URETHANE FLOORING VS. LUXURY VINYL TILE IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
What is the best flooring choice for a healthcare facility?
There are many flooring choices available for healthcare facilities. It is important to compare their performance benefits and design options. In this article, we evaluate luxury vinyl tile vs. resinous floors.
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is often a go-to choice for spaces like patient rooms, exam rooms, reception areas, waiting rooms, and assisted living facilities, but could a unique resinous flooring system be the answer to healthcare flooring needs? Let’s take a look at how Stonhard’s Stonres urethane flooring systems stack up against LVT.
How Does Stonres Urethane Flooring Compare with LVT for Healthcare Facilities?
- Durability: Both LVT and Stonres are known for their durability, making them suitable for high-traffic areas in healthcare settings. However, Stonres is typically considered to be more durable and resilient to heavy use, impact, and abrasion compared to LVT. A urethane, terrazzo-like floor, that is poured in place provides a seamless, monolithic surface that can withstand heavy loads, constant foot traffic, and rolling equipment without showing signs of wear or damage.
Determination: Stonres provides greater durability, allowing it to last longer than LVT in a healthcare setting.
2. Hygiene and Cleanliness: Healthcare spaces require flooring materials that are easy to clean, maintain, and promote a hygienic environment. Both LVT and Stonres offer good cleanability, but Stonres has an advantage in terms of being a non-porous material, which means it is resistant to stains, spills, and bacterial growth. It can be easily cleaned and disinfected to maintain a sterile environment, which is crucial in healthcare settings where infection control is a top priority.
Determination: Due to its structure, Stonres is far superior to LVT in supporting a sterile environment.
4. Chemical Resistance: Stonres, being a resinous material, is highly resistant to chemicals, including harsh cleaning agents and disinfectants, which are commonly used in healthcare facilities. LVT, on the other hand, may be susceptible to damage from certain chemicals, and some vinyl flooring products may require special care and maintenance to avoid damage from chemical exposure.
Determination: Stonres is formulated to resist chemicals, whereas LVT cannot stand up to the same level of chemical exposure.
4. Design and Aesthetics: Both LVT and Stonres offers a wide range of design options to suit different aesthetic preferences. LVT often mimics the appearance of natural materials like wood or stone, while Stonres offers the classic, timeless look of terrazzo flooring with a wide array of color and pattern options. Stonres is a custom- made flooring solution that can be tailored to specific design requirements, including custom patterns, logos, and branding, offering greater design flexibility compared to LVT.
Determination: LVT and Stonres provide different appearances, so design preference will be subjective. Stonres RTZ provides a greater level of design flexibility and customization.
5. Installation: LVT typically comes in pre-cut tiles or planks that are installed using various methods, such as adhesive or click-lock systems, which can be relatively straightforward and quick to install. On the other hand, Stonres is a poured-in-place flooring system that requires skilled installation by trained professionals, involving multiple layers and curing times, which can be more time-consuming and complex.
Determination: LVT is a relatively quick installation, while Stonres requires resinous flooring professionals and cure times. However, once Stonres RTZ is installed its performance benefits offer a longer life without the need to undergo a new installation to replace damaged floors.
6. Cost: The cost of LVT and Stonres can vary based on a number of factors. In general, LVT tends to be more cost-effective in the short-term compared to Stonres RTZ, which is a premium flooring option that may have a higher upfront cost due to its custom-made nature and specialized installation process.
Determination: Similar to the time-savings costs mentioned in the installation comparison, the Stonres life cycle often proves more cost effective since this resinous flooring system is formulated with properties to stand the abuse of healthcare environments. LVT may have a lower up-front cost but is bound to require replacement sooner than an Stonres flooring system.
What are the Goals of Your Healthcare Facility?
While both luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and Stonres are suitable for healthcare settings, they have differences in terms of durability, hygiene, chemical resistance, design options, installation complexity, and cost. Stonres offers superior durability, chemical resistance, and customization options. While LVT may be an attractive option for easy installation and up-front cost effectiveness, decision-makers need to determine their priorities and long-term goals, i.e., the level of sanitary design they wish to achieve, the design they desire, and the length of time they want their floors to last without the need to shut down and reinstall.
Stonhard Flooring Options for Operating Rooms and Healthcare Spaces
Stonhard’s Stonres is a seamless, resilient urethane floor system that combines distinctive design with function. Created with public spaces and healthcare environments in mind, it is ergonomic and noise reducing. Stonres family of resilient, urethane flooring products comes in three formulations each with their own design options: Stonres RTZ, is popular floor in operating rooms, hospital corridors, and more terrazzo, providing progressive design with colored polyurethane chips. Stonres RTZ-2 adds even more design touches with larger chips and translucent chips available. Stonres STR offers solid color design and is also recommended for operating rooms and other healthcare spaces.
Stonhard has several flooring systems formulated for use in specific healthcare settings. Contact your local territory manager to explore your options.