Which smooth-surfaced materials are used for floor coverings?

Smooth-surfaced floor coverings are typically manufactured as sheet goods or tiles designed to adhere to a subfloor. These materials are often classified as resilient flooring and include the following types:1

• Linoleum: A durable, resilient material made from a mixture of oxidized linseed oil, gums, resins, and fillers like ground cork or wood flour, applied to a backing.23
• Vinyl: Known for being soft, resilient, and easy to maintain, pure vinyls are often the most expensive of the resilient options.4
• Asphalt tile: An economical and widely used flooring material, though it is relatively brittle and hard underfoot.14
• Rubber floorings: Produced using synthetic rubber, pigments, and fillers, this is a high-quality, durable material often used in public buildings with heavy traffic.5
• Cork tile: Created by heating ground cork granules, this material provides a comfortable, sound-absorbing surface, though it is less durable than other options.16
• Printed felt base: A type of smooth-surfaced covering that serves as an alternative to more complex resilient materials.1