Pavimento PVC Adesivo: pro e contro di un prodotto (poco) apprezzato

Hi guys, in this video I will talk to you about PVC adhesive floors. You will see what are the pros and cons of these products, the prices, the best brands and I will also tell you my opinion on this type of floor. Leave a like on trust and let's get started! The PVC self-adhesive floor is a multi-layered floor that attaches directly to the existing flooring thanks to an adhesive that is included in the floor plate. It is not used for glue or nails. It is also called vinyl adhesive floor because the core of the floor is made of vinyl, which is a type of plastic. The elements of the floor are composed of 4 layers. The layer in contact with the floor is the adhesive layer that allows you to attach the elements to the existing surface. There is a protective film on the back that must be removed before installation to allow the adhesive to adhere securely to the surface. Above the adhesive there is the vinyl core, which is also the thickest layer of the floor. Above we find the print, the decorative layer that reproduces and imitates the appearance of materials such as wood and finally on the surface we have the PVC wear protective layer. This layer protects the floor from scratches, mold and, more generally, from wear. The PVC self-adhesive structure is flexible, unlike other floors, so the elements can be bent and flattened. Like all materials, PVC adhesives also have pros and cons. Let's see them all from the advantages. First of all, the price. It is one of the cheapest floors on the market. Entry-level adhesive models have starting prices less than € 10 per square meter. If you want to renovate the floors with a low cost, this could be the product or one of the products to consider, even if the savings, in this case, has a price to pay, as we will see. Second advantage, the thickness. The thicknesses start from just 1.2 mm and reach up to a maximum of 2.5 mm. For comparison, SPC floors, which are among the thinnest on the market, have already higher heights, starting from about 4 mm. The required thickness often allows you to make an overlap without modifying the internal doors or the entrance gate. However, remember that you must always guarantee at least 2 mm of air, indicatively, under your doors, to allow the correct opening and closing of the closures. Otherwise, the doors must be correct, so they must be raised or cut. Remember, however, that the correct position always involves the cut of the steps. It is not enough to support the floor with the steps, but you should always cut them. So, okay, quick renewal, thanks to the reduced thickness, but the steps should still be cut. From a certain point of view, the reduced thickness is also a disadvantage, and soon you will understand why. Third advantage is the ease of installation. Unlike floats such as laminated, SPC and PVC floats, the self-adhesive elements must be placed and pressed manually on the floor, without the need to place a mattress underneath. In practice, it's a bit like attaching a figurine to the floor, you don't need special tools, and if you want you can also place it yourself, without the help of a professional. Fourth and last point in favor is the discreet customization. Compared to other floors, the customization is little, because from an aesthetic point of view, the product is almost standardized, also to contain costs. However, considering the prices of the low cost, and specifically only of the low cost, in my opinion there is nothing to complain about. The assortment is sufficient. You can choose the effect, the thickness and the dimensions of the elements. The available effects are wood, which is my favorite, stone and cement. There is also a very small offer of products with cement effect or with particular decorations. The shapes are square or rectangular, and the ones you see are the available formats. I searched among many models, but good or bad, the dimensions do not change. You will notice that these are small formats, because given the very small thickness, you have to stay on contained dimensions. So these are the dimensions you will find on the market, there are no alternatives. And now let's move on to the disadvantages. And let's start with the most underrated by people who choose this type of floor. The first point in favor is that PVC self-adhesives require a perfect surface. Here I have to make an important premise. These floors can only be placed on some surfaces, in particular bricks and ceramics in general, and marble surfaces. These are the ideal support planes. We can also add the slabs, which must be smoothed with a self-leveling agent, because on the coarse mass the adhesives do not stick. The other surfaces are not suitable, so nothing is placed on linoleum, laminated, spc, pvc, floating parquet and moquette. These materials must be removed before placing a pvc adhesive. You could instead consider placing it on glued and varnished parquet, because on this type of finish the adhesive should stick. Having clarified this, let's go back to the question of the perfect surface. You need a perfectly smooth and clean support plane, without imperfections, crevices, reliefs or leaks between the bricks. I'm talking about leaks obviously in the case of overlapping a ceramic, which is the most common situation. In order to obtain a perfect position, the leaks between the bricks must always be leveled with specific stokes. Otherwise, with the passage of time and the calpestio, the same leaks will appear in backlight under the floor. The aesthetic effect is terrible. Remember that we are talking about a thin and flexible product that follows the profile of the support surface and that fails to correct imperfections. Varnished SPC and floating pvc, which are the direct competitors of adhesive pvc, can instead withstand some irregularities of the support surface, more or less depending on the product. Second disadvantage, the technical performance. These products have modest performance, especially in terms of wear resistance. If on the one hand we find a fairly convenient attack price, on the other we have a resistance proportional to the cost, although to tell the truth even more expensive models do not offer much in terms of performance. But on the other hand, in such a few millimeters of product and stratigraphy, miracles cannot be expected. With 12-13 euros per square meter, you find better performance varnished at the level of wear resistance and reduction of the noise of the calpestio. The third disadvantage is the duration over time. The duration of an adhesive surface depends on various factors, including the quality of the