Vinyl Floors Vocabulary

Aluminum Oxide
Added to the urethane finish for increased abrasion resistance of the wear layer.

Backing
Vinyl is constructed of several different layers. The backing is usually a felt or fiberglass
product. The type of backing determines how it can be installed.

Decorative Layer
The printing process offers many design possibilities that are expressed through the decorative
layer such as patterns, geometrics, natural stone designs and more.

Floating
A method of vinyl installation in which the flooring is not bonded to the substrate .

Full Spread
A vinyl installation method in which the adhesive is spread over the entire substrate.

Inlaid
A vinyl manufacturing process that uses solid colored vinyl chips laid on top of a carrier sheet,
then bonded together with heat and pressure. The inlaid process has been around for years and
generally results in geometric type patterns and designs.

Inner Core
A foam and vinyl wear layer, the inner core provides durability, insulation and comfort.

Linoleum
Natural ingredients are used to produce this vinyl, including linseed oil, cork, limestone, wood
flour and tree resins. The color goes all the way through the product, making it extremely
wearable and durable.

LVT
Refers to Luxury Vinyl Tile. LVT has all the advantages of vinyl, is available in a wide array of
colors and is particularly durable. It is usually available in realistic patterns immolating natural stone or exotic woods.

Perimeter Adhered
A vinyl installation method in which adhesive is only applied to the outside perimeter of the
flooring and also at the seams.

Resilient
This refers to any floor that has elasticity when you walk across them. This category includes
vinyl, linoleum, cork, rubber and specialty resilient products.

Rotogravure
A manufacturing process that involves a print cylinder that spins around while the vinyl’s core
layer (called the gel coat) passes underneath. The cylinder systematically prints various colored
ink dyes to create the pattern.

Rubber
Rubber flooring is extremely durable, virtually indestructible, quiet and warm to walk on. It also
resists dents and stains and its waterproof surface has an anti-slip finish. Rubber is expensive and must be installed by an experienced installer for maximum performance.

Seams
Since vinyl comes in 6’ and 12’ widths, and many rooms are larger, the vinyl is connected
together with either a chemical sealing compound, or a heat welding material, that holds the
seam together and protects it from dirt.

Subflooring
The base flooring of a building, usually plywood or concrete.

Substrate
The surface on which the vinyl flooring will be laid. If installing over a wood substrate, an
underlayment will generally be necessary. A concrete substrate will not require an underlayment
but will require some floor preparation.

Vinyl
A mixture of polyvinyl chloride and plasticizer, vinyl is usually flexible and non-porous.
Pigments are added for color.

Wear layer
A layer of material applied to the top surface of vinyl flooring. The thickness of the wear
layer varies with each vinyl product collection, and is measured in mils. The thickness of a
mil is about the same as a page in a phone book and will determine the ultimate durability and
performance of the flooring.