Why We Love Resilient Flooring

Resilient flooring is becoming a more and more popular option for property managers and with good reason! Due to more beautiful design options and a reduced maintenance cost, resilient flooring has many benefits over natural stone, ceramic or porcelain tiles, and hardwood. There are still some considerations that should be made to determine which type of resilient flooring is for you, as well as what kind of maintenance you will need.

Vinyl Composite Tile

Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT) is often used in schools and hospitals. It has a very affordable upfront cost. With proper maintenance, it can be slip resistant. There are a variety of designs and colors, although the tile itself cannot be textured. VCT is a great low-cost option for facilities that are concerned with cleanliness and ease of cleaning.

The most popular maintenance plan requires stripping and waxing VCT flooring as often as every month. This requires extensive labor costs, time, and can also cause a lot of dust and odor. IMS offers an alternative to traditional VCT maintenance. We have developed a system that actually cleans the wax on your floor, reducing the need to strip wax by over 80%! Our technique takes less time, which means less labor. Because we don’t strip the wax as often as traditional methods, there is less disturbance from dust and odors.

Luxury Vinyl Tile

Luxury vinyl tile is one of our favorite flooring types. Because it has a photographic print layer and the ability to have a textured surface, LVT can dupe even the most trained professionals. LVT can mimic the look of natural stone while costing significantly less. While LVT requires less regular maintenance than natural stone or hardwood, it still needs specialty maintenance. Additionally, there are some things to watch out for with LVT. All furniture should have glides, as the furniture can cause scratches or indentations in the tile. A good polish can help prevent these scratches from happening. Some LVT can discolor with sunlight, so blinds or curtains should be used to prevent direct sunlight. LVT can also be discolored by certain walk-off mats or even asphalt brought in from paved areas outside.

At IMS, we love LVT because of how durable it is as well as how beautiful it looks. We often only have to do minimal maintenance to help retain the floor’s finish and do heavy cleans in high traffic areas. Even though LVT can have a higher upfront cost than some other resilient flooring types, it is still less expensive than natural stone and requires less maintenance than VCT flooring.

Rubber Floors

Rubber flooring has become a popular choice for hospitals, schools, and even media studios. Because it is soft underfoot and makes almost no sound, it is a great option for places where noise needs to be minimized. There are various colors and designs, which make it great for commercial environments where design is important. Rubber flooring is water resistant, although it can be slippery when wet. Specialty coatings can be used to increase its slip resistance.

Even though rubber flooring is a great, durable option for many facilities, it still requires specialty maintenance and cleaning. Daily cleaning is easy and breezy, but floods and spills can still cause damage and must be addressed by specialty professionals. Deep cleaning and replacing any coatings or wax that might be on the surface of the rubber flooring is also needed. Rubber flooring is a truly wonderful and beautiful option for many facilities.

The many types of resilient flooring can be overwhelming as they all have benefits and drawbacks. Even still, resilient flooring is often a great and cost-effective option. Contact us on our website or by calling 972-412-2555 and we can tailor a maintenance plan specifically for your flooring type and budget.