Traditionally, flooring refurbishments that involve damaged or uneven subfloors are time intensive and costly to undertake. But not anymore. Here, Donna Hannaway, Head of Marketing UK and Ireland at Forbo Flooring Systems explores how the latest Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) floorings can provide a genuine solution.
When it comes to flooring refurbishments within social housing, it can be fraught with challenges. Whether it’s squeezed budgets, availability of contractors or pressure to schedule work to help reduce disruption to residents, it’s not always a straightforward task. In addition, when you are dealing with a subfloor that has seen better days and requires the existing floor to be ripped up or screeded over, then this just translates into more time and more money.
In the past, many specifiers have favoured traditional rigid core vinyl products. However, while easy to install and maintain, the problem with these traditional ‘rigid core’ floorings have always been the inherent inflexibility. Brittle by nature, in high traffic areas tiles have been known to suffer damage over time – often at the joints, if there were irregularities in the subfloor. Resulting in the ‘new’ flooring that looked great initially requiring further work and further investment.
Thankfully, the market has evolved, with the rise of next generation Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) that offer both a flexible core and an adhesive-free, click installation method.
These new LVT innovations offer all the benefits of a traditional rigid core but with more forgiving flexibility, meaning that the tiles will be able to cope with imperfections in the subfloor with ease – and crucially for the lifetime of the product. LVT can then be installed even in the most challenging of conditions, including uneven subfloors, over damp and damaged floor coverings or even over old ceramic tiles.
Adhesive free LVT solutions then offer further advantages. With the ability to be installed quickly and easily, this in itself is a big win for social housing projects. What’s more, facilities teams will be able to highlight the health and environmental benefits associated – including lower VOCs and reductions in waste. Another key advantage is the fact that the absence of adhesive means there is no curing time either, so the flooring can be walked on immediately. Further down the line, the flooring can also be easily lifted and reused elsewhere or recycled.
One such example is Forbo’s new Allura Click Flexcore range, which combines all the benefits of LVT with an integrated foam underlay. It provides a flexible, adhesive-free solution that can bridge the gaps in poor, uneven or sloped subfloors and in direct sunlight without shrinkage. Able to be cut easily by hand using a standard knife, it can also be installed over grout lines of up to 8mm wide and 3mm deep, all while delivering 20 dB impact sound reduction.
Of course, it’s also important to consider the design of any flooring finishes installed, ensuring that tenants are provided with a modern and attractive home to call their own. The beauty of LVT remains the ability to create stylish and welcoming environments to suit any type of interior design scheme. Versatility is a real advantage when it comes to LVT, and leading manufacturers should offer a portfolio with a wide range of colourways and design options across various tile sizes.
Whether the application requires a traditional wood aesthetic, sophisticated stone, minimalist concrete or a bespoke and unique look altogether, LVT will allow for a wealth of aesthetic requirements. All in all, the latest adhesive free and flexible core options really are a game changer for refurbishments and worthwhile considering.