Many people would love nothing more than to have beautiful oak flooring in their home, with its attractive appearance, solidity and tradition. However, such a prospect comes with a few downsides.
In particular, as Architecture Lab notes, oak can be quite costly, it can scratch easily, and is not suited to wet environments which means you can’t use it in kitchens and bathrooms, while it is prone to forms of warping known as cupping or crowning. It is beautiful, but also high maintenance.
That is why it is worth considering the benefits of oak vinyl tiles. It used to be that vinyl was sneered at as a low-grade material, often with tacky patterns that were soon out of date as fashions changed. But that is far from the case now. Not only is modern vinyl better, but it can be produced in a range of realistic-looking patterns, including oak.
Having oak vinyl tiles gives you the best of both worlds. The attractive appearance of oak is there, but it comes with all the virtues of vinyl.
Most obviously, vinyl is water-resistant, which means unlike oak it can be used in any room in the home, allowing your bathroom and kitchen to enjoy the appearance without water spillages causing a crisis. In addition, vinyl is scratch-resistant and therefore much more durable.
Vinyl will also be free from problems like cupping and crowning, while if any major damage does occur to it, you can always swap individual tiles for new ones, making it much easier to correct any issues that arise.
Of course, vinyl is a 20th century invention and as such it will never match the longevity of tradition that oak has. However, it may well be that before vinyl arrived, owners of oak flooring would have loved the advantages of its aesthetic appearance without the downsides that came with it. You can certainly enjoy them now.