12 Problems With Loose Lay Vinyl Flooring

As popular as loose lay vinyl flooring is, there are certain limitations that you can’t just overlook. Even though it’s an affordable option and easy to install, it’s essential to identify the issues before investing.

With loose lay vinyl flooring, you’ll face issues like limited designs, growth of molds, incompatibility with cleaning solutions, etc. Make sure you’ve considered every flaw before installing it.

Now, let’s take a detailed look at the problems with loose lay vinyl flooring.

12 Problems With Loose Lay Vinyl Flooring

You can find flaws in everything that’s man-made. However, when you’re investing your money in something, the upsides should trump the downsides for it to be worth the money. Let’s see if loose lay vinyl flooring is really worth your money or not.

1. Growth Of Molds

These planks are water-resistance. Or at least they’re supposed to be. Yet, people often find themselves struggling with mold growth beneath the planks.

Any accidental leakage beneath the planks can cause this issue. So, this is more common for kitchens or areas that are prone to water exposure.

2. Incompatibility With Cleaning Solutions

Anything you can primarily think of while cleaning your floors cannot be used on loose lay vinyl floors. For instance, if you want to go for a home remedy for cleaning, the only thing that comes to mind is vinegar.

With these floors, you can’t use vinegar. The color will get damaged along with the planks. The same goes for any ammonia-based cleaning solution. You will also have to avoid detergents and abrasive cleaners.

These make it really difficult to clean your floors. Your options are limited and that creates an extra expense.

3. Installation

I’ve already mentioned that loose lay vinyl floors are popular because they’re easy to install. So, what is this section about?Well, because most people install the floors themselves, sometimes they don’t do it right.

When the floors aren’t installed with perfection, it’s very easy for any type of liquid to go through the planks. So, it seems like the installation process is not as easy as people make it out to be.

4. Not Suitable For Everyone

Loose lay vinyl floors are also not suitable for all families. If you belong to a large family that stays busy all day long, these floors will not be effective for you. Frequently walking all over the floors can damage the floors and their colors.

So, if you want your floors to last a long time, these types of floors are not recommended.

5. Planks Can Be Tricky

If the flooring does not have any tiles only planks, it can be tricky to handle it. For instance, if a small part of the floor gets damaged, you will have to replace a large area, which is entirely unnecessary.

And once an area gets damaged, there is no way to fix it other than completely replacing it.

6. Limitation Of Designs

Unlike other floorings, you don’t get many alternatives to choose from. For something so affordable and available everywhere, you would expect to have more designs available. But in reality, there are only a few designs that reflect wood and stone patterns.

7. Not A Prestigious Alternative

Unlike hardwood floors, loose lay vinyl floors are not prestigious enough. If the social status is something you’re concerned about, it’s not recommended to install these floors.

Floors are certainly something that adds value to a house. Installing these floors will not increase the value of your house whether you’re trying to rent it or sell it.

So, if you look at the big picture while considering floor options, loose lay vinyl may not be the best choice.

8. Replacement Isn’t Easy

Replacing tiles floor is comparatively a lot easier than replacing loose lay vinyl floors. Often, when an area gets damaged, you have to replace the entire plank. As for tiles, replacing one or two tiles is comparatively easier.

Changing planks is not only expensive but also a tiresome task to do. So, if you don’t want to go through these hassles, the loose lay vinyl floor is not for you.

9. Not Suitable For All Places

It’s absolutely not recommended to use loose lay vinyl floors for your kitchen and bathroom. The reason is pretty obvious. The kitchen goes through temperature fluctuations that can damage the floor. Not to mention, moisture is the largest enemy when it comes to these floors.

So, to ensure that the floors don’t get damaged, it’s suggested not to use loose lay vinyl flooring for kitchens and bathrooms. In addition, these floors are also not suitable to use outdoor.

Exposure to direct sunlight will certainly result in discoloration and the floors will get ruined.

10. Emits VOC

The materials that are used for making loose lay vinyl flooring can emit Volatile Organic Compounds. VOC is a mixture of harmful chemical gases. These can cause serious health issues, therefore not recommended by the experts.

So, if you’re concerned about your health, this type of flooring I certainly not for you. This is specifically applicable to people with kids in their families. These harmful chemicals can cause serious damage to children.

11. Harmful For The Environment

I’ve already told you about the VOC emission. However, the downsides do not stop there. These loose lay vinyl floorings are not biodegradable either. So, they are not environment-friendly.

If you are sensitive about using environment-friendly products, these floors aren’t for you.

12. Not Durable

When you think about how easy it is to get these floors damaged, you will realize that this option isn’t for anyone looking for something durable. Besides, it’s the universal rule. You get what you pay for.

Direct exposure to water, sunlight, and moisture can ruin the floors and create an added expense. It may be suitable as a temporary solution. However, if you are in it for the long run consider longer-lasting options like hardwood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the water under the planks dry naturally?

If you’ve got water under the planks somehow, it will not evaporate naturally. For moisture to evaporate, air and light are required. The planks prevent natural air from flowing, making the water stay there.

So, if you want to solve this issue, you will have to remove the plank and replace it or take necessary actions.

Why do people prefer loose lay vinyl flooring?

As I have mentioned before, there are two main reasons behind this. The first one is these floors can be installed by the user. You won’t need to hire a professional. That saves a lot of money.

The second reason is that the flooring is pretty affordable itself. So, easy installation and cheap price are two of the most common reasons.

Final Words

Think about the points I’ve made. You will easily realize what the problems with loose lay vinyl flooring are. Make careful consideration before you install these floors. If you can increase your budget a bit, there are a lot better options you will find. Investing in something temporary is never a good idea, regardless of how cheap they come. However, if a temporary solution is what you need from these floors, there’s no harm in trying.