Luxury Vinyl Tiles | Buyer’s Guide

Published On: June 28th, 2017

If you still think of 1980s-style lino when you picture vinyl flooring, it’s time you took another look to see how much the industry has moved on. From ultra-realistic ceramic-look designs to wood effect and pretty patterns, it’s now possible to recreate just about any flooring type with versatile and affordable vinyl. You can choose from luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) or plank flooring. Vinyl plank flooring works in a similar way to traditional laminate flooring and is virtually indistinguishable from wood if you opt for a luxury finish.

The Benefits of Vinyl Tiles

Luxury vinyl tiles are great for homes, as they are durable and water-resistant, but very realistic. They can be used in any room of the home, allowing you to use the exact same flooring throughout your entire property if you like. They are just as suited to use in living rooms and bedrooms as they are in kitchens and bathrooms. Added to this, they are warmer to walk on than ceramic or stone tiles and softer underfoot than any other flooring apart from carpet. They are easy to keep clean, making them perfect for family homes or those with allergy sufferers.

Huge Range of Finishes

Whether you want the look of hardwood flooring, the classy finish of stone or ceramic tiles, or a colourful mosaic patterned floor, vinyl tiles allow you to achieve any look you want in any room of your home. Many LVT planks are supplied with a textured finish, making it impossible to tell they are vinyl until you touch them or look very closely – even then, it’s not always apparent they are made from vinyl. You can choose wood-effect flooring in a huge range of colours and designs, making it simple to switch between, for example, oak in your dining room and pine in your bedroom. You can also opt for more rustic finishes if you like a low-key look or a glossier finish if you want a clean, streamlined feel in a certain room.

Luxury vinyl tiles also replicate stone or ceramic tiles incredibly realistically, but they are far more affordable, easier to install and warmer and softer to the touch than the real thing. You’ll find an almost limitless variety of luxury vinyl tile floor effects, colours and finishes, making it easy to achieve your perfect look in any room. Opt for a plain textured finish in a stylish kitchen, a pretty marble look in a classic bathroom or a lively mosaic design in a conservatory. You can choose to lay tiles in varying designs like traditional herringbone wood floors or change the orientation of a tile, just like you can with normal ceramic tiles. With certain ranges you can even choose smaller inset tiles or borders customised to your own design.

Customer Stories

Once an order is complete we always encourage customer feedback. Here’s a selection of different projects and customer comments.

Customer Stories
Flooring for complete house

We have used Downs in the past and once again the salesperson was very helpful, answering all my queries. The fitter was equally helpful and able to give knowledgeable advice for a future product. I highly recommend Downs as a local business.

Marian G
Marian G
Customer Stories
Carpet order

From the first enquiry to the fitting of the new carpet, we were warmly welcomed by friendly staff, which helped to make our choice and decisions easy. Carpet came much sooner that originally told but that was great as it meant we could get on with the other changes in the particular room. Many thanks for an excellent service.

Richard M
Richard M
Customer Stories
Kitchen/diner

Customer service is top notch. We have used CMS for all of our flooring requirements to date and will continue to do so throughout the renovation of our house.

Vicky B
Vicky B
Customer Stories
Bedroom carpets

The sales team were really efficient and helpful, taking into consideration our requirements. The fitters worked well, efficiently and cleared up afterwards a real blessing. The choice of flooring was great and the prices very competitive. Recommend CMS carpets and would use them again. Thank you.

Karen P
Karen P

The Downs Difference

At Downs Carpets & Beds, we stay true to our original core values. Take a look at why our customers choose us for their beds and carpets time and time again.

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Our bespoke service

  • Design consultation: Working collaboratively with you, your designer helps you select the right products.

  • Technical consultation: We will conduct a technical survey, checking all measurements and any unusual angles.

  • Supplying the product: Your chosen product will be ordered and delivered to you in the time frames discussed.

  • Professional Installation: Our expert installers precision fits your product for an exceptional finish.

What Our Customers Say

Andrew Thomson
Andrew Thomson
2023-11-25
Downs were brilliant, we will be back next time we need a carpet. We got three new carpets all supplied and fitted by Downs. When the sitting room carpet turned out to be supplied too short (a manufacturer's fault) they sorted out the problem in 2 days. Simon was also very patient when we kept having to delay the fitting date due to various headaches with the bedroom renovation. Thank you to Simon for all his help and patience during the delayed building work.
A J
A J
2023-11-16
I can highly recommend Downs Carpets and Beds and will using again for our upcoming renovations. Special thanks to Adrian in store, also Gavin and Steve who did a great job fitting.
Nicky Lewendon
Nicky Lewendon
2023-11-12
Great service, Excellent carpet fitter, I would highly recommend.
Mike
Mike
2023-11-08
Cannot fault Downs or their fitters. Special thanks to Simon who has been our contact. We've had all bar one our whole bungalow brought and fitted through Downs. Price is reasonable, lots of range and no sales pitch. Very knowledgeable too. Thank you.
Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox
2023-11-07
Excellent service from start to finish. Knowledgeable staff gave brilliant advice on my choice of carpet, were very competitive against independent carpet suppliers and the fitters did a great job.
Sinead Dowling
Sinead Dowling
2023-11-06
Brilliant customer service and delivery service plus excellent comfortable bed and good value too
Jason Owen
Jason Owen
2023-11-06
We had the carpet stairs replaced. Great quality carpet. The fitter were very professional and fitted the carpet quickly.
Valerie Walker
Valerie Walker
2023-11-06
Really helpful and welcoming the minute we walked in. And the fitters made an excellent job of the bathroom and kitchen,and now the conservatory will be done. Thank you Downs of Newbury, highly recommended to anybody who is thinking of carpeting or flooring.
David Glare
David Glare
2023-11-06
Always efficient service from Downs carpets, thanks .
Amanda Dobbs
Amanda Dobbs
2023-11-04
We had an excellent experience here today. The salesman was knowledgeable and very kind. There's a huge selection to choose from as well.