LVT: What, When, Where & Why
What:
Luxury Vinyl Tile or Luxury Vinyl Planks, also known as LVT or LVP, is a newer flooring product on the market growing in popularity for residential use. It’s been used in commercial applications for years! The “T” or “P” is really dictated by manufacturer and the shape of the product. It honestly comes in all sizes and shapes for 12”x12” to wood-like planks. Shoot for 7mm-12mm for good residential quality. The thicker, the better.
When:
Great to go over existing flooring such as tile or wood or a bare subfloor such as concrete. When it’s not good is if the subfloor is uneven such as tile that has been torn up or different levels of flooring because of foundation issues. It’s like a piece of rubber that will take the shape of whatever is below it, so seams, gaps, indents, bumps, etc. on whatever is under it, will show over time, if not immediately.
Where:
Super awesome for high traffic areas due to its durability. Kitchens, basements and bathrooms are all options! The install process for bathrooms is a little different to ensure water doesn’t get under it. Probably safer to stick to non-wet areas, but everyone is different and powder baths would be totally fine.
Why:
Think kids and dogs! Nothing happens to this stuff and the best part is, in the rare event you have damage to a tile, you can just pull that one up, slap some glue down and put a new one in. Brilliant! It comes in lots of different sizes, textures and colors. The pricing on it is good and the best part, again given a ready subfloor, you can install it yourself! If you are going to require a lot of subfloor work like I did, I wouldn’t attempt it yourself!
