Quartz-vinyl laminate: the pros and cons

No apartment renovation will have a complete appearance without a decent floor covering. And the better it is, the more expensive your room looks. An example of this type of finish is quartz-vinyl laminate.

It is a pleasure to travel on such a coating, especially barefoot, and with today's variety of options, each of us needs to understand its quality and features.

Modern flooring gives plenty of imagination to any consumer: linoleum, carpet, laminate flooring, parquet, tile. The choice of a particular one depends, of course, on the interior of your room: one material will only fit in the kitchen, as it is sufficiently water resistant, the other, more delicate, will suit your bedroom or living room.

Not so long ago, a new material appeared on the floor covering market - quartz-vinyl laminate, which rather quickly gained deserved popularity. Kvartsvinil used in the arrangement of both apartments in the city and in country houses, it is often used in various offices and commercial premises.

The peculiarity of this material lies in its multi-layer, which determines the durability - over 20 years of use. The top layer is a color solution. Depending on your interior, you can cover your floors with laminate imitating stone, wood, parquet, etc. The second layer is vinyl.

Quartz-vinyl is made of aluminum oxide or polyurethane, and between the main layers there is a stone crumb for durability. The bottom layer is a vinyl backing, which gives strength to the entire coating, the total thickness of which is between 1.4 and 1.5 mm.

It must be recalled that quartz-vinyl absolutely harmless for us, that's why this coverage is used in hospitals and childcare facilities. It "kills" all unpleasant smells, having an antibacterial effect and even serves as a "deodorant".Such material not afraid of heat, as its composition (flour of quartz sand) does not sustain combustion.

One type of laminate (43 classes) has a three-layer structure. The middle layer about which it was told above, consists of a quartz crumb. That is why such products - not the cheapest option.

Quartz-vinyl laminate, or rather, its outer layer is disinfected, that is, exposed to ionization with silver. Silver ions, obtained after electrolytic decomposition of the metal, are deposited on the surface, which reduces the number of bacteria almost two times.

Today's photo printing capabilities can make your gender irresistible and memorable. This coating absolutely does not pass moisture, which allows to expand the area of ​​its application. Laminate 43 class - one of the most durable, environmentally friendly and anti-static materials. In its production uses only natural materials. Each plate of such a coating consists of a layer of PVC, quartz crumb,fiberglass, decorative film and the upper protective layer.

This coating has two mounting options:

• Glue;
• Castle

The glue option is not practiced very often, as this is a rather laborious work - not every specialist will undertake it. This results from the fact that special glue for such covering is rather deficient even in our time. But this coating will give you one hundred percent guarantee on water resistance and fits perfectly on concrete, linoleum and tile.

Castle quartz-vinyl is quite simple to set, it is easy to dismantle, it does not require special attachment to the base. Therefore, such an elastic coating is often called “folk”, and you will be able to modify your floor yourself. It is all about coating compounds: locks and latches or a collapsible lock - the so-called “thorn-groove” mechanism used in laying ordinary laminate.

There is also a type of self-adhesive coating: on the seamy side of the tile there is a self-adhesive adhesive strip or adhesive composition that makes it easy to attach to any material.

Multi-layer flooring is very much in demand in today's repair work. And this is due to the indisputable advantages qualitatively distinguishing quartz-vinyl laminate from its “brothers”:

• Simple delivery to the destination - the material is not bulky, like a regular roll.
• Almost one hundred percent water resistance - due to its multi-layered composition, such a coating is ideal in any room - in the bathroom, in the kitchen, that is, where there is sufficient moisture evaporation.

• Uncomplicated and care for such a floor - just wipe it with a rag, and the surface will appear in its original form. Moreover, vinyl absolutely calmly transfers any detergents, and the stains from fruit juices are easily rubbed off and do not leave a mark on such a coating.
• The material is absolutely eco-friendly. As is known, in the production of conventional laminate phenol-formaldehyde resin is used, which subsequently releases substances harmful to the body.With regards to vinyl coating, it includes only natural, natural ingredients. The material has antistatic properties.

