What is Commercial Vinyl Flooring?

The perfect solution for high-traffic spaces like lobbies, offices, retail stores, hospitals, and grocery stores.

March 23, 2023 | By AHF Contract Expert

Composed in Influencer Gray

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Commercial flooring applications involve three considerations:

The good news is that commercial vinyl flooring meets all these challenges. They’re water-resistant, and some are even waterproof, exceptionally durable, easy to maintain, and unlike other commercial flooring solutions, present a cost-effective solution.

Plus, your selection of styles, colors, and textures is unprecedented with printing advances. With today’s commercial vinyl flooring options, you can capture the look of hardwood without the associated costs and maintenance requirements.

Commercial vinyl flooring is easier to clean than other options like carpet tile. It also withstands traffic better than carpeting. In addition, it’s less expensive than tile and commercial hardwood. 

And finally, it installs more rapidly than other flooring solutions. So, again, the flooring is excellent for almost any commercial space.

Benefits of Commercial Sheet Vinyl Flooring

First, it’s highly durable and long-lasting, with some products lasting up to 20 years or more. Its longevity makes it cost-effective for businesses with heavy foot traffic looking for a lasting flooring solution.

Second, commercial sheet vinyl flooring is low maintenance. For example, unlike other flooring types requiring more involved care, you can easily clean it with a damp mop. Moreover, commercial sheet vinyl doesn’t require waxing or polishing like other commercial flooring types. So, you’ll save time and money on maintenance costs.

Third, commercial sheet vinyl is slip-resistant, making it a safe choice for businesses where slip-and-fall accidents could happen. In addition, many commercial sheet vinyl products have textured surfaces. Those surfaces provide additional grip and traction, even more reducing the risk of accidents.

Fourth, you can customize the flooring to fit your aesthetic needs. For example, you can create the look of hardwood flooring or use a bold, colorful pattern to make a statement. That level of versatility adds to its growing popularity.

Fifth, commercial sheet vinyl is easy to install. Typically, standard rolls are 72 inches, which covers a significant area when rolled out. That makes installation fast while reducing seams and creating a cleaner overall look.
In addition, there are no ends or joints, unlike tile and plank flooring products. That prevents dirt and grime buildup for improved hygiene.

Finally, commercial sheet vinyl flooring is affordable, especially compared to stone, wood, or tile materials. You can install quality flooring that withstands heavy traffic but won’t break the bank.

In addition, there are no ends or joints, unlike tile and plank flooring products. That prevents dirt and grime buildup for improved hygiene.

Finally, commercial sheet vinyl flooring is affordable, especially compared to stone, wood, or tile materials. You can install quality flooring that withstands heavy traffic but won’t break the bank.

Healthcare Facilities Routinely Look to Commercial Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Commercial sheet vinyl is routinely used in healthcare facilities. They demand flooring that’s easy to clean, slip-resistant, and capable of withstanding heavy traffic.

Most importantly, sheet vinyl has excellent infection-control properties, which is critical for healthcare settings. For example, sheet vinyl flooring has fewer seams, making it ideal for areas where moisture is a concern.

Indeed, the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) recommends that areas like operating rooms use monolithic or seamless flooring. It dramatically improves sanitation and infection control, and sheet vinyl fits the bill.

Moreover, as mentioned, vinyl sheet flooring installs quickly. So that helps reduce installation costs, allowing healthcare facilities to stick with their budgets.

Other Businesses Increasingly Turn to Commercial Sheet Vinyl

Not surprisingly, other commercial sectors have caught on to the benefits sheet vinyl has always provided for healthcare operations. As a result, commercial sheet vinyl is growing in popularity among retail, commercial, education, and hospitality settings.

COVID has increased hygiene awareness across each of these sectors. So many now turn to sheet vinyl for its hygienic benefits. At the same time, they enjoy the added benefits sheet vinyl affords:

·       Durability to withstand high traffic
·       Fast installation for cost controls
·       Moisture resistance for bathrooms, gyms, kitchens, etc.
·       Slip resistance for safety considerations.

And the icing on the cake is that sheet vinyl is incredibly affordable compared to other flooring options. It’s even more affordable than other vinyl options like luxury plank and tile.

Installing Commercial Sheet Vinyl

Like any flooring, proper installation is crucial to ensuring its longevity and appearance.

You can install sheet vinyl over concrete, hardwood, vinyl, or plywood. In addition, you can glue or float the flooring. But there is a significant caveat.

