Vinyl flooring tile( PVC) - topicality, practicality and durability
The vinyl tile( PVC) offered to the consumer today is a product consisting of several layers, the upper one simulating the desired coating( wood, stone, etc.).The basis of this material is polyvinyl chloride( PVC), mixed with various fillers that determine the properties of the final product.
These include resins, quartz chips, plasticizers, stabilizers. All layers are firmly pressed together by a certain pressure and high temperatures. The finished floor vinyl PVC tile has good antistatic properties, it is quite resistant to fire, moisture and chemical influences.
Thanks to the ability to simulate various materials, up to the metal. Ideal for any interior, regardless of its style solution.
This coating keeps the heat in the room well and has good sound insulation properties. On it, unlike ceramic tiles, it is pleasant to walk even in severe frosts. Of course, in words to explain all the advantages of this facing material is quite difficult, because self-adhesive vinyl floor tiles, a video about which is presented on our website, for each consumer is revealed in different ways. Someone is important to her aesthetic properties, but someone pays attention to durability.
Special attention should be paid to quartz vinyl cover. Such a tile is distinguished by composition and, accordingly, performance characteristics. The fact is that quartz-vinyl floor tiles for 60-80% consist of quartz chips and only for the remaining 20-40% - from vinyl and various modifiers.
Due to this, the finished product is characterized by an increased degree of hardness, strength and durability. However, it should be noted that when laying such a coating will have to show greater care and accuracy than when installing flexible PVC-tiles.
Vinyl floor tiles - we prepare the base for laying
The process of laying this type of facing is difficult to call laborious, but due consideration should be given to the preparation of the base. The fact is that the vinyl floor tiles are laid only on a dry and level ground. As a rule, laying is carried out on a high-quality concrete screed, plywood or wooden logs. Thus, you have a choice - you can lay a leveled floor with plywood and lay it on the material or arrange a flat concrete screed.
If you are more impressed with the first option, then you should choose a moisture-resistant plywood, the thickness of the sheets which varies between 12-15 mm. For ease of operation, the sheets are cut into squares of 50x50 cm and attached to the floor using glue or mastic. The dowels serve as additional fasteners. After the plywood is laid, it is polished and cleaned. The moisture content of the plywood used should not exceed 10%!
Please note that plywood laying is not your option if the room has high humidity or heated floors. Under such conditions, deformation of plywood sheets and, accordingly, PVC-tiles will occur.
If you decide to install a finishing coat on an existing concrete base, evaluate it for defects. So, small cracks and chips can be eliminated with the help of cement-polymer composition. Differences in heights, large cracks and pits - using quick-drying self-leveling mixtures. After their drying, it is necessary to grind the base, remove debris, dirt and dust, and priming it. Only after that it will be ready for installation.
Laying vinyl tiles - pros and cons
If you have never done these jobs before and do not know how to lay the tile correctly, carefully read the instructions attached to it and consider a number of nuances.
First, the material should lie in the room where it will fit.
Secondly, the tiles must be glued completely to avoid the formation of air bubbles between it and the floor base.
In addition, you need to stock up with the following materials and tools:
- rope;
- chalk;
- measuring tape measure;
- with a knife;
- protractor;
- with glue;
- tamping roller.
It should be noted that the tile can be ordinary( for its installation you need glue) and self-adhesive. Its feature is the presence of a film protected by an adhesive layer. To lay the cover, it will be sufficient for you to remove the protective film layer and press the tile to the floor surface. Of course, self-adhesive tiles significantly reduce the time frame and labor costs for work.
If you prefer the semi-solid quartz-vinyl tile, then the installation will have to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. On packages with a material it is always indicated which adhesive composition is preferable. Typically, the optimal option for laying is dispersion adhesive. So, to start work, you need to plan the center of the room. It is quite easy to do this.
Take a measuring tape measure and use it to mark the center of two opposite walls. Point the points with a rope and chalk, draw along the floor the line corresponding to it. Once again, use the tape measure and mark the middle of the line, then take the protractor and set the angle to 90˚.Draw a second line that will be perpendicular to the first one. As a result, the floor in your room should be divided into 4 maximally equal squares.
After this, you can proceed to gluing the coating. To do this, the adhesive should be applied to ¼ of the room and let it dry a little( the tiles will not "ride" on the floor).Then, in strict accordance with the lines drawn, tiles are laid on the floor and pressed tightly. To remove air bubbles from under it, each element of the coating should be taped with a rubber hammer or ironed with a tamping ram.
If there are excess surpluses near the walls, they can easily be cut off with a knife. Laying is carried out in the direction from the center of the room to its walls. Do not forget to leave a gap between the tile and the wall!
Undoubtedly, to tell all the nuances of laying this type of flooring is quite difficult. In addition, to perceive information in text form and correctly implement the resulting knowledge in practice is also not easy. That is why the laying of vinyl tiles, a video with details of which can be found on our website, must be studied visually. The video will allow you to look more closely at the main stages of the work.