• The wear resistance of quartz-vinyl has been tested more than once: the floor is impact resistant, and the claws of an animal are powerless on its surface. On such a floor, you can safely move the furniture and even walk on heels.
• The flooring of your floor can be matched to your taste: its texture can be classic, in a Christmas tree or in squares, if you wish, you can imitate various stone coatings, for example, marble. Or create a special decorative ornament.
• If, after all, a part of your quartz-vinyl laminate has been damaged, it is easy to replace it due to the fixing mechanism. For this, the right place is warmed up with a special building hairdryer. When the lock is warm, it opens and changes easily.

• Laminate 43 class without fear can be laid on the "warm floor", it is perfectly tolerates temperature fluctuations.
• Quartz-vinyl "ready" to serve his master for more than 20 years. It perfectly isolates sound.
• Low cost - a square meter of such coverage costs from 900 rubles, the elite material - from 1800 rubles.It all depends on the thickness and pattern.

Of course, this material also has its drawbacks, although there are fewer of them than other floor coverings:

• Before laying vinyl laminate, it is necessary to level the entire surface of the floor, otherwise when laying a flexible covering all flakes are indicated.
• Cement screed - not ideal for quartz-vinyl on self-adhesive basis. In this case, it is better to choose the castle version.

• With a direct and constant hit of ultraviolet light on the upper transparent layer of the coating, it can lose its original coloring after a certain time. But this is in the case of buying inexpensive material.
• Despite the declared environmental friendliness, people with allergies do not need to rush to make a choice.
• When choosing a laminate of vinyl, make sure that all the plates are from the same batch - this can be recognized by numbers, otherwise you risk getting a floor of different shades.

In the opinion and reviews of buyers, both materials deserve consideration, but here experts argue that will help you decide on the flooring.

First of all, we recall that quartzvinyl tile is a multi-layer coating, which determines its main qualities: moisture resistance and soundproofing.The top decorative layer allows you to choose a huge number of options for your future gender.

In one of the layers of quartz-vinyl enters and mesh fiberglass, which makes the product resistant to deformation, as well as quartz crumb, giving this material flexibility and elasticity, which can not be said about the PVC tile. However, PVC panel is easier to budge if necessary.

PVC tile can be single-layer or double-layer. For its production requires polyvinyl chloride, which is subsequently painted in different colors. Such material is convenient in places where there is a high permeability, but unlike vinyl, PVC is more “washed out”.

Quartz-vinyl panel, according to customer reviews, not afraid of aggressive detergents, as well as stains. Both materials require a prepared, flat base.

In recent years, many buyers are still inclined to the variant of quartz-vinyl laminate. This was not slow to notice manufacturers of flooring. A dozen companies specializing in the production of high-quality vinyl laminate are on the market today.

Belgian manufacturer Quick step - one of the leaders in this niche.Tiles from this European brand - a worthy decoration of any home and apartment. Made in a natural, "under the tree" range, it is striking in its strength, solidity, and at the same time ease of installation. Quartz-vinyl laminate from this manufacturer is not the cheapest: from 1900 rubles per square meter, but it's worth it.

Competitors of the Belgians are their fellow countrymen: the Belgian company Vinilam 10 years from the day of its existence, it uses only high-quality material for the production of its goods, which allowed them to enter the top three most famous brands. Their products - vinyl laminate 43 class, with one hundred percent moisture resistance, perfectly simulates the structure of natural wood and meets all environmental requirements.

The third producer of quartz-vinyl laminate is also from Belgium. IVC International produces high-quality products, it has been on the market since 1997. This company specializes in the production of high-quality products that are in demand all over the world.

Floors of a high degree of wear resistance is another Belgian company - Natura. Laminate is visually difficult to distinguish from a natural material - wood. The company actively uses all advanced innovations in the production of high-quality floor coverings.

Russian-German company Tarkett presents to customers the highest quality panels that meet the requirements of any consumer. Prices for their products are very affordable.

The choice is yours!

See below for details on choosing the right quartz-vinyl tile.