renaliving
New Member
Can someone tell me where to find bathroom rugs without rubber or vinyl backing to use on luxury vinyl tile floors?
acceptable bathroom rugs for lvp
- Thread starter renaliving
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Help Support Flooring Forum - DIY & Professional:
A google search of “Bathroom rugs” will lead you to a few…Target sells these…
https://www.target.com/p/21-x30-per...d/-/A-52346648?preselect=81781982#lnk=sametab
https://www.target.com/p/21-x30-per...d/-/A-52346648?preselect=81781982#lnk=sametab
renaliving
New Member
I should have indicated I’m trying to find something non-slip without backing that would damage my floors.
Plenty of options out there. You’ll want to make sure you get a non staining rug for sure.
Yes, beware of plasticizer migration
renaliving
New Member
This is for a bathroom floor, so I need something non-slip. All the searching I’ve done always ends up when I look at details. Even though the rug is ok, the backing always has rubber of some kind.
I know it's been quite a while since you posted this, but I'm driving myself crazy looking for the same thing. I've tried so many different searches, but I'm experiencing the same problem as you. Once I look at the details, it's no good.
Did you ever find anything?
If you are looking for premade you probably won't find it. Got to your local carpet store and find a soft back product and have it fit and bound.
I don't understand the issue. I have wall to wall LVP, and rugs everywhere that have a rubber backing. Is my floor going to explode? It has been 5 years, and the only migration I see is the illegal migration at the border!
Vinyl backed rugs will stain other vinyl.
Plasticizer migration is the unwanted net movement of a plasticizer component out of a compound (like an adhesive or plastic). It can occur through gas volatilisation, liquid extraction, or solid migration. Collectively these are known as plasticizer migration.
The molecules in the plastic backed rug can migrate into the vinyl below and make a permanent stain.
The molecules in the plastic backed rug can migrate into the vinyl below and make a permanent stain.
I’ve seen it happen on sheet vinyl floors but haven’t really noticed it with LVP yet. Is that because the floors are usually a darker color? Maybe a different composition of flooring so it takes longer to see?
Well....I'll throw in my two pennies, for what it's worth.
It is true that vinyl and rubber typically do not mix well.
However, I think there is an important caveat that is being missed....as a rule of thumb plasticizers are much more of an issue with flexible (glue-down) luxury vinyl floors than they are with floating (rigid - SPC or WPC) floors. Plasticizer, or esthers are the oils in plastic that make it bendable. If you have a rigid product like many of the floating luxury vinyl floors, plasticizer migration really isn't a big concern.
Flexible LVT/LVP by weight is generally going to be about 70% PVC (with plasticizers) and about 30% filler and binder (usually clay of some type).
Rigid core products (SPC & WPC) are going to be almost opposite with only about 30% vinyl content and generally little to no plasticizers as they would be unnecessary and add cost to the production of the product for no reason.
Additionally, rubber backings can be made with non-staining formulations that won't react with vinyl. Many rug and mat manufacturers went through changes several years ago due to the staining problems and reformulated their backings to be non-staining.
I think it's one of those situations where the flooring manufacturers have hesitated to rephrase or restate their warranty position on this because there are still lower end products out there that are made so poorly. If they remove the exclusion and somebody buys something at a swap meet that came from Lord knows where, they would be held responsible to honor a claim.
The other big one that used to be a problem, particularly with entry way mats, was cocoa fiber backings that used to be commonly used. Cocoa fibers can leach color and cause staining / yellowing of vinyl wear layers. It's kind of the same issue we had with dyes from luan years ago. Although it's still a problem with luan (and that has other issues besides staining). Again, the industry has changed, and they are much less common than they once were.
While you should always look at the rug or mat manufacturer's recommendations, for the most part, the rugs and mats you'd buy at any large chain store (Walmart, Target, Costco, etc.) are probably not going to cause a problem, especially over a floating luxury vinyl product. Those retailers are savvy enough to know if they sold something that stained a floor they are going to get lit up by lawyers.
Hope that helps! Best wishes on your rug hunt!
It is true that vinyl and rubber typically do not mix well.
However, I think there is an important caveat that is being missed....as a rule of thumb plasticizers are much more of an issue with flexible (glue-down) luxury vinyl floors than they are with floating (rigid - SPC or WPC) floors. Plasticizer, or esthers are the oils in plastic that make it bendable. If you have a rigid product like many of the floating luxury vinyl floors, plasticizer migration really isn't a big concern.
Flexible LVT/LVP by weight is generally going to be about 70% PVC (with plasticizers) and about 30% filler and binder (usually clay of some type).
Rigid core products (SPC & WPC) are going to be almost opposite with only about 30% vinyl content and generally little to no plasticizers as they would be unnecessary and add cost to the production of the product for no reason.
Additionally, rubber backings can be made with non-staining formulations that won't react with vinyl. Many rug and mat manufacturers went through changes several years ago due to the staining problems and reformulated their backings to be non-staining.
I think it's one of those situations where the flooring manufacturers have hesitated to rephrase or restate their warranty position on this because there are still lower end products out there that are made so poorly. If they remove the exclusion and somebody buys something at a swap meet that came from Lord knows where, they would be held responsible to honor a claim.
The other big one that used to be a problem, particularly with entry way mats, was cocoa fiber backings that used to be commonly used. Cocoa fibers can leach color and cause staining / yellowing of vinyl wear layers. It's kind of the same issue we had with dyes from luan years ago. Although it's still a problem with luan (and that has other issues besides staining). Again, the industry has changed, and they are much less common than they once were.
While you should always look at the rug or mat manufacturer's recommendations, for the most part, the rugs and mats you'd buy at any large chain store (Walmart, Target, Costco, etc.) are probably not going to cause a problem, especially over a floating luxury vinyl product. Those retailers are savvy enough to know if they sold something that stained a floor they are going to get lit up by lawyers.
Hope that helps! Best wishes on your rug hunt!
Maybe because my LVP is a commercial grade, made with stone dust, is why I've never seen any tracing, discoloration or staining?
Very possible. You could also have a non-staining formulation of rubber backing. Usually, these types of rubber have less SBR and are thermoplastic. Thermoplastic or TP rubber is a blended rubber with vinyl content in it. This type of composition is what most "rubber" wall base is made out of today. Unless of course you're in California where thermoset (TS) SBR rubber wall base is commonly used. In our market here in Indiana we are primarily a vinyl wall base market (about 80%) with the remainder being TP rubber. I might get a request for TS rubber about once every 5 years.
This minimizes the chemical differences between the rubber and vinyl meaning less chance for plasticizer migration to occur. It's far less expensive to manufacture a TP rubber than a TS rubber which is also a reason that many rug manufacturers have switched to non-staining backings.
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