Learn All About Remodeling and Luxury Vinyl Tile

Today, technology has given homeowners more innovative choices in terms of materials to use for home remodeling. From low VOC paints to stone veneers, advanced insulation products, and even flooring, today, there are choices to fit every aesthetic and budget.

In terms of flooring, luxury vinyl tile has become and continues to be one of the top choices among homeowners because of its versatility. LVT is available in a wide range of colors, and styles, including plank flooring that beautifully mimics genuine hardwood or various stone species. However, there are many different collections, each with various thicknesses, subfloor requirements, and installation methods. Each of these elements should be considered when choosing the right product for various applications.

In this post, we're going to look at some of the various luxury vinyl tile styles, why LVT is an excellent choice for your remodeling project, and where to best utilize them throughout your home.

Why Luxury Vinyl Tile is a Great Choice For Your Next Remodeling Project

LVT is a multi-layer material that offers homeowners several benefits, including affordability, aesthetic beauty, and durability. Thanks to modern manufacturing, LVT accurately mimics natural materials like wood or stone at a much more affordable price point. LVT is made up of several layers, including one for protection, a vinyl core, the backing, a print film layer, and a polyurethane coating.

Here are several reasons you should consider luxury vinyl tile for your next remodeling project.

Ease of Installation

Installing new flooring can be a labor-intensive project that can take days to complete, disrupting your day-to-day routine. Many LVT products can be installed directly over your existing floors or directly over sub-flooring, saving time and money by eliminating the need to remove the old flooring. The ease of installing LVT makes it a highly cost-effective choice.

Affordability

If you want the look and feel of hardwood flooring but don't have the budget, luxury vinyl tile is an excellent choice. Thanks to modern manufacturing techniques, LVT can give you the look and feel of hardwood at a drastically lower cost than many other options. In fact, LVT can cost as much as 75% less than hardwood. Plus, LVT's ongoing maintenance costs are minimal.

LVT is Aesthetically Beautiful

LVT is created using state-of-the-art technology that perfectly mimics natural materials like various wood and stone species, giving you not only the look of these materials but also the feel under your feet. Thanks to the wide variety of products available, you can find the perfect luxury vinyl tile to meet your functional and aesthetic needs.

LVT Requires Minimal Maintenance

When it comes to hardwood, stone, or carpet, a lot goes into proper cleaning and upkeep. With luxury vinyl, you can't beat the ease of maintenance. All that is needed is to mop down the surface to remove dirt and grime occasionally, and LVT is stain resistant, so you don't need any special cleaning fluids or services.

It's Extremely Durable!

In fact, LVT is one of the most durable flooring materials available. Even though the planks look elegant and in danger of scuffing, scratching, or staining, they are incredibly long-lasting and designed to stand up to heavy use over time. LVT maintains it's integrity and ages gracefully.

These are just some of the many benefits you'll enjoy with luxury vinyl tile!

Choosing the Right LVT For Your Project

Luxury vinyl tile is the perfect material for use throughout your home. However, there are different collections with various installation requirements and methods to consider. Here's some information on choosing the right LVT flooring for various applications throughout your home.

luxury vinyl tile lvt in a remodeled kitchen — LUXURY VINYL TILE WITH GROUT LINES MIMICS THE LOOK OF REAL CERAMIC TILE, YET IT HAS JUST A HINT OF SOFT FLEXIBLITY UNDER FOOT FOR COMFORT AND WARMTH.

Kitchens and Mudrooms

These are the two hardest-working rooms in every home. They get heavy daily foot traffic and are prone to wet messes from food, drink spills, muddy shoes, and wet clothes. While real wood is a great flooring option, it just isn't tough enough to take all of this abuse! LVT comes in a wide range of looks, including natural wood. Keep your family's lifestyle in mind and choose accordingly. Both glue-down and floating LVT is available. However, for high traffic areas like kitchens and mudrooms, glue-down might be the best choice.

View our Kitchen Design-Build-Remodeling Project Portfolio

In terms of thickness, vinyl plank flooring thicknesses can range from 2mm to 8mm or more for higher quality products. Be aware that the most critical factor to consider when looking for mudroom or kitchen flooring is the thickness of the wear layer, which can range from 8mil to 40mil. Thicker is better to hold up to daily wear and tear.

Living Rooms, Dining Rooms, and Family Rooms

light grey luxury vinyl tile lvt with no grout in a condo bathroom — LUXURY VINYL TILE CAN BE INSTALLED in a bathroom WITH NO GROUT LINES TO MAKE IT EASY TO CLEAN. THIS FLOOR IS LAID WITH A HALF OFFSET PATTERN.

Living areas are shared spaces that get a fair amount of foot traffic, although it's significantly less than kitchens and mudrooms. If your home features an open floor plan, you might have a larger living area, and this can affect the type of flooring you should consider. While real wood is warm and inviting, it's also costly. Other challenges in large living rooms and dining areas include furniture legs, high heels, pet claws, and kid's toys. The little ones moving around their favorite toy truck or sliding the ottoman or dining chair across the floor can be hard on flooring, and while LVT is durable, be aware that it can scratch.

LVT comes in a wide variety of warm and cool color tones to match any design palette. So it should be easy to find the perfect look. If your living room, dining room, or family room is large, or your home boasts an open floor plan, glue-down vinyl might be the best choice. It will be more stable than floating floors. However, floating flooring is an excellent choice for smaller areas.

For most residential applications, you can use a minimum 12 mil wear layer. If your family is active, you have small kids or pets, you may want to bump it up to 20 mils or more for longer-lasting protection.

Bathrooms, Laundry Rooms, and Basements

luxury vinyl tile LVT used in a finished basement bar area — LUXURY VINYL TILE IS A GREAT FLOORING FOR A FINISHED BASEMENT REMODELING PROJECT. IT FEELS WARMER THAN CERAMIC TILE.

While bathrooms and laundry rooms don't receive as much daily wear and tear, the challenges these rooms present are moisture and water. From splashing in the tub to an overflowing washing machine, any of these types of accidents would wreak havoc on wood flooring. Basements will probably get more traffic if it's used as a playroom or man cave, but moisture is the real challenge in these areas, especially if it's below grade. It may be constantly damp or even flood occasionally. Luckily, LVT is moisture resistant, and some collections are even 100% waterproof. That means, unlike wood, you'll never need to worry about swelling or warping.

In terms of style, both floating or glue-down are excellent for this type of application. Again, it can depend on the room's size, but for basements, a click-and-lock floating system is the best choice as it can adjust to temperature and moisture levels without coming loose or buckling.

Luxury vinyl tile is an excellent choice for many applications throughout your home. It's durable, aesthetically beautiful, flexible, and affordable. With a wide range of styles, installation methods, and natural looks, you can find the perfect luxury vinyl tile to meet your needs.

If you live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area, and are planning a home remodeling project, why not give the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at (608) 846-5963. Let us help you choose the perfect luxury vinyl tile product to meet your next project's functional and aesthetic needs. Call today for a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your project.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 9/8/2022.