shows LVT as the better option, and it’s what we typically recommend.

Specification and installation considerations

Before you have your contractor install your flooring, we highly recommend testing your underlying concrete slab for any moisture issues, which can damage your floor and even void your warranty. After installation, we recommend working with your contractor to set up a proper flooring maintenance plan. You can also save money by leveraging your flooring contractor’s expertise to specify the greatest-value commercial vinyl flooring materials and source them at reduced rates.

At Melbourne Flooring, we’ve completed more than 400,000 flooring installations. And we’ve compiled all we’ve learned into a vinyl flooring product guide. You’ll receive quick takeaways about the pros, cons, price and performance of LVT, VCT and vinyl sheet flooring.

non slip vinyl flooring for kitchens & bathrooms

Researching flooring for wet areas such as the kitchen and bathroom? You’re in the right place. Your best bet for a durable, low-maintenance floor in wet areas is a range of non-slip vinyl flooring for kitchens and bathrooms. Water-resistant laminate is also a great option.

Vinyl plank is ideal in wet areas. Waterproof nonslip kitchen and bathroom vinyl plank floors are quick and easy to clean. They also come in a huge variety of styles, from wood-look to stone look and beyond, so there’s sure to be an option to match your preference.

With so many flooring options to choose from, the task of finding the right floor is often a difficult task.

Non-slip Vinyl Plank Flooring Advantages

  1. Easy to clean

Kitchens and bathrooms tend to get dirty quickly. Vinyl plank is easy to sweep, vacuum and mop, which means you’ll get a hygienic floor in no time. If you like easy maintenance, vinyl planks flooring is the floor for you, and they’re stain resistant to boot.

2. Rock-solid quality

Kitchen and bathroom floors are constantly put to the test. A sharp knife falling edge-down; a glass spilling its bubbly contents in transit: your kitchen and bathroom floor could tell you stories. But thanks to the patented Scratch Guard protective technology, vinyl planks kitchen flooring can easily withstand whatever you throw at it.

3. Moisture resistant and Non Slip

Vinyl planks floors are water-resistant and nonslip, preventing damage to your floor, slipping on your floor, and making it easier to clean. Apart from your kitchen, it also makes vinyl a suitable flooring choice for your bathroom.

4. Ideal for renovations

Just like bathrooms, kitchens are high on the list when starting a renovation project. Because vinyl planks are so thin and easy to install, it’s the perfect floor for any project. Often, you can even put it on top of your existing floor.

5. Truly attractive

Vinyl planks are ideal for open plan designs, meaning you can use the same floor in your open kitchen, dining room and living room. You won’t have to compromise good looks for practical benefits or vice versa!

Contact Melbourne Flooring today to get a quote for your kitchen and bathroom vinyl planks flooring installation.

Why Vinyl Flooring For Commercial Spaces

Commercial vinyl flooring

Commercial vinyl flooring is a great solution for businesses that would like to install long-lasting durable flooring on their premises. There are different suppliers of commercial flooring in Australia. Finding the right flooring supplier and product can often be a tedious task.

When installed correctly, vinyl floors look amazing. Designed to replicate a large number of different styles, you can get the aesthetic appeal of something luxurious at a fraction of the price.

Vinyl flooring can be used to mimic wood, natural stone and tiles, all in a variety of colours and patterns, all while allowing durability and easy maintenance – something which appeals to a large number of commercial users even commercial kitchen vinyl flooring. For more information on commercial vinyl flooring prices and types, you can contact us.

The advantage of vinyl flooring in commercial spaces

1. Choice of design and type

Designs and manufacture have come a long way since vinyl first appeared on the scene. Vinyl flooring comes primarily in three sizes. Vinyl sheeting is a modern variation of old linoleum, and allows for texture in your flooring, with ease of installation. The fact sheet vinyl can be installed in just one or two solid unbroken pieces means it is a better barrier to moisture, which is why in areas where moisture is a regular occurrence such as the kitchen, it is often chosen over planks and tiles.