product, the correctness of the position, the mode of use and maintenance. It is very difficult to establish the average duration of these floors, so much so that in this regard I always collect rather disconcerting testimonies. In general, however, it is not a long-term solution, because as I told you, the technical performance in terms of wear resistance is rather modest. In the most busy areas, for example, the signs of wear are often noticeable, or the loss of color, or in any case the tones fade in those areas where there is more wear. The lifting of the slats or the corners of the slats can depend on various factors, such as water infiltration or incorrect position. The fourth and last disadvantage is that we are talking about a thermosensitive product. PVC is a material that can be dilated or contracted due to too high or too low temperatures. This problem can occur, for example, when the adhesive side is placed in front of windows exposed to the sun for many hours a day. In this case, there could be a dilation of the blades based on the temperature reached, so you must always use curtains to shield the light. For the same reason, it is necessary to exclude the position in the verandas, outdoors and in general in environments with too low or too high temperatures. In summary, these are the pros and cons of PVC adhesive floors. As you can see, we have 4 advantages and 4 disadvantages. There is an aspect that in my opinion is not correct to consider as a defect, and that concerns the aesthetics of the material. The beauty of the models is rather subjective, so in the meantime I tell you my opinion. The cheapest and thinnest products are not a big deal. Some have textures that I find really poor in quality. On the other hand, however, I am spending little and therefore the quality of the image, in this case, is proportional to how much I am willing to pay. I see it as a fair exchange and therefore I do not consider it a defect. If we raise the price ladder, in some cases the quality of the textures also rises, but do not expect a texture quality like that of certain laminated or SPC, which can imitate wood well. And let's see the prices. How much does a PVC adhesive floor cost? Prices start at about € 9 per square meter and even go up to € 30 per square meter. Personally, I would never spend € 30 per square meter for a PVC adhesive, and not even € 20 per square meter, because reading the cards of these more expensive products, I did not find any significant differences compared to entry-level models. I noticed more realistic effects, thickness increases, and in some cases an increase in wear resistance, but for € 20 or € 30 per square meter there are excellent alternatives, such as floaters, among other things much more profitable. The best brands are Gerflor, which is French, and Artens, which is German. Both brands are available at some large brick resellers, such as Leroy Merlin, which is one of the resellers of reference. Speaking of floor heating, only some models are suitable for floor heating. To find out if a product is suitable for radiant floor, read the description, the technical card or the model brochure. There you will find this information. Speaking of waterproofness, the surface of the blades is actually waterproof. Small stains on the surface do not cause problems, but the joints between the elements have not retained the tin, so water and liquids in general, over time, can infiltrate under the floors. Also here be careful and read the cards, because only some models are suitable for the most humid environments and at risk of water stains, such as bathrooms. Do not allow the landing in the garage, because the tires of the car, which are dirty, wet or with pebbles, ruin the surface and can detach the elements. If cars do not enter your garage, you could evaluate the landing, as long as the temperatures are neither too high nor too low. And we come to the landing, which, as I told you at the beginning, is quite simple. The blades are cut with a cutter, then they must be placed on the existing floor and placed together so as not to leave spaces or gaps. These are all things that you find in the assembly guide. You do not have to add other glues to the back of the blades, because the adhesive of which the elements are equipped already guarantees an excellent grip. Very very important is the preparation of the support surface, an often underrated aspect that can cause you problems later. In addition to leveling the leaks with the opposite stucco, it is always advisable to clean and treat the bottom with specific products. We are talking about primers that degrease the surfaces and improve the adhesion of the blades to the existing floor. As for the removal of the blades, manufacturers suggest using an object with a rigid and resistant tip, such as a scraper. The blades, if possible, should be heated with a fan as you proceed with the removal, in order to reduce their resistance. By making a lever with the scraper, the elements should come off. The support surface must finally be cleaned to remove residue from the adhesive. Now you have a complete picture on these floors, so it's time to tell you my opinion on the product. First of all, where do I recommend it? I recommend it if your priority is savings, so if you have to do an economic restyling, if you want something to rest on your own, and if you are fine with a floor that could, to form little, in terms of resistance to wear. In all other cases, in my opinion, it is advisable to aim for other floors, so many alternatives are not missing. I would not define it as a bad product, but simply as a product that addresses, or should address, those who want to spend little. That, in my opinion, should be the target of buyers. It goes without saying that if I spend little, I cannot expect too much in terms of performance, and in some cases also from an aesthetic point of view, even if, as I said, aesthetics are subjective. I also reiterate that spending 15, 18 or 20 euros per square meter for an adhesive PVC, in my opinion, is not advisable. For those figures you will find floaters with superior performance, so if the budget allows it, I suggest you look for other products. I hope I made it clear on the adhesive PVC. If you have any questions, write a comment. In the description you will find a video with 8 ideas for restructuring the house by spending little. There are 8 suggestions to save something with your restructuring project. If this video was useful, leave a like and subscribe to the channel by activating the notifications. See you in the next episode, here on Voglia di Ristrutturare. Greetings to all from Lorenzo. Bye guys!