Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)

Vinyl composition tile is a type of resilient flooring that is a mix of vinyl, limestone, and colored pigments. Resilient flooring refers to flooring that is durable and able to recover from high amounts of foot traffic. It's often called VCT and is more brittle than other resilient flooring products and mainly used in commercial or retail spaces.

01: VCT in Commercial Setting

Characteristics

VCT is a mixture of natural limestone, filler materials, thermoplastic binder and color pigments.
Made by fusing chips into solid sheets and cutting them into tiles, VCT requires layers of polish to protect its porous surface.
VCT is not a low-maintenance flooring product because of the need for refinishing every year
Comes in a variety of colors and ranges in different size tiles, with the most popular size in a 12x12" tile.
Tends to be the cheapest initially, but it requires regular stripping, waxing and polishing, which builds up costs over time

02: VCT in educational Setting

Production & Maintenance

The materials are combined and formed into solid sheets of colored vinyl chips mixed with fillers, then cutting the sheets into 12-inch by 12-inch squares.
The most common thickness for commercial use is 1⁄8 inch.
Manufacturers are including more recycled content into their vinyl composition.
The tiles are easy to cut and make it easy to create different shapes and patterns
Tiles are easier to install and replace because a single tile can be removed and replaced, whereas if it's in a roll, the entire roll will need to be replaced.

03: VCT in residential setting for Homeless community

Environmental Impact

During the manufacturing process, it can release chemicals into the air that are harmful to the environment
While the vinyl itself doesn't release VOCs, right after installation, there can be some vocs in the air, mainly from the adhesive,
If the vinyl is burned, it can release chemicals into the air
If properly cared for, can last 10-20 years
Not very recyclable because of how many materials are in the vinyl

Application

Vinyl Composition Tile is mainly used as flooring in commercial and retail spaces.

Installation:

Have tiles in room or area for a few days before installation to allow for it to get acclimated to the room
Determine the pattern to be used
When laying the tiles, work your way backwards out of room and only lay as much adhesive for how much tile can be laid in 5-10 min so the adhesive doesn’t dry
Allow adhesive to dry as manufacturer recommends and then use a floor roller going over the floor in multiple passes, to make sure the tile/adhesive/substrate bond together

Maintenance:

Sweeping, dust mopping and vacuuming will help remove debris and can be done daily
Scrubbing and recoating helps remove debris that has become embedded in the surface
Once a year, the floor needs to be stripped and refinish, the finish should be more than 2 layers to help with wear and tear

ASTM

F1066-04 (2018) Standard Specification for Vinyl Composition Floor Tile
F1914-18 Standard Test Methods for Short-Term Indentation and Residual Indentation of Resilient Floor Covering

Organization: World Floor Covering Association

04: VCT in Restaurant Setting

05: VCT in educational setting

Resources

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Page by Rachael Neitzel