LVT Flooring for Bathrooms

LVT consists of several layers of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). This material is non-porous, meaning there are no openings for the liquid to pass through and its is effectively waterproof. This means that water can sit on the surface without causing any issue to the integrity of the flooring. 

Another feature that makes LVT fantastic for bathroom flooring is its ability to resist the expansion and contractions that happen with a lot of flooring. What causes this is the steep temperature changes, which often happen in bathrooms due to the use of hot water in a cold room.  

On top of this, LVT has fungal and anti-microbial properties. This means that the products are treated to inhibit the growth of mould and bacteria, allowing you to breathe easily and avoid health problems.  

Glue-down LVT when installed using a waterproof adhesive, is exceptionally stable and provides a complete barrier to water penetrating through to the subfloor. 

Finally, the tight seams of Click Plus LVT block water from seeping between the joints, and has no openings anywhere except the edges of the room. 

LVT is designed to be resistant to the vast majority of household challenges, so yes, LVT will accommodate most cleaning agents just fine.   

The top layer of LVT is something called the “wear layer”. The wear layer is responsible for protecting the floor from most wear and tear issues, but this also includes household chemicals. Wear layers come in different thicknesses. The typical wear layer thickness for a domestic property is 0.3mm, however, Luvanto’s standard wear layer size is 0.55mm. This is usually reserved for areas with high-traffic residential areas and commercial use, meaning that the wear layer will be almost entirely unimpacted through use.   

That being said, you should stick to pH-neutral cleaners if you’re worried about damage. PH-neutral products are less aggressive than highly acidic or alkaline products.  

If you want the best results, you should go with the Luvanto Floor Care Cleaning & Maintenance Kit. With it, you get a mop head with two cleaning pads, 750ml of initial cleaning solution, 750ml of general polishing solution, and 750ml of clean and strip solution. This should be all you need to keep your floor squeaky clean, and protected. 

It’s not required, but an underlay made specifically for use with glue-down LVT installations, such as QA SoundBarrier, is beneficial for quite a few reasons.  

• Moisture Barrier – There are underlays specifically built in order to actually have a moisture barrier. Bathrooms are high-moisture environments, and Luvanto LVT itself is highly waterproof. With an underlay that provides an additional moisture barrier, your floor more or less becomes immune to all forms of moisture except floods. 
• Sound Absorption – LVT is already a very soft feeling material, with it having a sort of cushioning effect against your foot. However, with SoundBarrier underlay, the noise from impact sound and footsteps is minimised, making the room a whole lot quieter. 
• Longevity and Protection – SoundBarrier underlay essentially supports the floor, even under the heaviest foot traffic, and will easily last the lifetime of the floor. 

Sealing the edges of a Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) floor is typically not necessary and is not a common practice. LVT flooring is designed to be a low-maintenance and water-resistant flooring option, and its edges are usually designed to lock together tightly to create a seamless and waterproof surface. Sealing the edges of LVT flooring can sometimes be counterproductive and may not provide any additional benefits.  

Some flooring, for example, is a floating floor that needs an expansion gap to deal with changes to the floor in different temperature and humidity settings. Sealing the edges could prevent movement and could lead to the floor lifting in extreme cases. Glue-down LVT is by far the best option if you are concerned about water penetration at the perimeter of the room. It is far more stable and less prone to movement, and sealant can be used where the flooring meets the skirting board or upstand. 

No, the floor always needs to be prepared in accordance with the manufacturer’s fitting guidelines. Always consult the guidance before you start laying your floor, or alternatively, we would recommend using a qualified floor fitter.