Water and moisture; two of the deadliest enemies for floors, sub-floors, and foundations. Water unequivocally is what sets planet Earth apart of its cohorts in the solar system, covering approximately two-thirds of our surface area and allowing life to flourish. Humans require water to live, even more so than food; we are, after all, composed of two-thirds water ourselves.

Yet, as seen with rusting iron and other metals, water can be a relentless agent of erosion for even the most robust materials and substances. Water can carve valleys through mountains, and it is no different for the flooring materials composing your commercial or residential floors.

From the earliest wooden submarines to water-resistant smartphone cases, humans have always sought ways to keep water out. In the world of flooring, this has often taken the shape of specialized floor treatments, such as waxing, to prevent moisture from seeping in and rotting away our investments. Because make no mistake, regardless of the flooring installation size, the floors in our facilities and domiciles are long-term investments.

As people continue to adapt to an ever-accelerating fast-paced world, the downtime and labor costs of maintaining a floor’s water-resistance become more and more hassling. Likewise, the prospect of having to replace commercial flooring long before its expected expiration date can seriously set back your financial and budgetary planning.

Vinyl flooring used to be one of those floors that required constant attention to prevent warping or damage from water and moisture. However, the traditional VCT (vinyl composite tile) floors have now given way to the best flooring options in the vinyl sector: resilient vinyl flooring.

Truly waterproof resilient vinyl flooring is miles apart from your grandparents’ vinyl floors. These best-in-class flooring options come on the heels of various breakthroughs in vinyl flooring production. Waterproof vinyl floors don’t just stand up to water and moisture on the surface layer; they also inhibit water and moisture from permeating downwards into your sub-floor and foundation. To be precise, these hydrophobic flooring materials perform well against almost all forms of liquids and stains.

Two market areas that were unexpectedly receptive to waterproof vinyl floors were those sectors dealing primarily with children and pet animals. It seems likely that residential flooring consumers, be they homeowners or rental property operators, realized how effective products such as LVP, WPC, LVT, and SPC were against the hazards associated with children and animals.

Children are known to spill food and drinks frequently, often ruining high-end floors that were not very water-resistant. They can also tend to play rough or cause accidents, leading to dents or scratches on expensive yet impact-vulnerable floors.

Pets, as well as other animals that humans tend to keep around, can also cause surface damage in the form of impacts. But the more significant danger posed by these pets and animals are the bodily discharges they may leave on the floor. If bathed indoors, they also represent a risk of water inadvertently affecting floor areas not built for that.

Waterproof luxury vinyl floors, such as luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile, stand up to all of these risk factors. Other resilient waterproof flooring solutions, such as stone plastic composite and wood plastic composite, likewise withstand the worst of the damage children and pets can potentially inflict on flooring.

The most critical resistance quality of waterproof vinyl flooring materials is one that is often overlooked by most clients yet crucial when children and pets are involved. Due to the materials used in production as well as the layered design of each vinyl plank unit, these waterproof floors are aseptic and hygienic. The top resilient vinyl products experience zero bacterial undergrowth and produce zero toxic emissions.

What drove waterproof vinyl to be the best flooring material for children and pets is the fact that it brings unparalleled resistance and durability at no extra cost. The most professional vinyl floor companies can offer waterproof vinyl prices comparable to regular vinyl floors. The industry leaders with in-house production and distribution, such as Europine, can offer wholesale vinyl flooring prices that may be cheaper than some regular vinyl options.

These properties of waterproof vinyl flooring sound too good to be true. There must be a catch, right? Perhaps the aesthetic quality is hugely diminished, or these floors require stringent sub-floor conditions.

Fortunately, waterproof vinyl floorings sacrifice no freedom in design choice or visual quality. Waterproof luxury vinyl and waterproof rigid-core floors offer the exact opposite; total liberty to select all manner of colors, textures, patterns, or even 3D-printed graphics.

The durability, resistance, cost, and aesthetic options completely opened up waterproof vinyl to be used in previously untapped markets. Child care centers, such as preschools and daycares, could now confidently install an economical floor alternative that would be as durable as other high-end floors. Summer camps and other afterschool programs began to incorporate these floors as well, which led public and private schools to realize that the best flooring for students (and their budgets) was flooring that could safely withstand the tests of time.

Pet-care centers and pet stores also gradually turned to waterproof vinyl. Pet bathing businesses and pet grooming salons also saw the economic benefits of waterproof vinyl flooring. Now, governmental agencies like Animal Control and non-profit organizations for animals are also using all sorts of waterproof vinyl products on a larger and larger scale. Even zoos and aquariums are beginning to utilize high-end luxury vinyl plank for their animal care away from the exhibition areas.

The residential, childcare, and animal care sectors have proved the excellent suitability of LVP, LVT, WPC, SPC, and other waterproof vinyl options. With this trifecta, it is no question that genuinely waterproof vinyl floors are perfectly designed for children and pets in any situation.

If you ever find yourself needing/wanting to discuss any of these topics, or even just to ask your questions, please feel free to contact us. In fact, Europine encourages and welcomes any and all further inquiries regarding your flooring concerns.