Quartz vinyl tile, its structure, types and properties, stage-by-stage coating installation technology. Quartz vinyl tile is a facing material, the main component of which is quartz sand. The content can be up to 70%. Such products have many advantages, thanks to which they are widely used both for indoor flooring and for outdoor areas. We will tell you how to lay quartz vinyl tiles, their types and properties in this article.
The structure and layers of quartz vinyl tiles
This material is structurally a piece product consisting of glued layers, each of which performs a specific function. Let's consider them in more detail:
- Outer layers … Protect tiles from mechanical damage. They are made of transparent polyurethane with PVC and aluminum oxide inclusions.
- Decorative layer … This is a decorative film that forms the color and pattern of the product.
- Carrying quartz vinyl layer … It is located under the film, absorbs the main load on the coating and is a shock absorber that provides comfort when walking. It is reinforced with glass fiber, which serves as a reinforcing material and increases the ability of the tile to resist deformation.
- Vinyl ballast … This is the last layer in the tile. Its task is to absorb the vibrations of the base.
Advantages and disadvantages of quartz vinyl tiles
In the manufacture of quartz vinyl tiles, the hot pressing method is used, which provides the material with advantages comparable to ceramics:
- High resistance to wear and tear.
- Environmental Safety. Despite its artificial origin, the material does not emit any toxic substances into space even with high heating.
- Lack of hygroscopicity. Quartz vinyl tile practically does not absorb moisture. This property allows it to be used even outdoors.
- The resistance of this material to strong chemical reagents, not to mention household chemicals, is truly unique - this is its undoubted advantage.
- Due to the fact that quartz vinyl tiles do not support combustion, the fire safety of the room in which they are laid increases many times over.
- The warranty period of the coating of 25 years, provided by the manufacturer, is practically doubled, if the technology of laying the tiles and the standard loads on the cladding are observed.
In addition to the above advantages, quartz vinyl tiles have good sound and heat insulation properties, surpassing their ceramic counterparts in these indicators. Its installation is not particularly difficult, but it requires careful preparation of the base. As for the shortcomings of this material, we can name one - its high cost, which limits the widespread use of quartz vinyl cladding.
The main varieties of quartz vinyl tiles
Quartz vinyl covering is made in two versions: in the form of rectangular or square tiles and in the form of a panel similar to a parquet board. This makes it possible to carry out a variety of design solutions when facing the floor.
In tile format, coatings are usually produced that realistically imitate leather, stone and even grass, and panel-shaped products most often have a natural wood pattern. The thickness of the coatings is 2-6 mm.
If you do not take into account the dimensions of quartz vinyl products, the material can be divided into five types:
- Adhesive bonded tile … In this case, the individual elements are connected to each other using 4 adhesive strips. This cladding can even be applied to old flooring.
- Adhesive mounted tiles … Here, each element is glued to the base using a special compound. Laying quartz vinyl adhesive tiles requires a flat floor surface. In this case, it is not recommended to use the old coating as a base for the cladding.
- Self-adhesive tiles … Its back side is covered with an adhesive layer applied at the factory and covered with a special film. When laying the tiles, the protection is removed, after which the material can be mounted on a clean and level base.
- Groove tiles … It has a groove-ridge connection to each other and is laid on glue. To increase the strength of the coating, the connecting elements are also glued. In this case, the base should be perfectly flat.
- Tile with a connection "in the lock" … In terms of installation, this is the most successful model, which, in terms of the installation method, is comparable to a modern laminated board. Facing with quartz vinyl interlocking tiles is extremely simple and quite suitable for independent execution.
As for the shortcomings of the material, some of them are possessed by products of the first three types, for example, over time, the gaps between the cladding elements may increase slightly. For this reason, the cost of such coverage is lower. The lock and groove tiles are devoid of this disadvantage.
Quartz vinyl tile installation technology
Due to the fact that this material is small, plastic and flexible, its laying is quite within the power of a home craftsman. In the process of facing you will need: quartz vinyl floor tiles, a pencil, a cord, a ruler and tape measure, a primer, putty and cement, an acrylic adhesive, a roller and a notched trowel. If you are using snap-on or self-adhesive products, you will need a rubber mallet instead of glue. The work can be divided into three stages: preparation of the base, marking and the installation itself.
Preparatory work before installing tiles
Before laying the tiles, the surface should be thoroughly cleaned of stains, potholes and cracks should be repaired, debris and dust should be removed. If necessary, a concrete screed is poured to level the base. A clean and even floor must then be primed with a special penetrating compound. This will increase its adhesion to the adhesive layer of the cladding.
If the base is plywood, OSB boards, or gypsum fiber board, the differences between them should be leveled and sanded, thereby obtaining a smooth base surface. If it has cracks, it is recommended to seal them with wood putty.
The moisture content of the base before facing with quartz-vinyl tiles should not exceed 5%. The air temperature in the room should be within + 15-30 ° С.
Before laying quartz vinyl tiles, it is recommended to draw up a general picture of the future cladding by laying the products dry. At the same time, it will be possible to choose the optimal way of doing the work. Piece material should be laid from the middle of the room, choosing the direction "away from you".
Tile installation schemes can be different: at a distance, to the wall at an angle or "in a herringbone". There are other interesting options as well. If it is necessary to trim tiles, markings should be applied to it, then along the lines obtained, make appropriate cuts with a sharp knife, bend the product along them, and then finally cut it.
To get guidelines for performing tiled flooring, first you need to find the midpoints of the opposite walls of the room, and then connect the points marked below in pairs with two lines using a paint cord. After pulling it and releasing it sharply, clear prints will remain on the surface in the form of straight lines that divide the base into four rectangles. These will be the required guidelines for laying tiles.
Installation instructions for quartz vinyl tiles
After completing the markup, you can proceed to the installation of quartz vinyl tiles, observing its rules and sequence. Self-adhesive products are laid on the floor at a temperature of + 18-25 ° С joint to joint without gaps, except for small 3-5 mm indentations of the coating at the abutment to the walls.
To lay the glue tiles, you need to apply the adhesive on a clean, even base of the floor and leave it for 10-12 minutes to evaporate excess moisture. After obtaining the optimal viscosity of the adhesive, the tile material should be applied to the floor, placing the products close to each other. The binder is applied using a fine-toothed spatula. After installation, each tile should be rolled with a roller from the center to the edges to remove air from under it and improve the quality of adhesion of the coating to the substrate.
The locking connection of tiles during installation of the coating is the easiest way. Piece material should be laid, focusing on the markings and using a rubber mallet to fix it.
If glue gets on the face of the quartz vinyl tile, it can be removed with a cloth dampened with alcohol. You can walk on the finished floor a few hours after the end of its installation, and install furniture on it no earlier than 24 hours after the glue has completely polymerized. Wet cleaning of the coating is carried out no earlier than 5 days after the end of the facing work.
Advice! When planning under a quartz vinyl underfloor heating, it should be turned on 10 days before the tiles are installed. The surface temperature during the cladding process should be approximately 18 ° C, the same value should be maintained for at least three days after the end of the work. Then the warm floor can be turned off and subsequently turned on as needed. How to lay quartz vinyl tiles - watch the video:
As for the care of the quartz vinyl floor, there are no special problems here: you can do wet cleaning using household detergents, use a vacuum cleaner and a broom, and remove individual stains with a hard sponge that will not cause any damage to the lining. In general, such a floor is a reliable and practical covering that you can safely arrange in your home or office. Good luck!
