Among numerous innovative developments in the construction industry, most consumers prefer finishing materials that are characterized by practicality, simple installation and pleasant operation. One of these materials is the vinyl tile for the floor. The features of the application of this material and technology of its laying will be discussed in our article.

Types of flooring

Production of vinyl tiles intended for the floor is carried out in two ways. Depending on this criterion, it happens:

• pressed tile;
• quartz-vinyl tiles.

The extruded tile contains vinyl and a special resin. To improve operational properties in such a tile added:

• stabilizers;
• plasticizers;
• inert fillers.

All components are exposed to high temperatures and are pressed under huge pressure. This technology makes the vinyl tile more durable and durable, and the sheets of material are obtained plastic and flexible.

The top layer of extruded vinyl tile consists of a protective film that makes the material as wear-resistant. In addition to the solid operational period, this floor covering is characterized by a variety of textures and drawings.

An extruded vinyl tile for the floor in the photo and in reality may be similar to:

• any breed of wood;
• natural stone;
• green grass;
• sea pebbles.

This makes it possible to realize many design solutions when creating a stylish and original interior.

For the manufacture of quartz-vinyl tile uses natural quartz. Its specific weight in the finished product is about 80%. Natural quartz is characterized by:

• increased moisture resistance;
• inflicitness of alkaline and acid substances;
• resistance to mechanical loads;
• independence of electrical charges.

Thanks to such properties, the quartz-vinyl tile is excellent resistance to numerous negative environmental factors. The presence of plasticizers and stabilizers in the outdoor coating provide material with maximum plasticity.

By type of laying, vinyl tile is divided into:

• self-adhesive;
• castle;
• adhesive coating.

Self-adhesive vinyl floor tiles is the most convenient view of the coating in the implementation of installation work. On her back side there is a shell that contains glue. Due to it, there is an instant clutch with the floor surface.

The locking material is equipped with a spit-groove plastic mounting system, which is an improved variant of the similar PVC laminate system. Castle vinyl tile is used when creating a floating floor in rooms for which intensive patency is characteristic.

Adhesive coating made from vinyl tile is the most economical way of floor finish. The price of this vinyl tile for the floor is significantly lower above the materials listed. In addition, this material does not require increased attention to a black-based floor.

Features of the structure and advantages of vinyl tile

Despite the variety of species with various properties and buildings, the vinyl tile has similar features. It consists of three main layers:

• lower stabilizing;
• middle decorative;
• top protective.

The lower stabilizing layer consists of polyvinyl chloride, vinyl filler and plasticizer. Its main purpose is to smooth the smallest flaws of the material on the floor surface.

The average decorative layer forms the appearance of the flooring. Drawing pattern that mimics natural materials is carried out using special coloring compositions. The dye provides not only the clarity and uniformity of the pattern, but also the durability of paint fixation with excellent adhesion with floor. What increases the duration of the service life of the coating.

The basis of the upper protective layer is the high-strength transparent vinyl, which passed the process of special processing. Such vinyl contributes to improving wear resistance and strength, protects the vinyl tile from mechanical damage and the negative effects of sunlight and the aggressive chemical medium.

There are no specific recommendations for the selection of material. The main criteria are the reviews of the vinyl tile for the floor and its manufacturer, as well as the emerging room interior created or already available.

The best vinyl tiles in rooms with high load is the material that has 43 class and the upper protective layer with a thickness of up to 0.5 mm. For decoration floor, the bedrooms is quite suitable for the flooring 33-34 classes with a protective layer of 0.2-0.3 mm.

The advantages of vinyl tiles include:

• low weight;
• environmental friendliness;
• solid warranty period (some manufacturers give a warranty for 35 years);
• slow abrasion;
• the preservation of the initial appearance throughout the entire operational period;
• waterproof;
• fire safety;
• stable dimensions;
• resistance to temperature differences;
• low cost and simplicity of installation work;
• the possibility of laying material without a special substrate;
• simplicity of coating care;
• easy repair;
• the inconsistency of the negative influence of fungi, bacteria and rodents.

Installation of floor covering

Vinyl tile laying technology for floors largely resembles a process of installation of ceramic tiles. The only difference in vinyl coating is the possibility of finishing convex and concave surfaces.

Since the vinyl tile is characterized by stable geometric parameters, it is not necessary to create technological indents around the perimeter of the room, around the door receptions and pipes. Also, do not be engaged in the device of the seams, as the tile lays close to each other. An exception to the rules is a floating floor. Clearing the tile from the wall prevents the process of transmitting sound waves.

The obligatory initial stage is the preparation of the base under the floor covering. There are several requirements for the base of the tile. These include:

• hard base should not be fed;
• in the presence of concrete floor, its humidity should not exceed 5%;
• the base should be dry and clean: without dust, fat or paint.

If there are exhaust sites or potholes on the floor, repair work should be made. The recesses and convexities are eliminated by grinding the surface or pouring the leveling mixture. To reduce glue consumption, all seams and cracks are closed with putty.

When assembling the floating floor, the vinyl tile in a horizontal position is maintained in the room off during the day. The room temperature should be within 18-24ºС.

When the floor covering is placed on an electric or water floor, the heating system should be turned off approximately a week before work. The minimum distance between the warm floor and the vinyl tile is 1.5 cm and is created with the help of cement fill or crate from the rails. It is forbidden to glue the tile from vinyl to a soft substrate or foam insulating material.

When used as the basis moisture resistant plywood (13-15 mm thick), the sheets of the material should be:

• split on the billet with a size of 0.5 * 0.5 m;
• glue the floor with a mastic or special glue;
• collect and clean.

The humidity of the plywood base should not be more than 10%. Therefore, immediately disappears the option with laying outdoor coating from vinyl in rooms with high humidity. Plywood sheets are not recommended to use and with a warm floor. This is fraught with deformation both plywood and vinyl tiles.

Marking works provide for preliminary decay of the vinyl tile on a facing area. This is done to determine the initial point of laying material. In some cases it will be located in the center of the room. It all depends on the placement of furniture, the presence of large household appliances or embedded structures.

When the starting point is determined, two perpendicular lines are carried out using a folding cord. Along one of the lines and the laying of the flooring begins.

You can use completely different ways of laying vinyl tiles. The layout diagrams characteristic of parquet or tile are usually applied. When applying original laying schemes, material is bought with the same pattern.

Preparation of acrylic or vinyl adhesive should be made in such a quantity so that it does not frost prematurely. Finishing work is better to start with minimal area. Flat toothed spatula is used to apply glue. Facing work starts from the starting point and are carried out along the drawn lines.

The longitudinal line and the end part of the first stacked tiles must match the markup on the floor. The tile stacked on the glue and smoothed by hand. Surplus air and glue are removed from under flooring.

Depending on the layout scheme, the subsequent tiles are installed. Flooring is placed without gaps. The entire decoration was rolled by a rubber roller in both directions. Excess glue is immediately removed with a wet rag. After 30 minutes, the laid coating again rolled the roller.

Cutting tiles is carried out by a conventional knife. Marking is performed from the front side. Locking tile knife is made with a little effort. Only the top layer should be cut. The outbreak of part of the floor cover is bent and the rest is cut.

Proper cutting of vinyl tile for sticking in places where doorways and pipes are located using cardboard templates.

After finishing the gluing of the vinyl tile, the reliability of its fastening is checked. This is especially true of the corners. If there are dubious areas in the quality of the quality, then it is best to cross them. A day later, the floors can be washed. The furniture is better to make 2-3 days later.

Video on the laying of vinyl tile for the floor: