As we discovered in our previous post vinyl flooring comes in different types. But what is vinyl flooring? What is that durable, beautiful flooring made of?
Answers to these questions are good to know. These flooring products will be part of your home and family lives for years to come, so it’s best to know what you’re welcoming into your homes.
Vinyl Flooring Is Made From
Vinyl floor’s primary make-up includes polyvinyl chloride (basically vinyl) resins, plasticizers (a type of solvent), pigments and trace stabilizers, and a backing. The backing material may be felt or mixture of paper with wood pulp and calcium carbonate. Vinyl sheets or vinyl tiles with a high-gloss surface contain an additional coating of polyurethane. The glue behind some vinyl tiles are made from organic resins. Learn about how vinyl flooring is manufactured.
Vinyl Flooring Design
Another thing a homeowner should know is the design of the vinyl flooring. The vinyl flooring goes through a process that is kind of fascinating.
Once a design is created, which are made by designers and marketers following years of homeowner’s trends, the designs are then transferred from paper to computer where the pattern goes through different iterations along with colors. The designs are printed in full-color and large-size papers.
Next stage would be if a design is approved to go further in manufacturing process, printing plates are made by engravers. The plates are made to print prototypes of the pattern on plain flooring (called gel stock). The wear layer – the final layer, a shiny surface of the sheet flooring – is applied over printed pattern; this brings the product close to the finished product. The prototype will then be approved, retooled or dropped. It can take as long as six months to have a design for market.
In North Florida and need flooring help?
Contact Florida’s flooring experts, KLC Floors and More, for any flooring questions, installations or flooring products.
