Vinyl Flooring, The Waterproof Solution

Our streets turn into rivers, the rains seem to hit harder each May, and the levee system is questionable at best. The Greater Houston area has a flooding problem.

Some are luckier than others but as we have seen there are no sure things. Places that have never flooded in the past are unfortunately seeing water settle as development continues and the avenues of these natural events continue to move along.

The best-suited flooring option to protect your home against water is actually vinyl flooring.

Vinyl flooring is not only the perfect solution for rooms that may be at potential risk of flooding, but are a tremendous asset in rooms that may be prone to accidents, spills, or any other type of moisture a home or business may potentially or routinely endure.

Many flooring styles, such as hardwood flooring or laminate, are beautiful and compliment a home with an iconic, classic aesthetic but beyond the normal wear and tear a floor will endure, these options are sworn enemies with sustained contact with liquid.

Vinyl flooring is available at most floor stores and is a fantastic substitute in rooms that are typically exposed to more moisture than normal or may be a candidate for potential flooding but which one is right for your home?

You see, vinyl flooring can be broken into two different categories:

• Stone Plastic Composite (SPC)
• Wood Plastic Composite (WPC)

Our guide will help explain how these flooring options can help your home achieve additional protection not available from other flooring styles, all while creating the specific look you desire.

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Vinyl Flooring Also Protects Against Everyday Disasters 

The extremity of a life-changing flood is a great reason to protect your home from water; however, vinyl flooring is most useful when it showcases its features by protecting your home or business against everyday disasters:

• The unwarranted busted pipe that floods your bathroom while you are away at the movies.
• That dishwasher your partner swore they fixed only to have it overflow into your kitchen.
• Spilling your beverage of choice after a hard week at work, all 6 of them for you and your friends.
• Your kids forgetting to turn off the sink because they have to get back to Fortnite.
• The family pet’s continual knack for having an accident right as you’ve just cleaned your floor or rushing from the family pool into the newly cleaned kitchen due to a lapse of supervision for only a second (so you thought).

Appliances will malfunction, pets will be impulsive, humans make mistakes, and kids will be kids. Being prepared can take a bad situation and create a better solution. Vinyl can withstand the moisture not only protecting your home but also making clean up easier for you as a whole.

The key is in the way vinyl flooring is structured that creates its uncanny ability to survive coming in contact with water where other flooring styles may fail.

What is Vinyl Flooring Made Of?

Vinyl flooring is created with various layers, each serving a specific purpose to the overall integrity of the flooring:

• Wear Layer– Helps protect the flooring from everyday use, wear and tear, scratches, dints, etc. Completely see-through and serves as the first line of defense for your flooring.
• Vinyl Print– This layer is the portion that will create the look of your vinyl. This is where the image of wood, stone, tile, etc. will appear to give your flooring character. In WPC, however, this layer is a piece of the vinyl and the image is actually applied to what is known as the “Decorative Print” section of the flooring.
• Core Layer– Here the flooring is pulled together to develop a waterproof, stable, and secured piece of flooring. In SPC, the core is built with stone composites, typically limestone, and powders, whereas, WPC is created with wood and other agents for the same purpose.

SPC flooring can also be composed with an additional layer known as an Attached Underlayment which can help reduce the amount of noise the flooring creates as well as provide additional comfort to the occupants. Not all SPC flooring come with this layer but it is a feature of many.

The similarities and differences between both will inevitably lead us to one question.

Stone Plastic Composite or Wood Plastic Composite?

The short answer is that it depends on what your project is and how your flooring will be used. Speaking with the experts at your local floor store can help provide a better case-by-case solution for your home improvement needs; however, this guide will help showcase the highlights of each type of vinyl flooring:

• • Cost– Let’s get it out of the way and just say while both are similar, SPC is a generally cheaper option.
  • Resistance to Water– It’s all tied up. Both products hold their own very well and can help protect your home against water damage. Both styles of vinyl flooring is perfect for high traffic areas in your home in which water also potentially plays a large part in your lifestyles such as a pool room or a mud room.

• Durability– The edge tips to SPC again because it can hold up to scratches and wear and tear better than its comparable yet weaker opponent, WPC. SPC can also perform better in heat as it is stone-based as opposed to wood-based.

• Installation– Both are relatively the same in terms of installation and can be less expensive than many other flooring options as well. Speaking with your installation crew beforehand about the application of your floor and conditions it will be installed in will be key here to determine which one is right for your project.

• Comfort– WPC wins the comfort factor as unless your SPC vinyl flooring has the Attached Underlayment section, things become noisier on a flooring style that is already not as soft as its rival.

Each style presents an argument for or against itself and both can create dynamic solutions for your home. The key is to assess the situation, speak with the experts involved, and formulate a gameplan that will make your project work.

A Floor Store With Affordable Solutions 

The decision of picking out flooring is a big one that should not be taken lightly.

The team at the 99¢ Floor Store has been finding affordable flooring solutions for homes of the Northern Greater Houston area and are the trusted team to find quality floors for only a portion of the competitor’s prices.

If you’ve been considering an upgrade for your flooring or want to have a more waterproof option in your home, contact us today and get started to the look and peace of mind you deserve.

Not ready to make such a financial commitment?

Don’t worry, even if you looking to soften the blow of paying for your home improvement, ask us about our various financing solutions that help save you money without sacrificing your new flooring.