• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • Product Spotlights
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • Product Spotlights
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP

VCT: Very Compelling Tile (If you know how to work with it)

February 13, 2009
Tile with style. Many of the newest VCT entries offer more than good looks and value.  Mannington’s Sobella line, for example, features a fiberglass backing to assure greater durability. The flooring seen in this bathroom is Perugia, which features marble inspired colors and includes the look of rectified grout lines.


It is amazing how many millions of square feet of Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) are installed throughout North America each year. It is also amazing how much misinformation there is out there about this important flooring product--particularly among end users. VCT provides excellent performance at a value price point; and when properly installed and maintained, VCT construction will provide years of durable wear. It also has a compelling look. Because VCT is typically a modular 12” x 12” product, it will produce an overall monolithic visual either in a calendared or through chip design. Usually VCT is installed in a multitude of design configurations.  Being a modular product, end users often expect that the tile lines will not be visible.

Reasonable expectations can vary from person to person so if you are working with VCT it is important that your client (be they the general contractor, the architect or the tenant) understands what this flooring can and cannot do. So, when discussing the visual characteristics remember to keep the following in mind:

• The joints between lighter color tiles will appear as a dark line, especially after a polish has been applied.

• Construction soil will get into the tile joints and when a polish is applied, the polish will accentuate the soil in the tile joint.

• The joints between darker color tiles will appear as lighter lines.

• The joints between tiles in a newly installed floor may appear tighter than the joints of a floor that has been installed for a longer period of time (usually six months or more).

• Often, small spaces between tile joints--“gaps”--may be observed in a VCT installation.

• No installation of VCT will be without tile joint irregularities. No substrate is perfect and installing tile over those irregularities will produce tile runs.

• Slight gaps in a VCT floor will not affect the performance of the floor when the recommended maintenance procedures are followed, as the sealer/polish applied to the floor will fill these gaps, preventing dirt from embedding in the tile joints.


A persistent issue, of course, is unsightly gaps in tile joints. They can have many different causes, and may not be from a single cause, but a combination of causes. Consider these possibilities:

Acclimation of the tile and the environment: The VCT tile was not properly conditioned to the area prior to installation, or the recommended temperature ranges were not maintained during storage and installation of the tile. An example would be if a tile stored in a hot environment were installed in a cooler environment. It’s simple physics: the tiles, expanded from the hotter environment, now return to their manufactured size, leaving gaps between the tiles.

Maintenance too early: This includes wet washing the floor too soon, flooding the floor with too much water during maintenance, or using a no scrub/no rinse stripping solution within two years of the installation. Flooding a VCT floor during maintenance procedures will attack the adhesive bond at the tile edges.

Maintenance too late: Not applying the initial maintenance two coats of polish to protect the tile and prevent dirt from getting trapped in the tile joints from construction traffic.

Traffic too soon: Heavy foot or wheeled traffic on an uncured adhesive and unset tile is a recipe for failure. Not protecting the floor from rolling load traffic such as lift trucks, scissor lifts, dollies and especially ladders will cause tile to spread and twist.  

“Off line” installation: Gaps can be formed during the installation of the tile, especially on larger areas, as the installer compensates for irregularities in the substrate and the layout, causing the tile to run “off line.”  Many times the tile is considered “out of square” when the real problem is a substrate flatness issue. It is rare for VCT tile to be out of square. 

Installer error: Many installers lack the skills necessary for the proper placement of VCT. They don’t know how to correct a tile runoff. They don’t know how to work around substrate irregularities. Some don’t even know how to handle the product itself. It is remarkable how many installers hold VCT by its corner rather than the center of the tile. Holding tile by the corner tends to twist the tile during placement. Right-handed installers holding VCT by the corner will pull VCT tile to the right and left-handed installers to the left.

Wrong adhesive: The use of non-recommended adhesives that are not totally compatible with the plasticizers in the VCT tile. There is no “one-size-fits-all” adhesive.

Improper adhesive application: The trowel notch used to apply the adhesive can be either too large or too small. Using too little adhesive would result in a loss of bond which could result in tile movement. Too much adhesive and the tiles can start slipping or moving toward the space between the tile and the wall, leaving unsightly gaps. An even larger problem is improper notch spacing allowing the trowel notch to show through the installed tile.

Temperature changes: Technically this is known as “thermal coefficient of expansion and contraction.” Simply put: all VCT is affected by temperature changes. The lighter the color the tile, the more movement will be visible. In areas of direct sunlight the temperature of the tile can exceed 150 degrees, causing the tile to expand severely and when allowed to cool, reverting to its manufactured size. Structures like schools where the heat and/or air conditioning temperatures are allowed to fluctuate is a prime cause of tile joint gapping.

Excessive moisture in the substrate: Tile and adhesives are affected by substrate moisture. Tile installed over a concrete substrate with excessive moisture will grow slightly and later when the slab dries, the tile will return to its original size creating a uniform gapping. Adhesives over a damp substrate will remain soft and will allow the tile to slip.

Remember, Vinyl Composition Tile is a value engineered product that is used extensively because of its durability at an inexpensive price point.  End users need to understand that modular products are not monolithic and unless all of the components listed above are met, you can expect to see gapping in some or all areas of the installation.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Installation How-To
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Commercial Flooring
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Takeaways from the 2024 AHSG Convention & Member Outlook for 2025

Takeaways from the 2024 AHSG Convention & Member Outlook for 2025

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

AHF Products CEO Brent Emore

AHF Products Names Brent Emore CEO

Schluter waterproofing system

Waterproofing Wet Areas: Three Essential Methods to Protect Your Bathroom and Shower Installation

Starnet 2025 Carlsbad CA

Future-Proofing Success: How Starnet Members Are Building Resilient Flooring Businesses


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

June 9, 2025

NeoCon 2025

A trade show for the commercial interior design industry.

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Investing in your Business

What's Your Top Business Investment Priority for 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • Debby Davis

    The Job’s Not Over Until You Know How to Clean It

    See More
  • Resilient Answer Man: Note to salespeople -- if you promise the moon, be sure you can get it installed

    See More
  • Focus on Resilient: If your concrete cracks, don't assume you know why

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781622700158_c-15_.png

    Flooring and Floor Covering License Examination (C-15) - QuickPass Study Tool Book with Online Interactive Software

  • small-safety-book-alt.gif

    Start With Safety Book

  • fab floor.jpg

    Fabulous Floor Patterns: with CD

See More Products
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • Product Spotlights
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP