Differences Between Conductive Vinyl & VCT Flooring

Vinyl Composition Tile

• Vinyl composition tile, or VCT, is a form of resilient flooring, used widely in institutional and commercial facilities for characteristics of ease in cleaning and maintenance, comfort, and a wide selection of styles and colors.

  The tile is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), combined with limestone filler and a mixture of stabilizers, plasticizers and pigments. VCT is the largest-selling resilient flooring in terms of square footage. It is also economical and simple to install, since adhesives can be spread in large quantities at once.

Conductive Vinyl

• Conductive vinyl is used as a form of static control flooring, which is referred to as ECD, for electrostatic discharge. Conductive vinyl attracts electrical charges, routing it away from sensitive electronic equipment.

  The charge is drained through pathways in the tile to conductive adhesive, and from there into copper stripping, which dissipates into the ground. Conductive vinyl is used extensively in facilities that depend on electronics, such as health care, education, public safety and business.

Material and Installation

• Conductive vinyl flooring uses solid vinyl tile, which has much higher vinyl content than VCT. Solid vinyl tile, or SVT, is less porous than VCT, consisting of a photographic print film laminated between a backing and a clear vinyl layer that's highly resistant to soil and stains.

  Both VCT and conductive vinyl floors require clean, cured concrete and moisture-free surfaces for installation. Adhesives and the application methods are different between the two, with a specially formulated conductive adhesive required for conductive vinyl.

Appearance and Finishes

• Solid vinyl tiles are usually precision milled. This allows a tight, gap-free installation, compared with lines between VCT flooring that need to be carefully aligned and corrected during installation. Solid vinyl tile can be maintained without a finish or with a semi-permanent coating. Finishes may not adhere well to the non-porous finish, and a sealer coat may be needed. VCT flooring is easy to maintain, but generally waxing and buffing are part of the maintenance routine.