Commonly, Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) refers to vinyl flooring that is designed to imitate the appearance of various types of stone or tile. Vinyl Plank Flooring imitates hardwood flooring. As such, they’re manufactured in square tiles or planks and are offered by most flooring manufacturers. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll refer to both styles as Luxury Vinyl Tile.
To best address the value LVT offers, note the inherent weaknesses of other flooring choices. For example, while carpet and sheet vinyl flooring are relatively inexpensive, how often will they need to be replaced due to stains and rips? Laminate flooring and ceramic tiles are durable, but initial cost, sensitivity to moisture and down-time are a concern to many property managers. The role LVT can play in addressing these concerns can best be explained by focusing on each aspect of Luxury Vinyl Tile.
Luxury
Because of realistic texturing, Luxury Vinyl Tiles are beautiful and offer an attractive alternative to the type of flooring they’ve been designed to imitate at a fraction of the price. This gives the property manager the option of choosing LVT that will appeal to the trends of young professional renters and provide the durability demanded by large families. Also, expanding the stone or wood look throughout the apartment will enhance the appearance of your vacancy and lower your costs over the long run.
Vinyl
As the name implies, Luxury Vinyl Tiles are largely a composition of vinyl with a durable wear layer. The manufacturing methods of LVT provides for a list of advantages not found with many other flooring choices, such as:
¢ Rip and Tear Resistance
¢ Resistance to Curling and Discoloration
¢ Exceptional Durability
¢ Mold and Mildew Resistance
Tile
In addition to visual appeal and durability, Luxury Vinyl Tiles offer value. Because they’re sold as either tiles or planks, there’s little waste. Any future repairs can be completed inexpensively by replacing single tiles or planks. Further, LVT can usually be installed less expensively than either ceramic tile or laminate flooring but with a similar life span. So, the long term savings can be considerable.
So, how could Luxury Vinyl Tile factor into your flooring choices? Perhaps the installation of LVT throughout the apartment would offer the durability needed for a large family but at a fraction of the cost of ceramic or laminate.
Another option where reasonable care of the apartment is expected would be to install Luxury Vinyl Tile throughout the apartment but carpet in the bedrooms. This option would place low-cost yet durable flooring where it’s needed most and carpet where it would receive the least wear and be most appreciated.
Of course, every vacancy, market and budget is different and so too should be the factors guiding such decisions. However, with such an attractive, low-cost and durable product now available to the rental community, Luxury Vinyl Tiles are certainly worth considering.
Dan Cochrane currently serves as General Manager of Jim’s Floor Covering. Since 1969, Jim’s Floor Covering has served Property Management exclusively. For further information, Dan can be reached at 310-539-0700.