No Maintenance Flooring

Is there really a no maintenance flooring? 

We all want that easy to maintain product- set it and forget it, right? But what happens when someone spills? years of wear and tear buildup? someone moves a piece of furniture and snags a rock while sliding it across the floor? 

Have you seen marketing on your food that says things like, "40% Less Fat" or "30% Less Calories"? These things imply that this food is healthy; however, it doesn't mean that this food is now the healthiest option. It simply means it is reduced from before. 

What do you hear when you see the term "No Maintenance"? It implies that you will not have to clean your floor, but it does not say that, it says no maintenance. In this, the maintenance is referring to the annual maintenance only.  

The intention behind No Maintenance came from the transition from VCT (vinyl composition tile) to LVT (luxury vinyl tile). VCT did not have a finish, so it had to be stripped and waxed annually for the best performance. 

LVT comes with a wear layer to protect the image of the flooring. This layer doesn't have to be reapplied each year, like a VCT wax; therefore, no annual maintenance, which got shortened to no maintenance for advertisement. However, this became misleading when a spill or a buildup of dirt from normal wear and tear accumulated on the flooring. In fact, some manufacturers have changed the verbiage to "Low Maintenance" to change the conversation, since stains, spots, and/or scratches will happen in all flooring over time. 

Today, the conversation revolves around sweeping, dry mopping, damp mopping, deep cleanings, and potential refinishing in high traffic areas to keep your LVT looking it's best throughout the life of the product. 

These products will still save time and money without the annual refinishing required in VCT; however, it isn't quite the "no maintenance" product that gets requested.

Make sure to discuss your maintenance expectations before selecting a final finish.