How Long Does Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring Last?
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring, known for its durability and design flexibility, is a practical choice for commercial spaces. While the lifespan of LVT can vary widely — from 10 to 25 years, depending on several factors — it’s essential to understand that the type of LVT thickness selected, installation conditions, and maintenance practices are all pivotal in influencing this range.
This blog post provides a detailed look at these factors, with insights into how LVT flooring can sustain its performance and appearance in commercial settings over time, ensuring your investment remains sound for years to come.
What Is Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring?
How Is Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring Manufactured?
What Is Luxury Vinyl Tile Made Of?
Understanding Luxury Vinyl Thickness and Wear Layers
So, How Long Does Luxury Vinyl Flooring Last?
The Advantages of Luxury Tile Flooring
What Is Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring?
Luxury vinyl tile flooring, known for its durability and flexibility, is an ideal choice for commercial spaces. Unlike traditional sheet vinyl, which comes in large, continuous roll, LVT is available in individual tiles or planks. This format allows for intricate designs and textures that closely portray natural materials such as wood, stone, or ceramic, offering a more sophisticated and adaptable aesthetic than many sheet vinyl products in the market today.
Furthermore, LVT distinguishes itself from regular tile flooring through its comfort underfoot and ease of installation. Traditional ceramic or stone tiles can be hard and cold, whereas LVT provides a warmer and more comfortable surface. Additionally, the LVT installation process is typically quicker and less labor-intensive (though NOT considered DIY for commercial spaces) compared to the mortar and grout process required for ceramic or stone tiles. The ability to replace individual pieces of LVT without disturbing the entire floor is another advantage, offering a practical and cost-efficient solution for commercial environments.
By offering greater design versatility, ease of maintenance, and a more comfortable walking surface, LVT stands out as a preferred flooring choice across a broad range of commercial applications, blending the aesthetic appeal of natural materials with the practical benefits of modern manufacturing.
How Is Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring Manufactured?
The manufacturing process for luxury vinyl tile flooring combines advanced technology with high-quality materials to create a product that is both durable and aesthetically pleasing. The process begins with the creation of a vinyl backing layer, which provides the foundation for the tile. This backing is essential for giving LVT its stability and flexibility.
On top of the backing layer, manufacturers apply a high-definition photographic layer that can resemble the look of various materials and designs. This layer is what gives LVT its remarkable ability to closely resemble hardwood, stone, or ceramic tiles or a completely original pattern. Following the photographic layer, a clear protective layer is added on top. This wear layer is crucial for the flooring’s durability, offering resistance against scratches, scuffs, and general wear and tear.
The final step involves applying a polyurethane coating or similar finishes to enhance the tile’s resistance to damage and microbial growth, making it easier to clean and maintain. This multi-layer construction process ensures that LVT flooring can withstand the demands of commercial environments while providing a range of design options to suit any aesthetic.
What Is Luxury Vinyl Tile Made Of?
Luxury vinyl tile is made from a blend of materials that ensure its durability, resilience, and versatility. The core composition of LVT includes PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which provides the material with its foundational strength and flexibility much like several materials used in structural construction today. Added to this are plasticizers (most often non-phthalate), which enhance pliability; and stabilizers, which contribute to durability.
LVT features a multi-layered design, with each layer serving a specific purpose in the overall performance of the flooring:
- Vinyl backing stabilization layer: This foundational layer acts as a support base, giving LVT its dimensional stability and allowing it to withstand temperature changes without expanding or contracting excessively.
- HD design print layer: Sitting above the vinyl backing, this layer features high-definition digital prints that can replicate a wide array of designs, from the intricate patterns of natural wood and stone to more abstract and unique visuals. This layer is key to LVT’s aesthetic versatility, offering endless design possibilities.
- Clear design protection layer or wear layer: This transparent layer protects the intricate designs underneath from foot traffic, scratches, and scuffs. It’s a critical component for maintaining the longevity and appearance of the flooring.
