Remodeling Contractors

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Vinyl Plank Flooring

For a number of different reasons, wood flooring is probably the most popular type of flooring amongst homeowners today. While it can be quite expensive, hardwood flooring adds a certain level of comfort and warmth to practically any room. Some of the negative aspects of hardwood flooring include its vulnerability to damage including stains, scratches, and more. Overall, it can be a pain to maintain and clean on a regular basis.
Vinyl plank flooring is a newer type of flooring that offers many of the advantages of hardwood floors, but at significantly reduced prices. There are also some other key advantages that vinyl plank floors have over hardwood floors that make it an attractive option for anyone who wants that classic wood floor look without the hassles and high price tags.
You can find vinyl plank flooring in a wide variety of wood grain sizes. This gives you the ability to pick out a grain size that closely matches your preferred choice of wood. In addition, it is available in an array of shades resembling cherry, oak, mahogany, maple, or any other wood of your fancy. In fact, it does such a good job mimicking these natural woods that oftentimes you would not be able to see the difference between vinyl and wood flooring.
Probably the biggest advantage of vinyl flooring is how cheap it is. The cost for this type of flooring will generally fall within the range of 1 to 4 US dollars per square foot. Another great advantage of these floors is that it is extremely durable and water resistant. Its ability to effectively repel water allows you to use it in your home’s kitchen or bathrooms. It is also resistant to the cracking and scratching that you will often find with natural hardwood floors.
There are a few disadvantages to vinyl flooring that you should consider as well. Since your average vinyl plank is not nearly as thick as natural wood planks, oftentimes you will need to install an additional sub-flooring before installation. You also have to be quite careful when it comes to cleaning vinyl plank flooring. Certain types of solvents and cleaners can actually damage these floors so you need to find cleaners that are specifically designed to clean vinyl floors without damaging them.
Flooring is one of the most noticeable and important aspects of any home. Therefore, choosing the right flooring is a very big decision that you want to get right. Before you decide to install vinyl plank flooring, you will want to learn about its advantages and disadvantages so you can make the right purchasing choice.…

Remodeling Contractors

Vinyl Flooring Prices – How to Estimate Cost

When it comes to computing for vinyl flooring prices, it is important to remember that the cost of vinyl tiles or sheets is not the only thing that you need to consider. There are other costs involved in laying vinyl flooring.
For instance, you need to take into consideration labor expenses just in case you do not want to do your own vinyl floor or you need to hire someone to remove your old tiles, carpets or other flooring materials before you can start laying vinyl flooring. Read on to learn important tips on how you can estimate the costs when you change your flooring to vinyl.
The first thing that you need to consider, when thinking of the cost of your vinyl flooring is the price of tiles or sheets. The price of each tile will depend on its size as well as design and quality. Most common vinyl tiles are 18 by 18 and 12 by 12 inches. If you plan to change a huge area, you can also opt to use vinyl sheets, which can either be 12 or 6 feet wide. If you are really on a tight budget, there are $1 vinyl tiles.
However, if you want to make sure that the quality and design will last a long time, you might want to invest in vinyl sheets or tiles that cost around $2 to $5 per square foot. So, if you plan to renovate your 10-by-20-foot kitchen, for example, you will have to shell out $400 to $1,000 for vinyl tiles or sheets.
Aside from the tiles or sheets, you also need to include the cost of labor when estimating your vinyl flooring prices. For simple projects, the cost of vinyl installation can be about $1 per square foot. There are also vinyl flooring suppliers who offer free installation, so you might want to inquire about that.
However, if your sub-floor surface has problems and needs to be smoothed out before the installation of vinyl materials, you should expect higher fees. Be sure to ask several installers so you can compare their fees.
Another thing that you need to consider when computing for vinyl flooring expense is the price of vinyl adhesives.
Although there are vinyl tiles or sheets that are self-adhesive, you may still buy special vinyl adhesives to ensure that the vinyl tiles in areas that have high foot traffic will not easily peel off. The prices of vinyl adhesives can range from $9 to $30.…