Vinyl Plank

Style

One important consideration when choosing LVP is deciding what style you envision for your home. Vinyl flooring comes in a ton of different styles - from wood to stone or even marble, LVP flooring will look like the real deal. Colors and texturing will also make your new LVP flooring feel like the real deal. With so many LVP options for your home, it might be difficult to choose just one!

Placement

Another consideration when choosing LVP flooring is where to have it installed. As we’ve mentioned previously, vinyl flooring is waterproof, making it an ideal choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and even basements. However, you don’t have to limit LVP to just those areas. LVP’s durability makes it an excellent choice for just about any space in your home, especially high traffic areas or other spaces where your flooring experiences wear from pets, kids, or accidental messes.

SPC vs. WPC

LVP is comprised of a core that is commonly made of one of the following: SPC or WPC. SPC stands for Stone Plastic Composite and is commonly referred to as Rigid Core. Rigid Core vinyl planking is known for being a physically harder product. WPC stands for Wood Plastic Composite and generally softer to walk on. Both products have the similar characteristics and a specific purpose.

Wear layer

While most vinyl flooring options are durable and resistant to everyday wear and tear, lower-quality vinyl plank flooring may peel or delaminate over time — this happens when vinyl flooring has a thin wear layer. However, this can be easily avoided if you choose a LVP with a thick wear layer, which can last up to 25 years with proper maintenance.

Day-to-day

Day-to-day maintenance for LVP floors is simple and includes removing dirt and dust to keep them looking nice.

Sweep or dust mop: For easy maintenance, sweep with a soft broom or dust mop to help prevent dirt and grit from building up that can then scratch the surface of your vinyl floors — vacuuming with an attachment designed for hard floors is also acceptable.

Damp mopping: Sweeping only goes so far. You’ll still need to use a damp mop when your vinyl floors begin to look dull or dirty. Simply use a sponge mop with warm water to loosen dirt and grime that didn’t get picked up from sweeping.

Cleaning

When it comes to removing dirt and grime that doesn’t come up from regular day-to-day care, vinyl floors are easy to clean with a couple methods.

Cleaning solution or general-purpose liquid detergent:Vinyl floors can be cleaned with general floor cleaning solutions of a general-purpose liquid detergent by combining with water in a soap bucket. Simply dip your mop into the solution-water mixture, wring it out, and go over the floor until dirt and grime has been removed.

Armstrong Once ’N Done or Mannington Rinse-Free Cleaner: Both of these products are specially formulated for vinyl plank floors and do not need to be rinsed. Simply combine with water and apply with a mop or rag.

Luster Maintenance

Over time, the finish of your vinyl floors may become a bit lack-luster, so there are some standard maintenance tips you should perform based on the finish of your floors.

High-gloss floors (urethane finishes): Apply a high-quality acrylic emulsion floor polish like Armstrong Shine using a mop or soft rag. Be sure to never use buffing equipment on high-gloss floors.

Standard-gloss floors (vinyl finishes): To bring back luster to standard-gloss floors, use a mechanical buffer with a lamb’s wool bonnet or pad. This can be done once or twice a year depending on how much foot traffic your floors receive.

Preventative

Be careful to avoid the following to keep your LVP floors in good condition as long as possible:

Gouging and scrapes from moving furniture: Take caution not to drag furniture or appliances across your vinyl floors. Doing so can result in scrapes and gouges to the finish that can’t be removed.

Indentations: If you have heavy furniture, we recommend supporting them with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors to prevent indentations in your flooring. Similarly, high heels are known for causing indentations and scrapes, so be sure to leave these shoes at the door.

High exposure to sunlight: Normal sunlight exposure is fine for vinyl floors, but if you live in a very sunny or hot climate, excessive sun exposure through sliding glass doors or big windows can cause vinyl floors to fade over time.