Ask your typical flooring professional what’s new in flooring these days and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you its Vinyl Plank (or sometimes called LVT for Luxury Vinyl Tile). It happens to be one of the most significant new products of the past couple decades. It’s used almost everywhere from homes, apartments, and hotels and all the way up to and including airports, shopping malls, etc. It comes in tile and plank formats in a wide range of colours, patterns, and textures.

Luxury Vinyl Tile’s Track Record

Although it may be the first thing a flooring professional thinks of, it is not in itself a new product—it has actually been on the market now for over ten years.That’s great news for anyone fearful of trying a new product that may not have been tried and tested in the real world and an important consideration as flooring is an expensive and long term purchase.

There have been some issues in the past, most of which are extremely rare now. These generally involved planks that delaminated or lifted from the subfloor. Delamination occurs when the various layers of a plank separate from each other. This occurred primarily in cheap overseas products when LVT first appeared on the market. Lifting implies that the plank has come up from the subfloor, exposing an edge or creating a bubble in an otherwise smooth floor. This happened with almost all vinyl plank floorings when placed in extreme temperature locations (in front of windows in southern facing rooms) or on unsuitable subfloors (delaminating vinyl or linoleum or irregular surfaces).

The good news is that these problems have all but disappeared and improved materials and adhesives, combined with additional training for installation teams have made LVT floors one of the most durable and maintenance free options available.

What’s New in Luxury Vinyl Tile

If it’s a ten year old product, why is it still considered new?  Well, that has a lot to do with the diverse collection of styles, colours, and patterns that are now available. These days you can get LVT planks with hardwood patterns featuring a hand-scraped or wire brushed texture, wide and long planks, and a brilliant array of stone and concrete styles and formats. Be sure to check in store to see the incredible range of products and find the perfect product for your project.