- Polyurethane coating: The final touch in the LVT construction is a polyurethane finish or similar coatings that offer an extra layer of durability. These finishes guard against microbes, scuffs, and other potential damage. Some LVT products, for example, include additional treatments like ceramic bead-infused, UV-cured coatings with antimicrobial technology, enhancing their resistance and ease of maintenance.
This layered construction makes LVT a durable choice for commercial environments and allows for creative freedom in design, meeting both functional and aesthetic needs.
Understanding Luxury Vinyl Thickness and Wear Layers
With most commercial flooring options, whether luxury vinyl tile or resilient sheet, a product’s overall thickness typically goes hand-in-hand with its wear layer thickness. As defined above, the wear layer is a clear design protection layer that is resistant to foot traffic and rolling loads. In addition to the wear layer is its coating. While coatings vary by manufacturer or by product, the coating is what protects the wear layer, and is the part of the flooring that resists scratches and scuffs.
For most commercial luxury vinyl products that are a 2mm thickness, the wear layer thickness is typically 10-12 mil. For 3mm and 5mm products, the wear layer generally runs from 20 to 25 mil with some specific requests for a customized 40 mil thickness for extreme high and rolling traffic spaces.
*Note, that while having a thicker wear layer seems like the obvious solution for having a highly durable flooring, a standard 20 mil wear layer is often suitable for most commercial spaces. Remember, that the thicker the wear layer (40 mil and above) the less clarity of the design since it protects the film design beneath it.
So, How Long Does Luxury Vinyl Flooring Last?
The lifespan of luxury vinyl tile flooring is based on several factors. As mentioned above, the construction and selection of the product for the appropriate application will contribute greatly to its longevity, and with the proper installation and maintenance techniques, luxury vinyl tile flooring is designed to last anywhere from 10 to 25 years and beyond in varying commercial applications. The following provides a general guide of what you may expect for warranty terms based on a product’s construction, though warranty will vary among manufacturers:
Still, the actual lifespan is contingent on several factors, like the amount of foot traffic it receives on a daily basis, or any environmental conditions related to a particular industry. For example, a multi-family apartment unit may require only a 2mm or 3mm product since the foot traffic of that particular space is only of those living within the unit. Though for a multi-family building and its hallways or common spaces, at least a 3mm product is required since all tenants walk through the space. Below is a general guide to consider*:
Certain industries and applications may require flooring that meets particular criteria such as high critical areas in hospitals or greater cushion underneath in assisted living spaces. We recommend consulting with your sales representative to confirm the construction necessary for your application.
In addition, product selection should not overlook the preparation, installation, and maintenance of the entire floor system. For more information and guidance, check out our blog post, The Pre-Installation Checklist for LVT Flooring Installations.
The Advantages of Luxury Tile Flooring
Luxury vinyl tile flooring is a popular choice for commercial spaces, balancing cost-effectiveness with high performance and aesthetic versatility. Here’s a closer look at the advantages that make LVT stand out:
- Affordability: LVT offers an economical flooring solution, providing the look and feel of commercial surfaces including terrazzo, wood and stone without the higher cost of material, installation and maintenance.
- Low maintenance: Its ease of care is a significant advantage. LVT requires minimal maintenance, needing only standard cleaning to keep it looking its best.
- Water and stain resistance: Engineered to resist water and stains, LVT is an ideal choice for areas prone to spills and moisture, ensuring longevity and ease of upkeep.
- Customizable appearance: With hundreds of design options available, LVT enables one to match any décor style, from natural wood and stone looks to unique patterns and color combinations.
- Durability: Constructed for heavy use, LVT is robust and can withstand the demands of high-traffic areas, maintaining its appearance over the long term.
- Ease of installation: LVT offers a more efficient installation process compared to other flooring options, with quick-curing adhesives and no need for additional treatments like grout or polish, significantly cutting down on installation time and costs.
- Reduced Sound and Increased Comfort: The overall thickness of luxury vinyl flooring not only contributes to sound absorption but also lends a comfortable surface to walk on when compared to other hard surfaces.
