If you are installing your flooring and are looking for a good comfortable, durable, resilient, and simple flooring then rubber flooring and vinyl flooring are perfect options for you. However, both rubber flooring and vinyl floorings have their advantages and disadvantages which makes one flooring better than the other between the two (2) floorings.

These two flooring option share the most basic important properties, they are both waterproof, comfortable, easy to clean and maintain, and resistant. In this article we will look at the pros and cons of the two flooring options:

Rubber Flooring

Rubber is a natural material made from latex trees, these are the virgin PVC components. However, in this modern era, most rubber is synthetic, recycled, and sometimes a mixture of a natural material and synthetic rubber.

Rubber comes in different patterns and colors, and they are available as:

Interlocking Rubber Tiles
Rubber Rolls
Rubber Mats

Characteristics of Rubber Flooring

Highly Impact absorbent
Non-porous
Versatile
Chemical resistant

Able to withstand high traffic
Extra traction
Highly slip resistant
Anti-fatigue

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is made from material like to synthetic rubber derived from petroleum. Vinyl is available in sheet vinyl popularly known as vinyl roll, and vinyl tiles also known as vinyl planks.

Characteristics of Vinyl Flooring

Waterproof
Fairly impact absorbent
Slip-resistant
Anti-fatigue
Can be customised to suit your area

Above are analysis of the features and compounds of rubber material and vinyl material, now we will comparatively look at other qualities to see which flooring is better between the two flooring options.

Sustainability

A good flooring should be ecofriendly, and unfortunately vinyl flooring is not because of its compounds, it is made from petroleum and not a renewable resource. Vinyl floorings cannot be recycled once removed the only options is to through it into the garbage or burn it, which is not good for the environment.

Whereas virgin rubber is definitely a renewable resource, if used and has seen its life, it can easily be recycled. Synthetic rubber on the other side has some petroleum contains in it just like vinyl, it has some edge though over vinyl as some components in synthetic rubber are recyclable. Recycled rubber can make floorings or even other rubber products.

This then gives rubber flooring an advantage of vinyl, the fact that it can be recycled while as vinyl cannot be recycled.

Appearance

Vinyl can take a look of king of appearance or look of your choice as it can you print an appearance you like on it. High gloss materials like granite are hard to reproduce though as the texture is difficult to match. But, many other looks or designs can be reproduced.

Rubber on the other hand cannot be printed but comes in a range of colors or shade, you have an option of choosing from the available range, you can also have the pleasure of choosing from either a smooth surface or studded surface.

Rubber can have a disadvantage if you are looking for a specific look as it has limited options, whereas with vinyl you can print whatever shade or pattern you like.

When installed vinyl is odorless it does not produce any smell which makes it ideal home interior flooring. Same with rubber made from virgin rubber or mixed with PVC it does not produce an odor making it again a good interior flooring option.

However, recycled rubber will be mixed with some chemicals to make it compact and these chemicals produce an unpleasant gas that is not suitable for children or for people with any respiratory complications. The odor usually wear off over a period of about 6-8weeks.

Maintenance

When it comes to maintaining the floorings both rubber flooring and vinyl flooring are easy to clean and maintain. Just sweeping and mopping the floorings with some detergence will give you very good results, though here and there in will need thorough cleaning.

Conclusion

Rubber flooring are a bit expensive as compared to vinyl flooring, but rubber flooring is more resilient and durable than vinyl. Both floorings are easy to install on some rubber flooring like the interlocking tiles adhesive is not necessary as they can be locked together and can be hold down on their own, though gluing or screwing them down will increase durability.

Vinyl floorings have requires adhesive and some are self-adhesive they are peel and stick. Comparing the two flooring options rubber flooring is a better flooring option over vinyl flooring.