changes-in-resilient-flooring-products
Date
Aug 29, 2025
Just like everything else in the industry resilient flooring products are always changing.
In some cases, these changes are good while others may create new challenges. In many cases these changes are designed to reduce costs to be competitive. Removal of fiberglass reinforcement in LVT/LVP or sheet goods is one of the changes intended to reduce costs. The purpose of fiberglass reinforcement in LVT/LVP or sheet goods is to provide the flooring with dimensional stability. This change is not an issue if the flooring is properly acclimated and the space is maintained at a consistent service temperature. Other changes may be intended to improve performance and durability. These changes are typically designed to reduce maintenance costs or improve flooring longevity. Some of the more recent changes have been to remove PVC from the flooring products. This change is designed to improve the indoor air quality by removing toxic components that could create health issues for the people and pets living there. These PVC free products can be either very good or problematic. They may also require special installation practices. Even sound control underlayment products designed to be used under resilient flooring are continually changing. We often see the attached acoustic cushion on rigid core planks and tile change for various reasons. No matter the reason for the change there also may be unintended consequences.
It is important to know the flooring manufacturers’ installation guidelines for the product you are installing to make certain you won’t have costly failures. Many LVT/LVP manufacturers now recommend a semi-wet installation method which will provide a more tenacious bond than the traditional dry set PSA installation method. If you are not familiar with a semi-wet installation method for resilient flooring, at Taylor we produced a 2 part tip video outlining the process. Esentialy, you apply the adhesive with the required trowel as usual and allow it to dry in the valley between the ridges. The trowel ridges will need to still provide wet transfer. This wet transfer will give the adhesive a more tenacious bond than if it was used as a dry set. The moisture and pH tolerance of the flooring may also be reduced by these changes which may require moisture mitigation or a moisture barrier adhesive. The acclimation process can also be longer and more detailed. I have even seen some products that require the flooring to be protected from direct sunlight during acclimation, installation and until the adhesive is fully cured.
The same is true for knowing and following the acoustic underlayment manufacturers’ installation guidelines which is a critical first step. These instructions typically include moisture & pH limitations, trowel recommendations, acclimation (if required) and the installation method wet set, semi-wet or dry set. In many cases the sound control underlayment will be specified by the architect or designer, so changing is not an option. Recently I was on a new construction job site where the space was not going to be under HVAC control during the flooring installation process. In this case the flooring contractor selected a vinyl plank which did not require acclimation. Unfortunately, they selected a regrind rubber underlayment that did require acclimation. In this case the heat and humidity caused the underlayment to expand after installation creating bubbles. These bubbles in the underlayment caused the flooring to lift leaving proud edges and peaked joints. It should also be noted that not all resilient flooring products can be installed over sound control underlayment. In this case the flooring that was used over the underlayment on this project was only recommended for direct glue down applications. There are a variety of reasons a flooring manufacturer may limit their product or products to direct glue down only. This particular flooring was very thin and malleable which exacerbated the problem. A thicker and stiffer flooring product will typically perform better over sound control underlayment.
Knowing the environment the flooring will be installed in will go a long way in helping you guide your customer during the selection process. It is critical that every component of the flooring assembly can work in harmony with each other for a successful installation.
