If you are the type of homeowner who is thinking about the benefits of hardwood flooring for your home, you may want to consider installing vinyl wood plank flooring. These floors are a great alternative to solid wood flooring because of their ease of installation, the real wood look they provide, and the considerable savings they offer compared to solid wood flooring.

There are numerous advantages to installing vinyl wood plank flooring for your home. The cost savings of vinyl wood flooring compared to solid wood flooring is an important factor that you cannot ignore. Today, companies are able to produce incredibly realistic looking wooden floors from vinyl material. They have developed the ability to mimic numerous species in myriad colors and spot variations. Another important aspect of vinyl wood flooring that makes it attractive to homeowners is its ease of maintenance. All it takes is a damp mop with an all-purpose cleaner to clean these floors.

However, the main drawback of vinyl wood plank flooring is that it cannot be refinished and its useful life is relatively short compared to solid wood flooring. Depending on thickness, manufacturer, and volume of foot traffic, vinyl wood plank flooring lasts an average of 5-8 years. Once the floor has reached the end of its useful life, it will need to be removed and a new one installed. Solid hardwood floors give the homeowner the ability to refinish them multiple times, even allowing for the ability to change stain variations and colors. Most homeowners would prefer to avoid the inconvenience associated with replacing any type of flooring in high-traffic areas such as hallways and kitchens.

But what really makes vinyl wood flooring so appealing to practical homeowners is the ease with which it is installed. All that is required to install these floors is a utility knife with a sharp blade and a tape measure. When considering installing one of these floors, it’s important to know that they can be installed over a concrete or wood subfloor. However, the subfloor must be smooth before vinyl flooring is installed. This may require some patching of board or self-leveling compound for concrete subfloors that have noticeable depressions or cracks. It is also recommended to seal the concrete subfloor to protect it from moisture before installing vinyl flooring. Over time, excessive moisture can cause bubbles to form in vinyl flooring.

To begin the installation, it is crucial to determine the center point of the room as a starting point. This ensures even cuts on both sides of the room and an overall symmetrical layout. Some manufacturers offer “peel-n-stick” vinyl flooring, which means that the adhesive has already been applied to the back of the piece of vinyl flooring. All that is required to install vinyl plank is to remove the liner and firmly press the plank into place. For vinyl flooring that does not have a pre-applied adhesive backing, there are several commercially available flooring glues that can be substituted. Glue application requires a 1/16″ trowel and typically takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to set. A quick way to tell if the glue is set is to gently tap it with your finger. If it is tacky to the touch without leaving any residue on your finger, then it is ready to use.

Unlike wood flooring, vinyl wood plank flooring does not require a miter saw to complete cuts around the room. The vinyl material allows planks to be cut to size with nothing more than a good utility knife and an accurate tape measure. For beginning tradesmen, installing one of these vinyl flooring in an entry foyer, kitchen, or even bathroom could be a great first project to tackle.

It’s no wonder that with installation aspects like these, plus the overall low cost of vinyl flooring, vinyl flooring is so attractive to the average homeowner. Consumers now have countless options in styles and colors to choose from when it comes to vinyl wood plank flooring. Because it’s so easy to install and requires very few tools, even a novice homeowner could install vinyl wood plank flooring with great results.