What Causes Vinyl Flooring Discoloration And How To Fix It
Your vinyl flooring was perfectly installed. The installer and retailer have explained to you the maintenance requirements in great detail.
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You have followed those instructions and carried out frequent cleaning tasks as well as preventative measures. Floor protectors have been applied to your furniture. Window coverings have been added to limit the effect of constant sunlight exposure. Walk-off mats have been laid near the doors so people can wipe their feet before entering the room.
And despite all that effort, yellow stuff still appears in your vinyl flooring? Where did it come from?
You might be disappointed to hear this, but some discoloration could still happen under specific conditions no matter what you have done. The best way to prevent it is to get a good understanding of its causes, which you are going to learn more about below.
Discolored Doormats
Rubber materials are a common source of yellow stains on every surface, including vinyl flooring. You can witness their damage in areas that have been covered with rubber-backed mats. Turn over the mats and you can see severe signs of discoloration.
However, rubber mats aren't the sole culprit. There are many other rubberized items that can deal the same blow to your vinyl flooring. Floor rests, Durigan backings, automobile tires, and cart wheels can contribute to your flooring's yellowing too.
But why exactly does rubber have such a devastating effect on flooring? The answer is antioxidants, according to William Cawley - the Editor-in-Chief at The King Live.
Manufacturers often use many forms of them, such as BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) in rubber production. These antioxidants can help rubber with prematurely aging as well as prevent it from cracking or getting brittle. Another source is dirty vacuum cleaners. Try to clean them by following the guide on how to clean a vacuum hose from the inside out .
When those chemicals come into contact with vinyl flooring, which is mostly made of PVC, they can migrate from the mats into the flooring and cause discoloration. The flooring's plasticizers and rubber's antioxidants react with each other, allowing for chemical migration between them.
Some of those antioxidants are already yellow by nature. Meanwhile, others can react with light and oxygen after moving to the flooring's surface, which leads to yellowing.
This chemical interaction has its roots in the carbon atoms within the rubber materials. Different compounds can create different levels of staining. It is all chemical, as you might say.
What makes this discoloration worse is that it is permanent. You can't revert it or clean it normally like dirt or spills. The only way to get rid of it is to replace the covering.
The good news is not all floor mats make your vinyl flooring turn yellow. You should aim for products with a non-staining claim. Jute-type backings or frothed-foam backings are the features you need to pay attention to. While unbacked mats don't necessarily cause discoloration, they can be slippery and too dangerous. Carpets or woven mats without non-slip backing are a prime example of this.
Conclusion
Discoloration in vinyl flooring occurs because of the chemical interaction between rubber compounds and PVC in the flooring's surface. Choosing non-staining mats can help you with this problem. Learn more about how to clean discolored Vinyl flooring too to solve your problem.