When choosing flooring materials, the various claims about PVC plastic flooring (commonly called plastic flooring) always seem to travel farther than its actual quality. Some worry it will catch fire at the touch of flame; some are concerned that it has a pungent odor and is not environmentally friendly enough; and others doubt it can withstand underfloor heating. These claims sound reasonable and well-founded, yet they are often the result of hearsay from people who "know it happens but don't know why." Today, instead of rushing to praise its advantages, let us first calm down and clarify these three matters one by one — with material composition, test results, and experimental data.

About "Fire Resistance": Its Raw Material Determines That It Won't Burn

The most common misconception is equating "plastic" with "flammable." However, the main raw material of PVC plastic flooring is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and corresponding additives, produced through a carefully designed formulation and processing technology, and it is not itself a flammable material. More importantly, it has passed national fire resistance testing, achieving fire resistance grade B1 — which is already the highest recognized fire resistance level among building decoration materials. In other words, even when used in densely populated public spaces, it can still give firefighters peace of mind.

About "Environmental Friendliness": In the Formaldehyde Test, It Actually Achieves the Best Result

"Having an odor" does not equal "being harmful." The key indicator for judging whether a floor is environmentally friendly is its formaldehyde emission level. Among the various mainstream flooring materials, PVC plastic flooring happens to have the lowest formaldehyde emission, and it has smoothly passed national testing for toxic and harmful substances. 

It should be noted that the impact of formaldehyde emission on human health is graded: at 0.5–1.5 mg/L it may affect the nervous system; at 1.5–2.0 mg/L it can cause eye irritation and insomnia; and at 2.0–30 mg/L it affects the trachea and lungs — the higher the value, the more severe the harm. When most wood-based floors are still being measured in mg/L, PVC plastic flooring delivers a report card of "not detected," which is in itself the most convincing proof of its environmental friendliness.

About "Dimensional Stability and Underfloor Heating": The More It Alternates Between Hot and Cold, the More Stable It Holds

The third misconception is believing that PVC flooring is less stable than wood flooring or laminate flooring and is unsuitable for installation over underfloor heating. In fact, thanks to special process treatment and bonding, PVC plastic flooring boasts exceptionally good dimensional stability, and can calmly handle the changes of thermal expansion and contraction. Even when installed on a base layer with higher moisture content, it is not prone to deformation and can maintain its original shape over the long term — making it precisely an ideal choice for underfloor heating scenarios. This conclusion is not reached out of thin air; it is supported by experimental data:

Heat and Moisture Resistance Test: After being heated with boiling water for 6 hours and then left at room temperature for 30 minutes, PVC plastic flooring showed no change whatsoever, while composite flooring developed deformation and delamination.

Dimensional Stability Test: After samples were placed in an 80°C oven for 6 hours and then left at room temperature for 1 hour before measurement, the longitudinal variation rate of PVC plastic flooring was only 0.08% and the transverse rate 0.06%, whereas laminate flooring reached 0.36% and 0.28% respectively — a difference visible at a glance.

Looking through these sets of data, it is not hard to see that most of those "shortcomings" attributed to PVC flooring actually stem from a lack of understanding of its material and processes. When choosing flooring materials, rather than readily believing rumors, it is better to look at raw materials, test reports, and experimental evidence.

Hebei New World Group Co., Ltd. focuses on the R&D and manufacturing of green flooring materials such as PVC plastic flooring, stone plastic flooring, and wood plastic flooring. With characteristics such as anti-slip, wear resistance, and easy cleaning, its products are widely used in home decoration, supermarkets, hotels, offices, and children's activity venues. Speaking with facts and answering with quality, New World Group is willing to accompany you in selecting truly safe, worry-free, and reassuring flooring materials.