Telling The Difference Between Vinyl And Linoleum

Vinyl flooring colors tend to be brighter than linoleum colors.

Telling the difference between vinyl and linoleum. Vinyl floor colors will appear more vibrant. The key difference between vinyl and linoleum is that the vinyl is a product of petroleum oil whereas the linoleum is a product of linseed oil. However it can be great for creating large patterns embedded designs or blocks of color. You can also tell the difference between linoleum and vinyl by the vibrancy of the floor s color.

Some people lean in to the history choosing retro color palettes for their linoleum floors or getting vinyl that mimics iconic movies like the shining s psychedelic geometric carpet. Linoleum and vinyl flooring made a big splash in the architectural scene when they debuted. Others such as luxury vinyl and rigid core products have substantial cores that provide strength and durability. Linoleum doesn t have the same style versatility in terms of mimicking other flooring types.

Linoleum flooring being made of natural materials contains more natural earthy pigments. Linoleum is available as either sheet or tiles and commonly uses a jute or canvas backing. Some products are flexible such as sheet flooring. This helps linoleum wear longer.

It also allows more intricate patterns on vinyl. While linoleum is all natural vinyl is a synthetic product made with a variety of toxic chemicals primarily polyvinyl chloride pvc resin. Like linoleum vinyl is also available in sheet or tile form but is constructed very differently. While vinyl costs less than linoleum it will last an average of only 10 or 15 years.

But vinyl flooring tends to maintain its glossy appearance right up until the top layers suddenly wear through exposing the core. The colors can even have a yellow tinge because of the linseed oil base. Today vinyl is of course used in a huge variety of applications. On the other hand vinyl is made from petrochemicals.

Most vinyl patterns are topical while linoleum is the same color all the way through. Linoleum is produced by mixing linseed oil cork or wood flour ground limestone tree resins and organic pigments that are pressed onto a jute support. The cost difference between vinyl and linoleum is offset to some degree by their relative life expectancies. Planks or tiles in a range of sizes or vinyl sheet which can mimic the look of planks or tiles but comes in a roll.

The strength layer or core gives the flooring its rigidity. Linoleum generally lasts longer than vinyl some can last 30 40 years. Sheet vinyl flooring also contains phthalate plasticizers for flexibility. These manmade floors remain popular to this day.