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Additives and Stabilizers: More “Meat in the Meatloaf”

Depending on the “recipe” selected to combine vinyl resin with selected additives and stabilizers, vinyl can be made flexible enough for wallcovering, rigid enough for pipe, can have nearly any texture or pattern, and can be made clear or in virtually any color. Vinyl’s durability, resistance to the elements and fire performance all can be affected by additives or stabilizers.

The major components of resilient flooring are vinyl and fillers, like limestone or clay for rigidity. Plasticizers, stabilizers and pigments are secondary components. In general, higher vinyl content increases resilience and long-term wear increases a flooring material’s resistance to indentation and its flexibility.

Vinyl by itself, without any filler, is inherently unstable. All products require some degree of filler and can require special adhesives or heat welding. In some applications, like cleanrooms, where particulates are a problem, high-vinyl content flooring is a perfect solution.

Solid Vinyl Tile provides maximum resistance to indentation and stain resistance, making it ideal for high traffic areas such as post offices.

“I use vinyl in virtually every project we do,” says Erin Rindal, interior designer for Bassetti Architects, Seattle. “It’s about durability and cleanability. Advances in vinyl means you can use products in locations and ways you couldn’t in the past. In general, it is thicker, more durable than it once was.”

“And there are a lot more options now,” Rindal says, “sound absorbing vinyls, for instance, are ideal for school corridors; we use welded sheet vinyl in nurses stations and training rooms.”