Vinyl floors have become a very popular choice for flooring here in Brooklyn as the 2021 real estate market has rebounded. In 2020 housing prices dropped as many people were moving out of New York City for greener pastures to the suburbs during the Covid pandemic.
But this year (2021) people seemed to have gone past the panic phase and again, everyone wants to be back in New York City. Developments in construction and renovation have resumed to prepandemic levels. Rent and real estate prices continue to soar like before.
And so the flooring industry has been as busy as ever, especially here in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become the new Manhattan, the hip place to be. Many folks come to Brooklyn, where unlike Manhattan you can buy a house (with a yard), or a condo or whatever for more affordable prices than Manhattan (though the gap is closing fast).
As such Brooklyn has become a boom town with lots of construction & renovation work upgrading the interior & exterior of Brooklyn real estate all about. So we’ve seen alot of renovation projects this year & new flooring has been in high demand.
We’ve noticed where vinyl flooring, particularly LVT (luxury vinyl tile, the thick, high quality vinyl) has become a very popular choice. Though it is said that vinyl flooring does not increase the resale value of a home as much as hardwood flooring, stone or tile, LVT luxury vinyl tile & vinyl plank can certainly increase a home’s value, especially when replacing damaged floors, linoleum or laminate.
The innovation of todays luxury vinyl flooring products is very impressive. It’s appearance is practically indistinguishable from real hardwood, tile or stone. The only way you can tell the difference is it is softer & resilient.
LVT luxury vinyl tile is generally less costly than hardwood, tile & stone. The main advantage of luxury vinyl floors is high water resistance, more so than laminate or wood. There is no need for acclamation to temperature & humidity before installation, as with wood. As such it does not contract or expand as wood can, causing gaps.
Luxury vinyl floors are suitable for any room including garage floors and especially where there is moisture like kitchens, bathrooms and basements. It is also pretty easy for most projects to install yourself. It can be easily installed over most any existing flooring without the need of a moisture barrier as may be required by wood or laminate. Vinyl sheet flooring though requires some expertise & is best done by a professional.
Luxury vinyl products are said to last up to 25 years, whereas hardwood flooring can last a lifetime. Very high end homes mostly go with hardwood, tile or stone, but for the majority of homes luxury vinyl flooring is a modern option that is practical and more affordable.
The main manufacturers for luxury vinyl tile in the US are Armstrong, Mannington, Mohawk, Shaw & COREtec Flooring. Quality products from these companies come with limited warranties anywhere from 10-30 years and are all CARB (California Air Resources Board) or FloorScore® certified to be free of any toxic emissions. Beware of cheap China vinyl products that are not certified. Check out the COREtec flooring we distribute, a very high quality line of luxury vinyl tile and planks.
more about vinyl floors, luxury vinyl tile & luxury vinyl plank…
