Due to its high cost-effectiveness, diverse styles, and ease of maintenance, PVC plastic flooring has become a common flooring material for homes, offices, and commercial spaces. However, if one falls into the wrong purchasing strategies, it may lead to issues such as non-compliance with environmental standards and poor durability. Here are the ten common mistakes in PVC plastic flooring selection and a guide to avoid these pitfalls, helping you avoid them accurately:
Ⅰ.Misconception: Believing that “PVC flooring = toxic flooring”, and overly rejecting it
Many people are worried about the toxicity of “PVC” because it contains plastic. However, high-quality PVC flooring is actually environmentally friendly. The harmful substances mainly come from inferior raw materials (such as recycled materials and non-environmentally friendly plasticizers), while products that meet the standards:
Safety Tips for Avoiding Pitfalls:
- Trust authoritative certifications: Prioritize the purchase of products marked with official labels such as the “China Environmental Label Certification” (the “Ten Rings Certification”) and the “Green Building Materials Certification”. Reject “three-no” products without brands, factory names and addresses, or quality certificates.
- Quality Control of Raw Materials: Be vigilant against products made from recycled waste materials. It is recommended to choose PVC plastic flooring produced using 100% brand-new environmentally friendly resin raw materials, ensuring both environmental friendliness and durability from the source.
Ⅱ.Misconception: Confusing “Sheet Material” and “Roll Material”, making the wrong choice in form
PVC flooring is available in two forms: sheet material (for full roll installation) and strip material (for individual piece assembly). There are significant differences in their applicable scenarios.
- Sheet material: Seamless connection (suitable for large areas such as shopping malls and hospitals), but cutting is troublesome and the loss is high in small spaces;
- Sheet material: Snap/clip-type connection (suitable for households and small office areas), easy to install, and individual damaged parts can be replaced separately.
Safety Tips for Avoiding Pitfalls: For areas less than 50 square meters, choose sheet materials (to save materials); for larger areas, select roll materials (to reduce seams and make cleaning easier).
III. Misconception: Focusing solely on the total thickness while neglecting the “wear-resistant layer thickness”
The “total thickness” of the PVC floor does not equal its durability. The wear-resistant layer (the transparent PVC layer) is the core component that ensures resistance to wear. For example:
- The wear-resistant layer is only 0.1mm thick: It is easily scratched by furniture and worn down by high-heeled shoes, and its lifespan may be less than 2 years.
- Wear-resistant layer 0.35mm: Suitable for household use and can last for 5-8 years; suitable for commercial use (with low foot traffic) and can last for 5-10 years.
Safety Tips for Avoiding Pitfalls: For PVC plastic flooring used in commercial areas (such as offices), it is recommended to choose products with a wear-resistant layer thickness of ≥ 0.35mm to ensure the wear resistance during long-term use.
Ⅳ.Misconception: Buying “construction leftovers” or “expired products” at a discounted price
Some merchants are selling the “leftover materials” from construction projects at low prices or the “expired products” that have been stored for over one year, which poses potential risks:
- Waste material: It may be products from different batches, with slight differences in color and size. After laying, the appearance will be poor.
- Expiring products: PVC materials may age over time and may exhibit brittleness and reduced stickiness (more pronounced in sheet form).
Safety Tips for Avoiding Pitfalls： Make sure to carefully check the production date of the products. Prioritize choosing goods from the same batch. Firmly refrain from using leftover products from different batches mixed together.
Ⅴ.Misconception: Ignoring “anti-slip rating”, prone to falls in damp areas
The slip resistance of PVC flooring is determined by the surface texture and material. According to the national standard, it is classified by the “R value”.
- R9: Slight anti-slip property;
- R10: Moderate anti-slip property;
- R11: Extremely slip-resistant.
Safety Tips for Avoiding Pitfalls: From the perspective of slip prevention and safety, it is recommended to prioritize the selection of PVC plastic flooring with a slip resistance rating of R10 or above.