For most homeowners and commercial real estate owners, loose lay vinyl flooring is a popular choice. It provides premium looking floors that are resilient, easy to source, and abundantly available. With a few tools, the average owner could lay vinyl sheets on all their floors within a few hours! But, it isn’t without flaws. In this article, I want to share some of the problems with loose lay vinyl flooring along with solutions so that you can make the best decision for your floors.
I gained a bunch of experience with loose lay vinyl flooring when we redecorated and renovated a few bedrooms in our home a couple of years ago. In particular, we switched to loose lay vinyl flooring for my mom’s bedroom since we found the perfect wood like appearance for her room.
But, since we didn’t have too much experience with this type of flooring, we learned of some problems with loose lay vinyl flooring over time. Thankfully, we were able to rectify these issues, and her bedroom floor continues to look stylish, pristine, and mark free.
What Are The Problems With Loose Lay Vinyl Flooring?

Staining and discoloration
Unlike tiles or properly treated hardwood, loose lay vinyl is prone to stains and discoloration caused by liquid spills, chemical leaks, and even sunlight! This is especially the case for exposure that is ongoing and unaddressed for longer periods of time.
At least with wood floors, they can be refinished and repaired from most types of damage, but that is not the case with loose lay vinyl flooring.
My advice would be to clean up any spills as soon as they occur. Implement a good cleaning routine that targets hard to reach areas as well. This will drastically minimize the chances of your loose lay vinyl flooring being stained and discolored.
Also, make use of rugs in areas that are prone to water and other liquids, like the kitchen.
Fading
More so than other forms of stains, I’ve noticed that loose lay vinyl suffers from extensive fading if exposed to harsh sunlight for most of the day. In a lot of cases, it is advisable to use this type of flooring in bedrooms since they have smaller windows than, perhaps, the lounge or kitchen.
But, at the same time, there are ways to minimize fading. You could place a rug in a spot that is frequently exposed to sunlight during the brightest parts of the day.
Alternatively, you could place furniture or appliances in these spots.
Another solution would be to purchase loose lay vinyl flooring that has been treated with a UV protection coating. If all else fails, install blinds on the windows since they always inhibit the amount of light that enters a home.
Expansion and contraction
Recently, I wrote an article about what causes gaps in hardwood flooring, and it turns out that expansion and contraction occur on floors or subfloors during high and low temperatures.
During the summer or when the humidity is significantly elevated, loose lay vinyl flooring is prone to expansion.
This can cause them to peak out or for the edges to lift. Similarly, contraction may take place during cold weather that causes these tiles to pull apart, causing more gaps to form.
What is recommended is to follow manufacturer instructions when installing loose lay vinyl flooring and to consider expansion in the measurements.
Additionally, make sure the HVAC unit is functioning appropriately and at a temperature that is suitable for you and the floors.
Wear and tear
As resilient as loose lay vinyl flooring is, it’s not as durable as hardwood or ceramic tiles. Sure, it may not crack like a normal ceramic tile, but it’s extremely prone to scuff marks, dents, scratches, peeling, and chips.
In a home with high foot traffic or furniture that is frequently moved around, loose lay vinyl may experience significant wear and tear much faster than other harder flooring.
What you could do to minimize wear and tear is to use furniture pads to prevent damage to the floors. Also, area rugs can help with foot traffic that may damage a specific area of the home.
Curling and buckling
Due to fluctuating temperatures, poor installation, uneven subflooring, and excessive moisture, one of the problems with loose lay vinyl flooring is curling and buckling.
What you’ll begin to notice is that the very edges of the tiles or sheets will begin to curl or buckle. At first, it will be at the corners before it curls and buckles all the way through each corner.
This creates a tripping hazard, and it’s pretty unsightly.
Most flooring experts recommend investing in a professional team that can come in and inspect the subfloor for any problems. Once it has been ascertained that the floor is smooth, dry, and level, they’ll begin with the installation.
Slipping and sliding
Given that loose lay vinyl flooring doesn’t really make use of an adhesive to stick to the ground beneath it, the chances of slipping and sliding are much higher than with any other type of flooring.
Either the sheet itself will shift and slide out of place, or you may slip and slide while walking on the floor.
In no way is that safe or convenient.
When installing this in my mother’s bedroom a couple years ago, I decided to make use of adhesive tape and an attached rubber backing to keep the loose lay vinyl flooring in place.
Coupled with the bed and other furniture, not once have the sheets slipped or slid while anyone walked on them.
Final Thoughts
As much as loose lay vinyl flooring has problems, it’s a pretty fantastic option for homeowners. It’s incredibly easy to install, pretty affordable, comes in a wide variety of designs that are compatible with most decorations, and is adequately durable.
If you can apply some of the precautionary tips shared above, I’m quite certain that these floors won’t give you any problems for many years.
With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful. If you would like to read more like this, check out some of our top flooring articles linked below.
How to fix gaps in hardwood floors