As LVT continues to rise in popularity and nosedive in price, the V might as well stand for versatile. The luxurious vinyl planks and tiles have been flooring industry’s hottest trend the past three years, and barring a drastic change in design tastes, it wouldn’t be shocking for LVT to hold that title for another three.
Creative freedom inspired by its many sizes and styles makes for wild popularity across near-any segment, be it in a school or college, high-end or fast-casual dining room and even in residential areas.
1. Realism without cost
People want realistic wood and stone looks without having to pay for actual wood and stone. Improved embossing techniques make modern LVT look more authentic than other replicas, and can create wider ranges of styles.
Registered embossing is the most sought after style for its realism. Stamped to precisely mimic the wood grain visual, a registered emboss creates a natural look and feel. Even various stone embosses, like sand, flat and slate embosses, can give the look of real stone tile.
While inspiration by nature isn’t new to restaurant design, more environments are jumping on the trend, such as healthcare, for both exquisite looks and
biophilic design.
2. Wider color ranges
You’ll never walk into the forest and find a tree with bright blue bark, but blues and other primary colors are popular in educational areas.
As LVT prices continue to drop, being the cheapest won’t cut it for most projects. With more environments now looking to LVT for an affordable solution, especially those with less budget, manufacturers seek to differentiate themselves from the competition by offering larger selections of colors and styles.
Sometimes those expanded ranges have nothing to do with realism, but appeal to a sought-after need.
3. Adhesive-free
Many flooring types have adhesive-free options available, and now LVT manufacturers are jumping in. Adhesive-free LVT results in faster installation, but it’s not just the speed that wins. If a project is concerned about VOCs or odor, ditching adhesives can alleviate such woes. With VOCs becoming huge issues in public areas, namely schools, any mission to lessen them is welcome.
Learn more about the VOC epidemic in schools.
4. Size (diversity) matters
With more color combinations comes more size variations.
Not only allowing for quicker installs with big planks, a specialized project with a custom design can be achieved through varied tile and plank sizes.
Some new and popular sizes include:
• 10" x 60"
• 7.36" x 48.3"
• 6" x 36"
• 4" x 36"
• 18" x 36"
• 12” x 24"
5. Residential use
Originally developed for commercial use, LVT manufacturers’ constant price competition has made the resilient vinyl tiles and planks affordable enough for home applications.
The ever-popular hardwood may be actual wood, but is not as strong as vinyl and can be twice the price. LVT’s realistic wood replication, combined with low cost, great durability and ease of maintenance, has made it a viable option for kitchens, living rooms and finished basements while hardwood remains a beautifully expensive investment.
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