Vinyl is a flooring option that mimics the look of wood, stone or ceramic tiles. This flooring solution is cost-effective when compared with its competitors. The product is manufactured as planks or tiles. The Vinyl planks and tiles are flexible and extremely thin but durable. The thickness of vinyl plank or tile could be 2 mm to 8 mm. This article is about “how to protect vinyl flooring from heavy furniture?” it is important to know how the product is made and what kind of safety precautions are against wear, tear, scratch marks, etc.
Why is It Important to Protect Vinyl Flooring from Heavy Furniture?
All vinyl flooring products are made of 6 to 8 structural layers. Each layer has specific characteristics that contribute to flexibility, durability, wear resistance, water resistance, anti-slip, scratch & Stain resistance, easy installation, etc.
Though it is said that it is scratch/Stain resistant and extremely durable, it is always better to protect the floor from heavy furniture as it can make scratches and damage even to the hardest floors, especially when moving and dragging along the floor.
This is especially important with vinyl flooring as when it is damaged, it will not only look ugly but there is no way of repairing it but to replace it.
Can Vinyl Flooring withstand Heavy Furniture?
The Vinyl floors look beautiful and are extremely durable. Vinyl planks or tiles must be fixed on a smooth subfloor made of cement, concrete, wood, or tiles.
The bumps and dips on the sub-floor will merge on the surface of the Vinyl floor, which will be damaged when heavy furniture is dragged.
A Vinyl plank can usually weigh 500 pounds, nearly 227 Kg. Almost all heavy household furniture can be kept on a vinyl floor.
It is safe to assume that if the furniture weight is tolerable by the sub-floor, so will it by the surface vinyl floor. But it is always better to take precautionary measures to avoid damage.
How Do you Protect Vinyl Flooring from Heavy Appliances?
More damage is proven to be done to the floor when moving the furniture than just placing it. This chapter explains the remediation steps that can be taken when moving and placing heavy furniture.
Avoid dragging furniture across a vinyl floor. Dragging of heavy furniture should be avoided on any floor as it can cause permanent damage (Scratch marks and tare-offs) to the surface.
To avoid damage, the surface of the flow and the connecting surface of the furniture should be cleaned. Hand-carrying will be the best option but not viable on some occasions.
Can use special tools made to carry the furniture inside a household; in conditions where there are no other options, a not chemical lubricant like water can be used to remove the friction between the surfaces.
Avoid furniture with caster wheels on a normal vinyl floor. The heavy furniture with caster wheels will harm the floor in two ways.
It will tend to make scratches on the floor when it moves, and the weight will be put onto the wheels, which will be forced to a small area. By using protective rugs, this can be avoided.
For the other furniture, like chairs, and cupboards, felt tips should be fixed to avoid damage to the vinyl flooring.
What are the Potential Risks and Damages Heavy Furniture Can Cause to Vinyl Flooring?
The durability of vinyl flooring depends on the 6 to 8 structural layers mentioned earlier in the document. When the first three layers are damaged, the wooden or tile look will fade away or get damaged, and the flooring must be replaced.
The vinyl flooring comes with different thicknesses to avoid damage. Two types of damage can be caused by heavy furniture. An item placed on the floor could damage the flow due to the pressure it puts.
When the furniture is moved, there could be damage to the Vinyl floors, especially if they are dragged along.
This harm will worsen if the Vinyl flooring is not done on a smooth and uneven subfloor, as the dips and bubbles can easily get damaged. The rolling Casters are a huge risk for Vinyl floors, as the wheels can make scratch marks.
Can I Use Area Rugs or Mats to Protect Vinyl Flooring Under Heavy Furniture?
Mats and rugs are an excellent way to protect the vinyl floor from heavy furniture. Mats and rugs should be free of dust and debris, and so is the floor. If not, this would do more harm than good. The area rugs and mats could distribute the weight of the heavy furniture evenly, especially for furniture like chairs and cupboards, which stand on legs.
All kinds of rugs and mats cannot be used on vinyl flooring as rubber, latex, and synthetic fibers will react with the chemical used to make the flooring. This could seriously and permanently damage the floor leaving permanent marks.
How Much Weight Can Vinyl Fooring Hold?
As mentioned, a Vinyl plank can usually carry a weight of 500 pounds, nearly 227 Kg. Almost all of the heavy household furniture can be kept on a vinyl floor as most of the heavy furniture is much bigger than the single plank.
It is safe to assume that if the furniture weight is tolerable by the sub-floor, so will it by the surface vinyl floor. In any case, if it is necessary to put a huge amount of weight, it is better to use a board-like thing to distribute the weight evenly on the floor.
How Soon Can you Put Furniture on Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring can be laid on using adhesive and without using adhesive. Depending on the method used, the time for furnishing the new vinyl floor differs.
The Full Spread Method
The adhesive is spread out on the subfloor before the Vinyl is laid down. This method requires more adhesive and will increase the installation cost.
The Perimeter Adhered Method
The adhesive is only used on the edges of the seams of the planks. Uses less adhesive.
The Floating Method
No adhesive was used. Uses the grooves to clip the planks/tiles together. The method is called the click-lack system
In the third method, no glue is used, and furniture can be put in immediately. The other two methods require time to set off the Vinyl. It is recommended a time-lapse of 24 to 72 hrs.
Is There a Protective Coating for Vinyl Flooring?
As mentioned earlier, Vinyl flooring material contains 6 to 8 layers.
- UV Layer
- Wear Layer
- Décor Layer
- PVC Layer
- WPC Core Layer
- IXPE Foam Layer
The surface layer of a vinyl floor is called the UV layer. This is done by exposing the upper layer to an ultraviolet led. Though this layer is a few tens of nanometers, ware resistance is 99% more. This layer has the following protective characteristics.
Corrosion resistance to most of the acidic, alkaline, saline and molten solutions
high-temperature resistance
protects the vinyl floor from fading and deformation due to daylight and high temperature.
Excellent optical clarity, which highlights the content of the decor layer
Watch this one,
Video Credits – ehowathomechannel
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