You'll recall that in the unit Lay flat vinyl, we talked about the two main structures used in the manufacture of vinyl flooring:

• heterogeneous (or layered) vinyl
  
  
• homogeneous (or solid) vinyl.

The term 'commercial vinyl' is generally used to refer to homogeneous products that are laid in industrial or commercial applications, such as schools, hospitals, offices and factories.

The easiest way to tell whether you've got a solid or layered sheet is to look at the back.

Solid sheets are the same colour on both sides, whereas layered sheets have a different colour on the back because it's a different layer.

Another common difference between lay flat and commercial vinyl sheets is the make-up of the wear layer on top.

Lay flat vinyl generally has a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) wear layer.

However, most commercial vinyl products have a PUR (polyurethane) surface treatment, which is tougher and more scuff resistant.

The composition of commercial vinyl is a uniform layer of PVC and various additives, such as binders, plasticisers, stabilisers, fillers and pigments.