Before installing any sheet vinyl, properly preparing the subfloor is imperative. It must be clean, level, and debris-free. Properly preparing the subfloor is critical, or imperfections will be noticeable after installation. Equally important, bumps will impact the wear of the flooring.

If the subfloor isn’t level, you may need to sand it or use a self-leveling compound. Once your subfloor is level, you can roll out the sheet vinyl to fit the space. Although sometimes forgotten, sheet vinyl should be left to acclimate to room temperature at least 24 hours before installation.

Maintaining Commercial Sheet Vinyl Flooring

As mentioned above, facilities love sheet vinyl for its almost maintenance-free properties. Just sweep or vacuum regularly to remove dirt and grit that can scratch the floor. And it’s best if you also wipe up spills promptly.

Aside from that, you can damp-mop the flooring with a mild detergent or a neutral pH floor cleaner as needed. Always avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners that can damage the flooring.

You can add some years to the flooring’s life by taking some added precautions:

1.     Consider placing mats at entryways to reduce grime buildup
2.     Use pads underneath the furniture to avoid denting or scratching
3.     Use furniture glides if you have to move any office furniture.

Equally important, you’ll never have to polish commercial sheet vinyl flooring. So you won’t have to worry about spending significant monies on flooring maintenance.

Talk to AHF Contract™ About Your Commercial Flooring Needs

We specialize in commercial vinyl flooring. You can select everything from commercial sheet vinyl and rigid core to luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and vinyl-based tile (VBT™).

You can even see how our flooring looks in your commercial setting. Just upload a photo of your interior to our flooring visualizer and let it do the rest.

Call 1-866-243-2726 to talk with one of our representatives.

What is Commercial Vinyl Flooring?

Commercial flooring applications involve three considerations:

1.   Durability: Commercial floors typically must withstand incredibly high traffic. In addition, they must be able to handle office furniture, equipment, and other heavy objects. 
2.   Maintenance: Due to high traffic, commercial floors require frequent cleanings, especially in industries like healthcare, food services, and restaurants. So, your floors need to be able to endure constant scrubbing. In addition, they need to be easily maintained.
3.   Unique Requirements: Whether it’s moisture, acoustics, or UV concerns, commercial floors need to address these issues adequately.

The good news is that commercial vinyl flooring meets all these challenges. They’re water-resistant, and some are even waterproof, exceptionally durable, easy to maintain, and unlike other commercial flooring solutions, present a cost-effective solution.

Plus, your selection of styles, colors, and textures is unprecedented with printing advances. With today’s commercial vinyl flooring options, you can capture the look of hardwood without the associated costs and maintenance requirements.

Commercial vinyl flooring is easier to clean than other options like carpet tile. It also withstands traffic better than carpeting. In addition, it’s less expensive than tile and commercial hardwood. 

And finally, it installs more rapidly than other flooring solutions. So, again, the flooring is excellent for almost any commercial space.

Types of Commercial Vinyl Flooring

For the most part, commercial vinyl flooring falls into distinct categories. Which flooring solution you select depends on lifetime cost, design preferences, and how long you want to use the vinyl product.

Typically, commercial vinyl flooring choices include:

1. Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)
2. Vinyl Sheet Flooring
3. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
4. SPC Rigid Core Flooring

VCT was once considered the standard and offered a great price point. But that initial price point was offset by maintenance requirements that included regular stripping, waxing, and polishing. As a result, its lifetime cost becomes infinitely less attractive.

Today, sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl flooring dominate the commercial vinyl flooring market. SPC rigid core flooring layers in even greater durability. Here’s an overview of each flooring option.

Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Vinyl sheet flooring referred to as” sheet vinyl,” uses waterproof materials, making it a perfect option for water-prone areas. As its name implies, it comes in large rolls, typically 6 to 16 feet wide.

The benefit of the larger rolls is that they reduce the number of seams. And that helps reduce water-damage concerns and addresses fall prevention concerns in hospitals, assisted living homes, and other healthcare facilities.

The downside to those larger rolls is the expanded surface area. So, if you have a damaged section, you’ll have to replace that entire flooring section. Sheet vinyl is durable and easy to clean, and you can install it over most existing floors. 

You can lay out the rolls quickly and have your commercial flooring in place in no time, making installation simple.
From a cost standpoint, sheet vinyl flooring costs more than VCT. However, it costs less than LVT flooring.

Heterogenous vs. Homogeneous Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl flooring comes in two options:

1.   Heterogeneous Sheet Vinyl: This sheet vinyl option uses multiple layers in its construction. Its wear layer determines how long your flooring holds up. Heterogeneous sheet vinyl features greater slip resistance than its counterpart, homogeneous sheet vinyl. 

