Vinyl flooring has become the quick, quiet alternative to tiling in South African homes, flats and offices. It is warmer underfoot than tile, softer on dropped glasses, and a flat floor can be finished in a day or two. The range runs from luxury vinyl planks and rigid SPC click boards to rolls of sheet vinyl and cheap peel and stick squares. Send one request with the rooms, the area in square metres and the look you want, and flooring suppliers and installers near you quote directly. Ask for supply only, or supply and laying. It is free and there is no obligation.
LVT, SPC, sheet and peel and stick
LVT (luxury vinyl tile) is a flexible plank or tile, usually glued down, with a realistic wood or stone print. SPC (stone plastic composite) is a rigid click board with a mineral core: it bridges small dips in the floor better and resists dents from furniture. Sheet vinyl comes in rolls two to four metres wide and has few joints, which suits kitchens, clinics and rentals. Peel and stick squares are the cheapest, but they lift at the corners if the floor is dusty, damp or uneven.
Compare the wear layer, the clear top coating that takes the scuffs. About 0.3 mm suits a bedroom, 0.5 mm suits a busy home, and 0.7 mm or more suits shops and offices.
Click or glue-down, and the floor underneath
Click boards float on an underlay and can be lifted again, which landlords like. Glue-down vinyl is thinner, stays put under rolling chairs and gives a more solid feel. Either way the base decides the result: vinyl copies every bump. The screed must be dry, clean and flat, usually within 3 mm over two metres. Hollow patches, grooves and old adhesive are levelled with a smoothing compound first.
- Acclimatise the boxes in the room for 24 to 48 hours before laying, so the planks settle to the room temperature.
- Leave a small expansion gap at walls, hidden by skirting, because vinyl grows and shrinks with heat.
- Keep direct sun through a big sliding door in mind, as dark planks can get hot and shift.
Waterproof, and what about old floors
Many vinyl floors are sold as waterproof, which usually means the planks themselves don't swell. Water that gets under the joints or into the screed can still cause mould or loosen the glue, so be cautious in a bathroom or laundry and ask the supplier what the warranty covers. Sheet vinyl with welded seams is the safest in wet rooms.
Before lifting an old floor, take care: vinyl floor tiles and the black adhesive under them laid before about 1990 may contain asbestos. Do not sand, scrape or break them. Have a sample tested and use a registered asbestos contractor if the result is positive. If you are still deciding, compare vinyl with floor tiles and wood-look tiles, which cost more but last longer.
Prices and what to compare
A rough 2026 guide is R180 to R650 per m² for the vinyl, and many suppliers quote supplied and laid together. Check that each quote includes underlay or levelling, skirting and edge trims, door bars where the floor meets tile, and removal of the old floor. Ask for the wear layer thickness in writing, plus the length of the warranty for residential or commercial use. For a long-term floor in wet rooms, see bathroom tiles.
What to include in your request
- Rooms to cover and the size in m²
- Look wanted: wood, stone or plain
- Click, glue-down or sheet vinyl
- What is on the floor now
- Your suburb and when you need it done
Vinyl Flooring for different projects
- Homeowners renovating: a quiet, warm floor for bedrooms and living areas without lifting the old tiles
- New builds and extensions: quick floors for upper storeys and extensions once the screed has dried
- Landlords and body corporates: click planks that landlords can lift and replace between tenants
- Guesthouses, hotels and restaurants: quiet guest room floors that go in fast between seasons
- Shops, offices and showrooms: commercial grade planks with a thick wear layer for shops and offices
- Schools, clinics and public buildings: welded sheet vinyl for clinics and classrooms that is easy to clean
- Workshops, warehouses and gyms: tough sheet vinyl for canteens, offices and light-use workshop rooms
- Patios, stoeps and pool areas: rarely suited, so ask about porcelain or pavers for covered stoeps instead
Frequently asked questions
Is vinyl flooring better than laminate or tiles?
Can vinyl be laid straight over old tiles?
How long does vinyl last?
Does vinyl work with underfloor heating?
Vinyl Flooring by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg