Vinyl composition tiles
Encyclopedia
Vinyl composition tile is a finished flooring
material used primarily in commercial and institutional applications. Vinyl
tiles are composed of colored vinyl chips formed into solid sheets of varying thicknesses (1/8” is most common) by heat and pressure and cut into 12” squares. Tiles are applied to a smooth, leveled sub-floor using a specially formulated vinyl adhesive
that remains tacky but does not completely dry. Tiles are typically waxed and buffed using special materials and equipment.
Vinyl tile is favored over other kinds of flooring materials in high-traffic areas because of its low cost, durability, and ease of maintenance. Vinyl tiles have high resilience to abrasion and impact damage and can be repeatedly refinished with chemical strippers and mechanical buffing equipment. If properly installed, tiles can be easily removed and replaced when damaged. Tiles are available in a variety of colors from several major flooring manufacturers. Some manufacturers have created vinyl tiles that very closely resemble wood
, stone
, terrazzo
, and concrete
. Tiles can easily be cut and assembled into colorful and decorative patterns.
Vinyl composition tiles took the place of asbestos
tiles, which were widely used in schools, hospitals, offices, and public buildings up until the 1980s. Use of tiles and adhesives containing asbestos were discontinued when asbestos materials were determined to be hazardous. The asbestos content of tiles sometimes can be determined by size or appearance. Tiles free of asbestos cannot distinguished by their size alone – although asbestos tiles were commonly manufactured in 9-inch squares, not all 9-inch square vinyl tiles manufactured before 1980 contain asbestos, and asbestos tiles were created in a variety sizes. Mastics and adhesives containing low concentrations of asbestos were used into the 1970s and are generally considered non-hazardous because the asbestos is not considered friable.
Non-ACM (asbestos containing materials) floor tiles are not identifiable by their size. ACM flooring (tiles, sheets, panels, etc.) may come in any color or size and the use of asbestos in flooring and mastics has not been eliminated.
In the debate over the "greenness" of building materials, vinyl has become a divisive topic. Burning the material can release dioxins and other hazardous chemicals. Harmful additives such as phthalates and heavy metals can leach out of the roughly 1.5 million tons (1.4 million metric tons) of vinyl discarded each year just in the United States.
Flooring
Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface...
material used primarily in commercial and institutional applications. Vinyl
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
tiles are composed of colored vinyl chips formed into solid sheets of varying thicknesses (1/8” is most common) by heat and pressure and cut into 12” squares. Tiles are applied to a smooth, leveled sub-floor using a specially formulated vinyl adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
that remains tacky but does not completely dry. Tiles are typically waxed and buffed using special materials and equipment.
Vinyl tile is favored over other kinds of flooring materials in high-traffic areas because of its low cost, durability, and ease of maintenance. Vinyl tiles have high resilience to abrasion and impact damage and can be repeatedly refinished with chemical strippers and mechanical buffing equipment. If properly installed, tiles can be easily removed and replaced when damaged. Tiles are available in a variety of colors from several major flooring manufacturers. Some manufacturers have created vinyl tiles that very closely resemble wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
, and concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
. Tiles can easily be cut and assembled into colorful and decorative patterns.
Vinyl composition tiles took the place of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
tiles, which were widely used in schools, hospitals, offices, and public buildings up until the 1980s. Use of tiles and adhesives containing asbestos were discontinued when asbestos materials were determined to be hazardous. The asbestos content of tiles sometimes can be determined by size or appearance. Tiles free of asbestos cannot distinguished by their size alone – although asbestos tiles were commonly manufactured in 9-inch squares, not all 9-inch square vinyl tiles manufactured before 1980 contain asbestos, and asbestos tiles were created in a variety sizes. Mastics and adhesives containing low concentrations of asbestos were used into the 1970s and are generally considered non-hazardous because the asbestos is not considered friable.
Non-ACM (asbestos containing materials) floor tiles are not identifiable by their size. ACM flooring (tiles, sheets, panels, etc.) may come in any color or size and the use of asbestos in flooring and mastics has not been eliminated.
In the debate over the "greenness" of building materials, vinyl has become a divisive topic. Burning the material can release dioxins and other hazardous chemicals. Harmful additives such as phthalates and heavy metals can leach out of the roughly 1.5 million tons (1.4 million metric tons) of vinyl discarded each year just in the United States.