A Pet’s Best Friend: Animal-Friendly Flooring
Whether you’re a dog-lover or a cat-person, there’s no denying the impact those beloved furry friends can have on your home; especially your floors! With…
Your Family’s Memorable Moments Happen on Vinyl Floors
Baking holiday cookies in the kitchen, potty-training the new puppy, or simply hosting family game night—these activities create lasting memories and laughs, as well as spills and messes. Good news, you have no worries because you chose vinyl flooring.
Current vinyl flooring is not the same as yesterday’s. Today’s manufacturers can incorporate photos and textures to create the authentic look and feel of virtually any natural flooring product including hardwood, tile, or stone.
While vinyl, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), or luxury vinyl plank (LVP) platforms can be used in any room in your home, they are typically found in kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms as they are highly water-resistant. Homeowners have also chosen these products for finished basements, entry ways, hallways, children’s playrooms, and workshops.
Malkin’s is a family-owned business, so we understand that life happens on your floors. We know you want durable flooring to take in all of life’s moments, while making sure your flooring looks great. Our experts are here to help guide in the selection process.
Vinyl, LVT, and LVP Offer Many Design Options for Active Homeowners
Sheet Vinyl—Rugged versatility and water-resistance allows the surface to stand up to moisture, heavy household traffic, and the active play of children and pets. The sheets are basically created to fit the size of the floor, with some trimming involved. Vinyl sheet is typically a layered construction which offers a felt or fiberglass backing. Felt-backed is the most popular, although fiberglass offers the most comfort under foot.
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)—Vinyl tiles, are just that, tiles. The durable construction of LVT includes protective layers which resist scratches, scuffs, rips, tears, and gouges. When compared to traditional sheet vinyl, LVT is easier to install and it’s much easier to repair should only one or two tiles need replacing.
The ability to place the tiles in different configurations offers more design options for your rooms, ideal for show-stopping kitchens or fabulous bathrooms.
Although grouting LVT is not necessary, it creates the most realistic tile look. A manufacturer’s acrylic grout can be used with LVT, as its properties make it more flexible and durable—and the grout color will never change.
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)—The latest style-savvy offering is vinyl planks. These are typically 5-inch by 48-inch vinyl planks which mimic the look of real hardwood flooring—some styles are even wider and longer. The look of hardwood, at a fraction of the price, so it can be used in your living room, dining room, or virtually any room as your guests will never know the difference.
Vinyl Floors Offer Many Benefits:
- Unlimited design options to match any decor
- Ease of maintenance as you can wet mop the floor
- Good durability—even in high-traffic areas
- Pricing to meet a range of family budgets
- Extreme moisture resistance so they are ideal for both bathrooms and mudrooms
- Unlimited usage—works in any room of your home or commercial building
Vinyl Installation is the Key to Durability
Many websites and TV shows will tell you it’s easy to install vinyl flooring if you are an experienced DIYer. And, under perfect conditions, they may be right. At the same time, subfloors, temperature, humidity levels, and underlayments can create installation issues. Proper application of adhesive and meeting the correct drying times are crucial to a great vinyl installation. In addition, trimming the product to match corners and other odd angles can be tricky.
Rely on the experts at Malkin’s for an accurate installation that provides lasting results. We have been in business for decades and know all the best practices, as well as a few tricks we have learned over the years. Besides, do you really want to spend that much time on your hands and knees? Let our professionals show you how we create raving fans every day.
Cleaning Tips for Vinyl Flooring
- Daily Duties—Be sure to sweep each day to remove food trimmings, dirt the kids dragged in, and other remnants.
- Spill Cleanup—Vinyl flooring is forgiving, so while we advise you to wipe up spills promptly, vinyl is highly resistant to water. At the same time, don’t let messes “puddle” on the floor (especially if it came from a puppy you are training).
- Weekly Cleaning—Sponge mopping with a good cleaner is the best. Most of our luxury vinyl sheet floors have a low gloss, so we do not recommend using a “Mop and Glo” type product as it will change the finish.
- Bathroom Cleaning—With or without teenagers, bathroom floors tend to accumulate hairspray. The best advice is to shampoo away hair spray. Mix a squirt of shampoo with some warm water. Mop up the mess and then—if needed—mop again with water only.
