Terminology / Glossary of Vinyl Flooring



Important terminology that describes Vinyl Flooring and related elements in the various regions of the world.

Subfloor = the material used as the base product of the floor construction. This could be concrete slab or a wood panel product nailed to floor joists

Substrate = the surface you are installing new flooring over

Underlayment = Underlay or underlayment generally refers to a thin layer of cushioning made of materials such as sponge rubber, foam, felt, crumb rubber, or recycled plastic; this material is laid beneath carpeting to provide comfort underfoot, to reduce wear on the carpet, and to provide insulation against sound, moisture, and heat.

Flash coving = vinyl ran up the wall to an accepted molding in lieu of wooden or rubber baseboard.

Floor patch = material, either portland or gypsum based, used to fill and smooth rough areas, voids, and joints between underlayment panels.

Flash time = the time an adhesive should be left uncovered after spreading to let moisture and or gasses to evaporate before covering with vinyl. usually listed on adhesive containers.

glue trowel = a tool used to spread adhesive and to measure the proper amount of glue being spread on the floor.

seam sealer = a product sold by the flooring manufacturer to, well, seal the seams to prevent dirt collection at the seam area and to prevent curling.

roller = a device to roll the floor to evacuate any air or gasses that cause bubbles. usually 75# with three "wheels "

double cut = a common method of cutting a seam by cutting through both fields and filling pieces at a pattern line at the same time. commonly used for inserting patches.

butt seaming = cutting seam edges separately before assembly and putting them together.

pattern scribing = making a pattern of the floor with kraft paper or felt paper as a template and then cutting the vinyl to shape in a more convenient area.

restrictive molding = a molding used to prevent curling of the edges of a vinyl floor.

undercutting = making a saw cut generally where a molding is unacceptable (like a door casing) under which the vinyl is inserted.

Full spread = covering the entire floor with adhesive (most vinyl floors require full spread)

perimeter glue = some styles of vinyl flooring only require a narrow band of adhesive around the edges and seams.

vinyl tile= Looks like stone or ceramic tile, looks realistic.

vinyl plank= Looks like wood, looks stunning

Please do suggest if I miss any term #Flooring
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