How are vinyl sheet floor coverings made?

Vinyl sheet floor coverings are primarily manufactured through a process called calendering, which combines vinyl chloride resins with pigments, stabilizers, and fillers.1

These sheets can be produced as unbacked material or with backings made of felt, hessian, plastic foam, cork, or fabric. Various techniques are used to achieve specific finishes and structures:1

• Foamed Backing: A blowing agent is added to vinyl paste and spread onto a premanufactured sheet. When passed through a heated tunnel, the agent releases gas to create a foamed, fully bonded backing.1
• Printing and Lamination: Some sheets feature rotogravure patterns printed with vinyl inks, protected by a transparent vinyl layer.1
• Textural Effects: Adding colored chips to backed sheets, followed by a clear coating, can create a three-dimensional appearance. Additionally, embossing can be used to add color into depressions, simulating an inlaid effect.1

Once manufactured, these sheets can be installed with jointless seam welding. While early smooth-surfaced flooring included linoleum and asphalt tiles, modern vinyl remains a popular, durable choice due to its flexible polyvinyl chloride composition.12