Flooring
Commercial vinyl sheet flooring
Vinyl sheet comes in wide rolls with very few joins. Where joins remain, they can be welded shut, which makes the floor a strong choice for places with strict hygiene needs.
What vinyl sheet is
Sheet also comes with a foam or cushion backing in some ranges. This gives a softer feel for staff who stand for long shifts, and it lowers noise from footsteps. Other ranges have a hard, dense build for places with heavy rolling loads. Colour choice is wide, and many makers offer matching coving, wall sheet and welding cord, so the whole room can be finished as a set.
Vinyl sheet is a flexible floor supplied in rolls about two metres wide. Unlike plank or tile, it covers large areas in one continuous piece. Surface patterns range from plain colours to flecked and speckled designs.
Heavy-duty ranges are made with a solid or reinforced layer all the way through, so the pattern does not wear off in busy corridors.
Where it suits
Sheet is the usual answer wherever liquids, bacteria or constant trolley traffic are a worry. Hospitals, schools, clinics, kitchens, change rooms and laundries all rely on it.
- Joins can be heat welded to seal out moisture
- The sheet can be turned up the wall to form a coved skirting
- Slip-resistant surfaces are available for wet zones
- Stands up to rolling loads such as beds and carts
How it is laid and cared for
Sheet is glued to the base, and the base has to be very smooth because thin vinyl will show ridges and pits. The installer lets the roll relax, lays it, trims the joins, cuts a groove along each seam and fuses a welding cord into it. The cord is then trimmed flush.
Upkeep is a routine of sweeping and machine scrubbing or mopping with a suitable product. Welded seams and coved edges leave few places for dirt to hide.
What to ask before choosing
Check these points before you pick a range.
- Is the area wet, and does it need a slip rating?
- Do you need welded seams and a coved edge?
- Which disinfectants will be used on the floor?
- How will the floor handle heavy wheeled loads?
- Is there a moisture issue in the slab below?
Brands with vinyl sheet
Each link opens that brand's vinyl sheet part only.
- Airlay vinyl sheet
- Armstrong vinyl sheet
- Forbo vinyl sheet
- Gerflor vinyl sheet
- Polyflor vinyl sheet
- Signature Floors vinyl sheet
Good for these sectors
Questions
Why are the seams welded?
Welding fuses the join into a sealed line. Liquid and dirt cannot get under the floor, which matters in clinical and food areas.
What is coving?
Coving means the vinyl curves up the wall a short way. It removes the sharp corner where floor meets wall, so there is no gap to collect dirt.
Is vinyl sheet slippery when wet?
Standard smooth sheet can be. Safety grades have added grit or texture and carry a slip rating, so ask for those in wet zones.
Tell us about your floors
Send the rooms, the floor you have now and your dates. We reply on the next business day.
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