- Increased insulation: LVT provides better sound and heat insulation compared to many hard flooring options, contributing to a quieter and more energy-efficient space.
- Variety in luxury vinyl tile thickness levels: Different LVT thickness levels allow for tailored solutions based on the specific needs of a space, from lighter residential use to heavy commercial traffic areas.
Follow these best practices to keep your commercial LVT in top shape for many years to come.
Tips For Maintaining Your LVT
If you have taken into account the overall product and wear layer thickness of your flooring and its intended end-use and traffic patterns, then LVT is one of the lowest maintenance commercial flooring products available today. While it is important to review your manufacturer’s maintenance instructions for detailed instructions, luxury vinyl in most general cases, is best cleaned with commercial floor care systems and machines. However, if mop cleaning is necessary, a two-bucket system using a neutral cleaner is a recommended approach.
Color Infused Board Buff luxury vinyl plank is featured in the entry way of a multi-family unit which ensures protecting their flooring with entry way walk-off mats. Project: Pointe Place | Photo by: Greg Murray
To further protect your flooring investment and application, utilizing entry mat systems is highly recommended. This will help reduce the dirt and debris tracked in from outside onto the flooring. A combination of the exterior, vestibule, and interior matting should be used for the first 15-30 feet to eliminate as much direct friction to the LVT as possible. While luxury vinyl is a highly durable and resistant hard surface, it can still scuff or scratch, but with the proper maintenance such as entry mats, you can preserve the life of your investment. Remember, not all commercial mats are the same. Consult a sales representative to ensure the proper type of mat is used to protect your installation.
When To Repair Your Flooring
As previously mentioned, luxury vinyl is a hard resilient surface that is highly durable to scuff and scratches, though care should be taken to avoid such occurrences, it can happen especially in high traffic spaces or in places where you have little control of furniture movement like in apartment dwellings. Should your flooring seem scratched or scuffed, topical treatments are available and will maintain the gloss of your LVT and these treatments can be used to reduce the appearance of scratches. If the entire floor is seeming a bit dull, wall-to-wall revivals are also available.
If a deep gauge occurs, keeping attic stock of your flooring product is important. Luxury vinyl plank and tile is relatively easy to replace a few tiles at a time, as needed, and is recommended to consult a professional at the time of a repair for best practices.
When to Replace Your Flooring
Deciding when to replace luxury vinyl tile flooring in a commercial setting involves recognizing certain indicators that repair might not be sufficient. Here are key signs that it’s time to consider a full flooring replacement:
- Extensive wear and tear: While individual tiles or planks can be replaced, widespread damage or wear across the entire floor often warrants a complete replacement to maintain both appearance and safety.
- Persistent staining: While commercial LVT offers excellent resistance to staining, it can happen due to some of the most stubborn elements, such as red hair dye or spills that aren’t addressed or cleaned in a timely manner. If cleaning and maintenance no longer restore the appearance of the LVT due to deep or widespread staining, replacing the flooring can revive the space’s look.
- Outdated design: Just like fashion, flooring styles evolve, and an outdated look can affect the overall ambiance of your commercial space. Replacing the previous LVT design with a modern look can rejuvenate the area and better reflect your brand.
- Structural damage: Signs of moisture damage, subfloor issues, or extensive warping indicate that repairs might not suffice. In such cases, replacing the flooring and resolving the subfloor issues ensures the integrity and safety of your commercial environment.
- Renovation or brand reimaging: Major renovations or a rebranding effort often necessitate new flooring to align with the updated aesthetic or functional needs of the space.
It’s important to consult with flooring professionals to assess the condition of your LVT and determine the most cost-effective and beneficial course of action. Whether opting for repair or replacement, the goal is to ensure that your flooring continues to meet the demands of your commercial setting while maintaining its appeal and functionality.
When that time does come, TAJ is here to help. As a family-owned business, our values are focused on service and superior quality. We’ll take the time to make sure your flooring option meets the needs of your space for years to come.
