Can you have vinyl flooring in the living room? Is it considered cheap and tacky? Is it convincingly a good alternative to hardwood floors? Well, read on, because that’s what we are going to discuss in this article, along with some of the pros and cons of vinyl flooring.
Yes, you can have vinyl flooring in the living room since it’s a durable, cost effective, and attractive type of flooring. The easy installation process is perhaps one of the biggest selling points of vinyl flooring. Given that it comes in a variety of designs and closely resembles wood flooring, it’s a great choice for homeowners.
The fantastic news is that you can have vinyl flooring in the living room because it is growing in popularity.
Manufacturers have been able to carefully design vinyl flooring in such a way that it closely resembles hardwood flooring. It’s very difficult to distinguish between the two unless you feel the floor.
Paired with the right accessories and furniture, you can have floors that look absolutely stunning, modern, inviting, and comfy by investing in vinyl flooring.
Nowadays, they come in a variety of forms, like sheets, tiles, and even planks. The planks look the most similar to hardwood flooring since they fit together on the floor.
But it’s also true that vinyl flooring has some cons, which is something you should consider before having it in your living room.
What Are The Pros Of Vinyl Flooring?
1. It’s durable and resilient.
Despite not being the strongest option on the market, vinyl flooring offers quite a bit of durability.
Regular wear and tear is expected, but even in a home with high traffic areas, it holds up well against footprints and pressure.
Given its flexible nature, it can’t shatter or crack in various spots when something heavy falls to the ground.
The average lifespan of vinyl flooring is said to be between 25-30 years with good maintenance and care.
2. It’s waterproof.
Unlike wood based flooring, which is only water resistant, vinyl flooring offers unique waterproofing due to its synthetic makeup.
This means that you can mop up or even steam clean dirt, stains, and spills without any fear of damage.
In a home with kids or frequent visitors, spills and messes are unavoidable. Vinyl flooring offers a stress-free solution to all of these concerns.
3. It’s smooth and soft.
Unlike hardwood floors or porcelain tiles, vinyl flooring is actually soft to the touch.
It’s much gentler on the soles of your feet due to its flexible and synthetic makeup.
Furthermore, it’s quite resistant to changes in temperature.
So, during summer or winter, the floor temperature never truly reaches levels that are jarring or noticeable.
4. It’s easy to install.
This is perhaps where vinyl flooring shines best.
The aim of vinyl flooring is to offer good looking tiles or sheets that don’t require expert or professional intervention for installation.
With a sharp knife or scissors, measuring tape, and a good eye, anyone could cut and place vinyl flooring correctly.
In my mother’s bedroom, I was able to purchase a large sheet of vinyl flooring that only required two additional cut pieces to completely cover her floor.
It took no more than an hour for us to finish the bedroom floor, and it has remained in pristine condition for years.
5. It comes in various designs and styles.
Whether you’re looking for plain, matte looking tiles or what appears to look like every type of wood finish in an abundance of colors, vinyl floors have them all.
It’s common for most homeowners to use wood flooring in living rooms because it’s synonymous with warmth and comfort.
Luckily, vinyl flooring technology has come a long way, and it is capable of creating replica prints of wood that are incredibly detailed while lacking only the texture and grain of actual wood flooring.
6. It’s easy to clean and maintain.
Given the makeup of vinyl, it’s pretty easy to clean. You can use anything from a mop to a vacuum cleaner, a steam cleaner, or a robot vacuum.
Most vinyl flooring is waterproof, so you can mop and steam clean without much concern for damaging the floor.
What Are The Cons Of Vinyl Flooring?
1. It is susceptible to discoloration.
Two of the top causes of discoloration are excessive sunlight exposure and mildew or mold.
It may not happen overnight, but if these issues are left unaddressed for months, there’s a strong chance that your vinyl flooring will lose its color or actually turn green or black, depending on the extent of mildew.
Once discolored, vinyl flooring cannot be refinished or sanded down like hardwood flooring.
2. It can’t be repaired.
There’s really nothing you can do once vinyl flooring has been scratched, torn, or ripped apart.
At best, you can cut the piece out and reinsert another piece, but you’ll have to find an exact replica where the print also matches.
Apart from that, you’ll have no choice but to replace the vinyl flooring.
If you purchase individual tiles, the damaged tile can be removed. But if you invest in vinyl sheets, then you’d have to cut and replace them, which will essentially alter the structure of the entire sheet.
Patchy vinyl floors are extremely unattractive, so this is something to be cautious of.
3. It has a shorter lifespan than hardwood.
In general, vinyl flooring is said to last about 25 to 30 years if it is maintained and cleaned properly and regularly.
Thereafter, you’ll notice that edges start to crease and fold over, the color starts to fade, scratches are noticeable, and discoloration takes place.
Hardwood is said to last anywhere between 50 and 100 years, depending on the type and manufacturing process.
4. It won’t raise market value.
Due to the perception of hardwood by buyers and how coveted it is, many homeowners or property investors can enjoy the perks of having hardwood floors when it comes to the market value of their property.
With time and proper care, it can actually raise the value of your house.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with vinyl flooring. Its reputation for being affordable or “cheap” doesn’t really affect the overall price of a property, and it certainly doesn’t elevate the price.
Final Thoughts
If you’re not hard pressed to have that authentic feeling of wood floors beneath your feet, then I’m pretty sure that you can have vinyl flooring in the living room.
It’s quite resilient and beautiful to look at while being affordable and easy to maintain.
Sure, it isn’t the strongest form of flooring, nor is it something that can last for a century, but for the purposes that it’s trying to serve, it doesn’t disappoint.
Keep in mind that a living room is usually filled with a lot of accessories and furniture.
It’s not like the floor itself is a feature piece, like in a passageway or entryway.
You can definitely get away with it and even trick people into believing that the vinyl flooring is actually hardwood.
As long as you take the proper precautions before installing by leveling out the floor, removing anything that creates an uneven surface, and placing the recommended underlayer on the surface, you will be happy with how it turns out.
That brings us to the end of this article on can you have vinyl flooring in the living room. I hope you found it to be helpful. If you would like to read more flooring articles, be sure to check out some of the links below.
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