Vinyl tiles enable you to make a pattern on your floor area or create a more natural look. Vinyl planks mimic hardwood planks and come in a range of lengths and widths – small herringbone pieces for example enable you to recreate a traditional floor style that is still very much on-trend.

2. Durability and sustainability

Vinyl flooring is extremely durable. There are a number of coating options you can choose to help increase scuff and mark protection, but vinyl is usually resistant enough in areas of normal foot traffic.

One extra advantage of vinyl tiles and planks is the ability to change certain areas of the floor without needing to replace the whole area, so is a great option for busy offices and commercial kitchens. It is a cost-saving option in the long run. For even speedier installation and the ability to change the flooring, loose lay is the perfect solution. Another advantage is that vinyl has become a more sustainable option, usually containing a high proportion of recycled material.

3. Ease of maintenance and installation

One key advantage of vinyl over its fabric counterparts is its ease of cleaning. Vinyl resists liquid, so any spillages or drops can quickly be mopped up, and they won’t sink into the material and leave a stain. Dust and dirt can easily be cleaned from vinyl flooring too, which makes it ideal for areas that need to maintain high hygiene standards. For more details on how easy it is to maintain contact us and talk to our experts.

vinyl plank flooring melbourne

If you are building a new home, vinyl plank flooring is an important part of your it. When you look to vinyl plank flooring, from a distance you might think that cheap and luxury vinyl wood plank flooring seems similar. But after you install the vinyl planks, and see them deeply and walk on them, you will see the differences of them. The quality of luxury vinyl plank flooring is the main point that differentiates the better vinyl from others. Some other factors that make differences between vinyl planks are thickness, core, wear layer, and the quality of them depends on the size of the selection, the company’s reputation, and the flooring warranty. In this article, we have explained the 5 best luxury vinyl plank flooring that you can install in your home.

The 5 Best Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring:

1) Loose Lay Vinyl Plank:

Loose lay vinyl flooring means you can easily remove and change planks separately without worrying about glue or anything else. It comes with many main advantages over other kinds of flooring, which is really easy to install and remove. Loose lay vinyl flooring can help you reach your perfect look and make your place feel like home.

We at Melbourne Flooring are here to assist you in choosing the best vinyl plank flooring available in Melbourne.

2) Armstrong Vinyl Plank:

Armstrong offer Luxury vinyl planks with the highest quality and design with durability available in various designs.

3) Heartridge Vinyl Plank:

Heartridge Vinyl Plank can give your home or workplace the impression of looking larger and more open, adding an attractive atmosphere to your home.

4) Signature Vinyl Plank:

Today’s new-age vinyl has excellent performance combined with modern design trends. They are easy to install, simple to sustain and can be installed in every room of your home. Vinyl comes in different thicknesses and providing extra cushioning for extra comfort. In addition to being soft, this added thickness also provides a quiet surface and thermal barrier.

5) Home Depot Engineered Vinyl Plank:

Engineered vinyl flooring is a kind of flooring that consists of a hyper-realistic, extremely durable. The used components are manufactured well together into a plank or panel format, then secured to a protected backing.

6) Karndean vinyl plank:

Kardean Vinyl Plank has used modern technology to bring the floors that are eventual in style and give you extremely high performance with quality.

Contact us for a free quote and information about the best luxury vinyl plank and vinyl wood plank flooring. Our qualified and professional staff are ready to answer all of your questions.

One of the most difficult and challenging home remodeling tasks is trying to remove an old linoleum or vinyl flooring. Even when the linoleum is removed, things only get worse because you’re faced with gobs of old glue or adhesives that seem all over the floor.

Linoleum & Vinyl Flooring Removal Considerations

Removing old linoleum or vinyl is time-consuming and difficult because wood, which is a common subfloor, is porous and so absorbs the adhesives. The reason why linoleum glue must be removed from the wood or any other subfloor is that some older adhesives had oils in them that chemically react with new vinyl and cause yellow discoloration.

The second reason the glue or any other adhesives must be removed from vinyl flooring is that the new floor covering can become brittle. In addition, any bumps or cracks in an old floor will appear on your new linoleum.

