Loose Lay LVT: What to Know

In today’s world of commercial design there are a number of flooring options to consider—hardwood, ceramic, carpet, laminate, and the list goes on. A strong contender among those options though is luxury vinyl, which is only continuing to grow in popularity for commercial interiors. However, how do you decide which type of luxury vinyl to choose?

There are essentially two types of luxury vinyl—the standard dryback, which requires an adhesive to install, or floating flooring. Floating flooring includes a few different LVT products all designed with ease of installation in mind. One type of floating flooring in particular seen more and more in interior spaces is loose lay luxury vinyl.

Carolina Walnut 5874

What is Loose Lay?

Loose lay is a type of luxury vinyl flooring product comprised of not only vinyl, but also phthalate-free plasticizers for added weight and durability. Designed for easy installation, loose lay is generally 5mm in thickness and requires an adhesive only for planks or tiles surrounding the perimeter of the room. The remaining pieces inside the perimeter are simply installed by laying pieces down without an adhesive; the added weight of the product and the specialized backing provides traction needed to stay in place without an adhesive.

Parterre’s 5mm Loose Lay product in particular offers a specialized backing with a honeycomb-like design for traction to stay in place freely after installation. Its product composition and 5mm thickness offers a natural sound barrier due to its heavier weight, which also provides more comfort on foot.

Ideal Applications for Loose Lay

5mm Loose Lay is a durable flooring solution that is simple to install and maintain and as previously mentioned, its specialized backing offers added sound absorption and comfort. Parterre’s 5mm Loose Lay has also been IIC (Impact Insulation Class) tested which, through a rating system, measures the impact of noise between a floor and ceiling in a space. The higher the IIC rating a product receives, the more sound reduction qualities it has. Parterre’s 5mm Loose Lay has a rating of 64, which is higher than the average IIC rating for other loose lay products in the industry. Luxury vinyl offers more sound reduction qualities especially when compared to hard flooring surfaces like concrete (with no underlayment), which has an average IIC rating of 28-35.

The IIC rating and overall acoustical properties makes it well suited for multi-family environments like apartment complexes, as well as commercial settings like corporate office spaces or hallways or hospitality settings including restaurants or hotel guestrooms. Not only that, but loose lay requires less installation time in any setting which ultimately helps to save on cost.

Another benefit in addition to its easy installation process, 5mm Loose Lay is easy to clean, requiring basic cleaning methods like sweeping or mopping using a two-bucket system. And topical moisture is not a concern, as long as spills are properly cleaned in a reasonable amount of time.

Parterre’s 5mm Loose Lay is naturally water, scratch, stain, and scuff resistant, which helps to minimize any maintenance. However, if a plank or tile ever does get damaged, a tile-by-tile replacement is made even easier without the need for an adhesive.

Cumbria Beech 5600

Available in 12 plank designs, ranging from contemporary oaks to smooth walnuts, Parterre’s 5mm Loose Lay has the quality of craftsmanship that Parterre is known for. And like all of Parterre’s luxury vinyl products, 5mm Loose Lay flooring features an ultra-clear, high-performance wear layer that is easy to maintain and has a resistance to staining and scuffing. Parterre 5mm Loose Lay in particular offers a 15-year commercial warranty. The result is a beautiful floor that is both long lasting and durable.

Considering luxury vinyl for your next project? Contact us to discuss if loose lay might be a good fit.