If you’re remodeling or going to go through a major life transition, a choice of floor can seem like a major hassle. If you grew up with carpet, you may find hardwood to be a very subpar substitute for the softness of carpet, but for hardwood lovers carpet is super difficult to clean and maintain on a daily basis. But, there is a potential third option, tilted more towards hardwood than carpet but enhancing the best aspects of hardwood with durability unmatched by other flooring options. Find out about the benefits of vinyl flooring.
Vinyl Flooring Origins
The chemical Polyvinyl chloride is commonly known by its name “Vinyl,” and forms the basis for PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) pipes as well as all sorts of other miscellaneous products. It is the third most used plastic in the world, and many household products are made of it or from it to supply families across the world. If you want to read more about the properties of vinyl and what makes it special, click here for a great summary that gives a comprehensive look at the process for plastic creation, use, and disposal.
Vinyl flooring is made from a layer of this plastic combined with other structures and materials that give it a very unique texture and durability found nowhere else. The plastic is designed for durability on all levels, so if you’re worried about the wear and tear that pets and kids can create in even the sturdiest hardwoods, you may find a helpful partner in vinyl flooring. Construction is one of the best uses for vinyl, since its extreme hardiness and resistance to weathering makes it perfect for building.
Hardy Construction
Most flooring has strengths and weaknesses, and this type of flooring is no different. The resilience of this type of floor is unmatched by other common covers. If you are looking for lifeproof vinyl flooring, you won’t find anything that stands up to the same wear and tear as this exceptional material. Yet, that same durability is also its downfall. PVC is one of the prime polluters of the world’s oceans and bellies in the form of microplastics but have no fear if you wish to use it for flooring.
PVC is, at this point, nearly ubiquitous for packaging which is the primary form of pollutant. Most of the harmful garbage in the ocean comes from this packaging, used once then discarded. There is no better use for a super durable material than building, and a lot of this material is recycled back into use for purposes like this. This is the primary motivation for sports like spear fishing, which does kill fish but uses the meat to an absurd degree. If you are worried about PVC’s existence, then you are worried over nothing, but if you are equally worried about the efficiency of this plastic, then flooring is a great means of moving forward.
The Average Uses
If you use plastic for your floor it might seem strange, since we as modern people are used to the kind of floors that have been used for generations: fur (carpet) and wood (hardwood). In terms of texture, it is closest to hardwood. There is obviously no softness to plastic, but for many people this kind of thing can make rugs a reality in ways that make aesthetic choices both fun and meaningful.
If you have a carpet, a rug is kind of a useless investment and is liable to make you trip. With hardwood, the bottom of the carpet will scuff the finish the type of wood you choose. After years, you will know which areas are high traffic. It will be obvious, trust me, where your dogs go in and out and where your kids (if you have any) are causing the most chaos.
For people who want a clear answer as to whether this type of renovation is worth the hassle, click this link: https://www.bybrittanygoldwyn.com/lifeproof-sterling-oak-vinyl-flooring/ for a comprehensive review of a newly installed piece of flooring. In general, it is worth it in my opinion, and takes the best of many worlds while leaving behind issues that come with wood.
Conclusions For the Pragmatic
For many people, plastic is a no-go. In the climate of environmentalism that we as a culture are struggling to accept, it can seem the antithesis of good to adopt a type of construction material that is made of a non-biodegradable material. Yet, these materials exist now regardless of our complaints and so we may as well use them for what they’re made for: being as tough as we can handle. Construction is the one use where PVC may be our savior, and since we’re forced to live with the stuff, it may as well be as one of the simplest and best flooring options I’ve ever seen.