Because it incorporates an image layer, heterogeneous vinyl flooring offers color and style options. Those layers also impart better sound absorption qualities than homogeneous vinyl flooring.

2.   Homogeneous Sheet Vinyl: Homogenous sheet vinyl has only one material layer. As a result, it has a solid, uniform color and pattern throughout the entire tile. That single layer also improves the floor’s durability as the wear layer effectively covers the floor from top to bottom. You can address scratches by cleaning the area to make it look new.

From a cost perspective, you’ll pay more for homogeneous sheet vinyl. But both sheet vinyl flooring options deliver more cost savings than wood, stone, ceramic, and other commercial flooring solutions.

Hybrid Vinyl Flooring

There is another sheet vinyl flooring solution, hybrid vinyl flooring. It’s available from AHF Contract. 

Hybrid vinyl flooring has become increasingly popular. It combines the best attributes of laminate and vinyl flooring to create an exceptionally durable and rigid commercial vinyl flooring solution. In addition, like heterogeneous sheet vinyl, it uses multiple layers. So that means you’ll have expanded design options for your commercial space.

Apart from the design options, hybrid vinyl flooring delivers other substantial benefits:

1. Waterproof performance
2. Simple installation
3. Exceptional durability
4. Sound absorption
5. Great aesthetics
6. Eco-friendly composition
7. Easy care
8. Comfort underfoot

Hybrid vinyl flooring can be installed anywhere in your commercial setting and comes with a limited commercial warranty.

LVT Flooring

When considering commercial vinyl flooring, luxury vinyl tile is one of today’s most popular, if not the most popular, choices. LVT flooring consists of limestone-based material mixed with composites.

It’s water-resistant, easy to install, fade-resistant, and easy to maintain. But, most importantly, it withstands heavy foot traffic — you can install it and not worry about it.

LVT flooring offers unparalleled design options, especially compared to VCT flooring. It’s available in all sizes and shapes. And its digital graphic film layers make its surface appear virtually the same as natural materials like wood or stone.

Its incredible looks aside, LVT flooring boasts heavy-duty performance rivaling ceramic, marble, and wood. It also offers exceptional overall value as a commercial vinyl flooring option. So even though it costs more upfront than sheet vinyl flooring, you’ll enjoy cost savings over the floor’s lifetime.

If you’re familiar with LVT flooring, you’re likely familiar with LVP flooring or luxury vinyl plank. It can be confusing, but their shape is the only difference between them. LVT flooring uses a tile shape, whereas LVP uses a plank shape to resemble hardwood plank flooring.

SPC Rigid Core Flooring

That brings us to SPC rigid core flooring as another commercial vinyl solution. SPC stands for stone plastic composite or solid polymer core. The flooring features a rigid core made from powdered limestone, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and stabilizers. SPC rigid core flooring is also known as stone polymer composition flooring, rigid core flooring, and rigid core SPC.

What’s unique about SPC rigid core flooring versus other commercial vinyl flooring types is that rigid core. That core provides an incredibly stable base, so you can install it anywhere in your commercial setting because it’s waterproof. That stability also comes into play if you have temperature fluctuations.

Because it includes thick, tough bottom layers, it’s tremendously comfortable, offering more cushioning than other commercial flooring types. In addition, some SPC rigid core floors have an attached underlayment that enhances the floor’s softness underfoot. It also improves sound absorption, so you won’t hear a hollow sound when walking on it.
 
Comfort aside, rigid core SPC resists impacts, stains, scratches, and overall wear and tear. Consequently, it’s one of the best commercial-grade vinyl flooring selections.

Thanks to the design layer, you also have great color and style options.

Why Choose Commercial Vinyl Flooring for Your Commercial Space?

Finding a more durable, high-quality option than commercial vinyl flooring is tough. It withstands water, sunlight, scratches, repeated cleanings, and, most importantly, heavy traffic. Its price point and installation costs are much less than natural products like stone or wood floors. And it does all that while offering attractive design options that enhance the look of your facility.

All these features make commercial vinyl flooring one of the most popular types in today’s market. That’s why installers use it in many high-traffic spaces such as hospitals, schools, retail spaces, and more.

AHF Contract is a leader in commercial vinyl flooring solutions. Get in touch if you’re in the market for durable commercial flooring that lasts for years. We have commercial flooring solutions of all types.

You can visit our website for more information or call us at 1.866.243.2726.