It is necessary for homeowners to be aware that asbestos was used in some old linoleum and flooring adhesives, particularly those made in the 1970s and earlier. It has some serious health risks when working with this material. If you’re not sure about possible asbestos, break a small piece and take it to an asbestos abatement firm for testing.

If there is no asbestos in your flooring materials, there are three ways you can remove vinyl or linoleum floors by yourself, depending on the subfloor.

Some Recommended Tools For Removing previous Flooring

Buying or renting the following tools will make your task much easier to remove any vinyl or linoleum floor:

  • Wide Putty Knife
  • Utility Knife
  • Brick Chisel
  • Bully Flooring Scraper
  • Paint Scraper
  • Hammer
  • Heat Gun
  • Reciprocating Saw
  • Toe Kick Saw
  • Oscillating Saw
  • Screws
  • Drill
  • Screwdriver
  • Water & Dish Soap
  • Sander

Removing Linoleum Or Vinyl Flooring from Plywood Subfloor

When your subfloor made up of plywood, you have two different choices:

  1. Remove the linoleum or vinyl and glue with a wide putty knife, utility knife, brick chisel, paint scraper, hammer or a bully flooring scraper.

First, you can cut the old flooring into parallel strips about 6 inches wide using a utility knife. You can use a hammer to tap a stiff putty knife or brick chisel under the linoleum to break it loose. Pull up the linoleum in strips to reveal the backing or the glue. Once you removed the surface layer, use a paint scraper to remove the linoleum glue. Using a heat gun to soften the glue as you scrape it away can help you to do the task easier.

  1. Remove the subfloor and linoleum or vinyl flooring as one piece.

To remove the linoleum and subfloor altogether, drill a hole through the floor to figure out how thick the plywood is. Set the saw blade to cut just 1/8 inch deeper and cut away a section of flooring on one corner of the room. To cut flush against the walls, use a reciprocal saw, be careful not to cut the floor joists. Cut the floor into small sections about 3 or 4 feet long as you continue to remove it.

While this option would be more labor intensive, it eliminates the step of removing linoleum or vinyl glue.

Removing Linoleum Or Vinyl Flooring Glued from Wood

Steps to remove linoleum or vinyl glued to wood is very similar to the process mentioned above.

Firstly, remove enough covering in a corner till you can find which way the flooring runs. Cut 6-inch-wide strips in the same direction the floor runs to minimize any chances of cutting across the grain. Contrary to a plywood subfloor, we have to be very careful as we scrape since we want to keep that beautiful hardwood below without any damages.

Set the utility knife blade just deep enough to get through the linoleum or vinyl. Heat the linoleum with a heat gun and then pry it and the glue up while the glue is still soft. Scrape away as much of the glue as you can while being careful not to damage the floor. Clean the floor very well and then sand away any remaining glue and refinish the floor.

Removing Linoleum Or Vinyl Flooring From Concrete

This is probably the easiest type of subfloor to remove linoleum or vinyl flooring.

Cut the flooring into strips about 6 inches wide. Pull up the linoleum in strips to reveal the linoleum glue. Use a heat gun to soften it, and then pull it off. The remaining glue can be scraped using a floor scraper or soaked overnight with water and dish soap, which helps soften the glue. Finally, use a paint scraper to remove the linoleum glue.

Alternative Approaches To Removing Vinyl & Linoleum Flooring

A very common alternative to removing old linoleum or vinyl floors is to put a new one right over it. If the existing floor is still smooth or can be smoothed with a few patches, then the new floor can be laid on top of the old vinyl or linoleum floor.

If you prefer to place a new flooring type on top of your linoleum or vinyl floor, you have two different options. First, a layer of 1/4-inch plywood is laid over the old floor to provide a smooth base and then you can place the new resilient floor on top of it. The second option would be raising the old floor with a self-leveling concrete, about 1/8-inch thick. The put the new floor on that.
We at Melbourne Flooring provide some of the lowest prices and quality services in the supply and installation of floors.

