Vinyl Flooring Information
Topics: Vinyl Floor Construction, Installation Methods, Vinyl Floor Care Tips
Alexanian's carries the major vinyl flooring lines; Mannington, Congoleum, Imagine, Dura Ceramic, Adura, Stainmaster.
Very sophisticated manufacturing techniques are now used to make vinyl flooring. Manufacturers can create extremely realistic looking often three dimensional patterns that rival the look of such natural materials as ceramic and slate. Most vinyl flooring utilizes some type of top wearlayer resulting in a very tough and easy to keep clean floor surface.
Stop by any Alexanian store for a look at the latest in vinyl flooring.
  
Vinyl Floor Construction
There are basically two vinyl construction types:
1. Inlaid construction with solid coloured vinyl chips.
2. Rotogravure construction which involves a printing process to achieve the design.
Wearlayers
Most vinyl flooring is now constructed with a durable top wearlayer. The thickness of the wearlayer will vary with each vinyl style, and is generally measured in mils of thickness. The more expensive vinyl floors usually have thicker wearlayers.
The quality of the wearlayer contributes to:
1. Ease of cleaning of vinyl floors.
2. The floors ability to withstand abrasion.
3. The floors resistance to staining.
4. The life expectancy and appearance retention of a floor.
Each manufacturer has their own specially formulated wearlayer. Generally speaking urethanes are the most popular. Urethane type wearlayers are found on most better quality vinyl floors. Some manufacturers apply a special coating to the top urethane surface to improve stain resistance.
Lower priced vinyl floors often have some type of PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) wearlayer, which protects the underlying pattern from being damaged by wear. These floors will generally be tougher to clean up things like scuff marks, and they may stain easier.
Installation
A proper installation is very important towards the final appearance and performance of a vinyl floor. The process of installing a vinyl floor is very involved and should be handled by a professional. Alexanian's can arrange a professional installation for you. Alexanian's uses only trained installers to insure your total satisfaction and maximize the performance of your floor.
Care Tips
For general care just sweep or damp mop the floor as required. Any spills should be damp mopped immediately. Ground-in dirt should also be damp mopped and if necessary an appropriate mild cleaning solution can be used. Do not use soap because it will leave a film that will make the floor appear dull. Consult the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations whenever possible. Many manufacturers have special cleaning solutions for their floors.
Other important care considerations:
Support furniture with wide-bearing non-staining floor protectors.
Place door mats outside of each entrance to your home to help prevent dirt, sand, oil, driveway sealer, and other substances from being tracked in onto your new floor. - Do not use rubber backed mats or cocofibre mats because they may damage the surface of your floor.
When moving heavy furniture or appliances, always use some type of plywood, underpad, or hard board to help prevent the floor from being cut, torn, or gouged.
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