Luxury Vinyl ( LVT )

Luxury vinyl tiles are the evolution of the vinyl tiles we're used to. Using new technology and updated manufacturing techniques vinyl floor tiles are a serious competitor to the established players.

They are built with a number of small layers. One on top of another. These layers give the tiles texture, durability and flexibility. Want stone, ceramic or wood floors but need something that can be installed faster, changed easier but with strong resilience? Luxury vinyl tiles might be just what you're looking for.

We are over the moon with the job you did yesterday, having seen it myself I must say the workmanship is the best I have ever seen, thank you I will be in touch when we require flooring in our hoped for move, I will have no hesitation in recommending you to others.
Marian from Stowmarket

So what are luxury vinyl tiles or LVT?

Vinyl tiles have had a bad reputation for a while. They were popularised in the 60’s and used heavily in kitchens and bathrooms ( you may remember seeing them in your Gran’s or Nan’s house ). Research came to light in the 80’s that asbestos could be harmful to health. Asbestos was used in vinyl tiles and sales rightly plummeted.

Side note : if you have any really old looking tiles be cautious. Asbestos has to be professionally removed.

Fast forward to today and vinyl tiles are officially “luxury”, free of asbestos and created using modern multi-layer techniques and high-resolution printing. Here is a what a modern luxury vinyl tile looks like in close-up:

A Look For Every Room

Luxury vinyl tiles from such high quality manufacturers as Karnedean can be used all over the house. A uniform look across the property could work. Or maybe different styles in each room.

For a modern, new build home you could go for a dark grey concrete to contrast with flashes of strong deep colours. For a rustic property you can have the sympathetic look of weathered oak with none of the problems and cost that it brings with it.

In a fun playroom, games or cinema you could let your imagination go wild. Cartoon, retro or geometric patterns would look brilliant in a matching room.

No longer does the bathroom have to be boring. With a near infinite choice of colours and patterns you can deliver the wow-factor in any room in the house. And the best bit is that it's easy to swap to a new style if the mood takes you!

What Are The Benefits Of Luxury Vinyl Tiles?

Fights off water and moisture all day and night

The top layer of the structure's main job is to provide water resistance. Wood can easily be damaged if wetness sits for a while. Slate too can suffer. LVT will happily put up with spillages, just mop it away and you're good to go.

Resistant against all manner of stains

As the top layer of luxury vinyl tiling is water resistant it simply wont let most stains adhere to it. The stain won't be able to get a foothold. At the very worst give it a good scrub and things will be back to normal. Even tough stone floors can become stained, needing acid products to burn away the damage.

Some are ember resistant

Some types of LVT are tough enough to shrug off damage from hot embers that fall from the log-burner. Be sure to talk to our representative if you want this feature as not all LVT has this ability.

Sweep and wipe and you're clean

Remove any debris and give it a mop. That's the cleaning guide. No more buying expensive solutions that are suited to one floor type only.

Doesn't suffer from expansion issues like laminate

Laminate and wood can expand and contract with the seasons. Luxury vinyl tile is not so easily affected. Once it's down, it's good.

Harder to scratch than most of the real versions

The layering structure protects against all but the deepest cuts. A lot of natural flooring must be cared for and looked after greatly. LVT can put up with a fair amount of abuse. And if the worst does happen it's pretty easy to replace a tile.

Built for comfort on the foot

With the multilayer structure its easy to build in great support and feel for your feet. Want the look of a hard, natural floor but want something you can walk barefoot on and the kids can tumble on? Look no further!

Comparatively easy to install

Fitting solid heavy flooring is a time consuming task. If flooring is natural it's never uniform. A lot of flooring requires bonding that is hard to remove. Luxury vinyl tiles can be installed and uninstalled easily. If trends change you can take it up and go again!

If you can dream a pattern you could have it

It's possible to get custom design patterns printed in high resolution on the graphic layer on a luxury vinyl tile. A great touch for the kids playroom or maybe a stylish geometric look for the home office. It's all within reach.

Linda W. – Really lovely flooring, used it in my kitchen and it looks lovely. Feels really padded on the foot and fitting was really easy. Totally transformed the look of the room and brought the colours out in the cupboards. Want to put more of it around the house next.

Suzanne F. – Great value for money, the texture on the wood effect vinyl looks brilliant and from distance you wouldn't even know because of how the light hits it. I think it will be easy to clean when it comes to it too.

Greg, Eye – Things have definitely changed with lino. I wasn't expecting such a high quality product and the way it dulls out the footsteps is perfect for the hallway. The colour i chose looks perfect too and i know it shouldn't fade over time.

Luxury Vinyl Tile Effect Options

Modern

Marble

Pine

Driftwood

Ash

Concrete

Flagstone

Slate

Oak

Chestnut

Travertine

Frequently Asked Questions

Is luxury vinyl tile easier to clean than the "real" alternatives?

Much easier. Give it a sweep and/or give it a mop and you're done. Liquid won't soak into it so you won't have that worry. And it can't become stained like wood does. Also, due to the protective coating you'll have more time to clean up unlike some surfaces where every second counts and is irreversibly damaging the floor itself.

I have underfloor heating or am thinking of getting it. Problem?

Absolutely fine. LVT is fully compatible with underfloor heating. It feels great underfoot which ever design you go for and won't block any rising heat. Nor will it degrade due to the underfloor heating. It's a perfect companion, the fact that luxury vinyl tiles are so quick to lay and take up is an extra bonus.

Do I need underlay for luxury vinyl tiles?

Not all LVT are equal. If a very thin style of tile are installed underlay can affect how the tiles attach to one-another. If a thicker tile is to be installed an underlay can have definite benefits. If your tile doesn't need underlay you will save some money but a thicker tile with underlay has some attractive advantages.

An underlay will give your new floor even more comfort for your feet as well as deadening footstep sounds. The extra layer of material actually gives the luxury vinyl tiles another dimension of comfort too and it will last longer because of it. The tiles have comfy bedding that means they move and twist less giving extra life to your floor. Also, if the floor isn't totally level an underlay will smooth out the bumps too.

Is there a way that luxury vinyl tiles can be improved to look even more realistic?

I'm glad you asked that! Yes, is the answer. On close inspection anyone can see that LVT are simply tiles laid down, next to each other. They are all the same height and they are level from front to back. Luckily someone thought of an extra step to improve the realism of your floor.

That's where grout strips come in. To go that extra mile in the pursuit of realism we can actually fit artificial grout strips in-between each tile. This provides extra depth to the look of the floor. If you walked over the floor in barefoot you would feel the difference, the gap, between each tile. This is a really great innovation and has to be seen to be believed.

Are luxury vinyl tiles really any cheaper than wood?

As with most things, the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Generally LVT is cheaper than wood but also it's possible to find examples where this isn't true. As a general rule of thumb a hardwood floor could be 2 to 3 times more expensive than a comparable luxury vinyl floor.

Please don't base any of your pricing calculations around this. Don't hesitate to give us a call if you want to get a far more accurate estimate of cost.

Will an LVT floor be ok if a wheelchair is used in the house?

If there is a wheelchair user living in the house please mention this to us when you discuss your requirements. The twisting and pushing motion of a wheelchair wheel could cause, over time, the vinyl to shift. There are ways we can protect against this issue that we would be happy to discuss with you.

High heels damaged my wood floor, will the same happen with LVT?

One moment of forgetfulness can lead to square heel impressions on a wood floor. Luckily luxury vinyl tile will not take those impressions. The tiles are strong enough not to break when that small sharp impact is made. They have enough "give" in them to slightly accept the impact and bounce back into place.