Vinyl plank flooring is one of the most common flooring choices for households, offices, cafes, and commercial applications. Different types of Vinyl plank flooring has various benefits, but all types are 100% waterproof. There are also a few disadvantages you may want to consider depending on your needs.
 

 

 

 

 

Comparing Vinyl plank Flooring Types

If you want to gain a more comprehensive knowledge of which type of vinyl will be best suited for your project, you may need to learn more about each type of vinyl flooring. some common types of vinyl plank flooring are:

  • LVT
  • Rigid Core Vinyl
  • SPC Vinyl
  • WPC Vinyl
  • Hybrid Vinyl

After you learn about different kinds of vinyl flooring, you can compare the pros and cons to figure out which option will be best for your project. Below we have listed some of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of vinyl plank flooring:

Pros

  1. Difficult to remove if glued down
  2. Can be punctured with very sharp objects
  3. Some vinyls can dent if there is a heavy objects on top of them
  4. Not biodegradable
  5. Can show fading and discoloration with excessive UV exposure

Cons

  1. 100% Moisture Resistant
  2. Commercial Grade Wear Layer
  3. WPC, SPC and Rigid Core Constructions
  4. Antistatic
  5. Easily applicable on cement, granite, tile, laminate and other flat subfloors
  6. Easy Installation – click lock, glue down or loose lay
  7. Variety of decor options – wood, stone, cement, etc
  8. Low maintenance costs & easy to clean
  9. Options for any budget

The Pros of this type of Flooring

The most important advantage of vinyl plank flooring is the fact that it is 100% water resistant. This makes it the most suitable flooring solution for places such as basements, kitchens, bathrooms, restaurants, and cafes. It is a great option for those with pets that worry about accidents.

Moreover, this type of flooring is very compatible and durable with commercial grade wear layers that can resist against heavy traffic. Large commercial spaces can benefit from glue down vinyl installation.

Many businesses and households love the fact that vinyl is highly durable and easy to maintain. Regular sweeping and weekly mopping is all you need to keep your floors neat.

With improvements in this type of flooring, you can find vinyl floors with rigid core construction, making them more dimensionally stable and sturdy. Nowadays, you have many options when it comes to vinyl flooring. You can find various types of vinyl plank flooring with attached underlayment, thicknesses up to 8mm or more and hand scraped textures.

It is also very easy to install vinyl floorings on nearly any subfloors, with the thicker floors being forgiving to imperfect subfloors. You can easily install a Luxury vinyl plank flooring with either a click lock, glue down or loose lay installation method.

Being affordable as well as durability and attractive appearance makes vinyl plank flooring a great option for different spaces without the price tag of real wood or tile!

The Cons of this type of Flooring

As with any product, there are a few disadvantages associated with vinyl plank flooring. If you want to glue down your vinyl plank flooring, the removal process would be very difficult. If you are installing vinyl as a temporary solution, it is suggested that you avoid glue to make the removal as easy as possible. However, if you have a large, open space, a glue down vinyl will be the best approach for your project.

This type of flooring is highly durable although it is a softer material than most laminates, hardwoods, and tiles. Sharp objects, such as dropping a kitchen knife or sliding a metal leg chair on top of the vinyl flooring can easily puncture its surface. Along with punctures, vinyl floorings without a rigid core can show signs of denting with heavy objects on top.

A vinyl plank flooring also has a different surface coat than a laminate. This top coat is not UV resistant and can show signs of fading or discoloration over time. If you plan to put vinyl in a place with heavily sunlight exposure, it is highly recommended to limit sunlight during the day.

For environmentally conscious consumers, vinyl plank flooring is not biodegradable and is very difficult to recycle. There are a few programs that can recycle your vinyl flooring, but they are not easy to very common and easily accessible.

 

Comparing Vinyl and Other Floors

There are so many flooring options available on the market, so it can be hard to narrow down the search for your perfect floor. You can compare the advantages and disadvantages of vinyl flooring whenever you are trying to decide whether vinyl flooring is right for you, or you’re stuck between different types of floors.

We at Melbourne Flooring provide some of the lowest prices and quality services in the supply and installation of floors.