As a significant surface area in a room, a floor has a great bearing on its overall appearance. Smooth floor coverings are a versatile option - the range of vinyl available today is so vast that you should have little difficulty in finding something to suit your taste as well as your budget. Indeed, there is a pattern and texture of smooth floor covering to suit every room in the home, from a classical parquet appearance for a living room to marbled effects for kitchens or bathrooms.

On the practical side, smooth floor coverings cope well with the wear and tear of everyday family life. They are ideally suited to heavy traffic areas such as the kitchen and hall, where other floor coverings quickly become worn. In bathrooms and kitchens where the floors are liable to get wet and have messy things spilt on them, a floor covering that's waterproof and easy to clean is a must.

Most types of vinyl also come in tile form - a convenient way of buying it. Packs of standard grades of vinyl are readily available and come in plain colors and patterned with marble and tile effects. The least expensive types have a faint flecking, but as the complexity of the designs increases, so does the price. Many are self-adhesive - you just strip off the backing paper and stick them in place.

When buying vinyl tiles, always check that the code number on each pack is the same, or you may find that the colors don't quite match.

Vinyl tile floors are made from square pieces of vinyl that are available in different sizes. Repairing damage to a vinyl floor depends on which type of vinyl floor you have. Most savvy homeowners, who have laid their own vinyl tile floors, buy extra pieces in case repairs are needed. The simplest way to repair vinyl tile is to simply (and carefully) pry up the damaged piece being very careful not to damage adjacent tiles. Start from the inside of the tile using a utility knife and work toward the edges as you remove the tile. Using this approach, you will avoid making contact with the adjacent, undamaged tiles. When the damaged tile has been removed, inspect the floor and, if necessary, use a putty knife to smooth out any chunks of adhesive or small pieces of tile that you missed.

If the damage is minor (scratches or small cuts) the damage can be repaired with a liquid seam sealer that is available wherever vinyl flooring is sold. Make sure you have the right kind of gloves to protect your hands from direct contact with the lacquer thinner you will need to use to clean the damaged area. After using the thinner to clean the area and after it has completely dried, apply a very thin bead of the liquid seam sealer that will fill the scratch or cut. When it has dried, the repair will make the damage virtually invisible.

Vinyl flooring is practically damage proof, hence it depreciation value is zero. Unlike wood, vinyl does not deteriorate with time and hence the cost of maintenance is very low, whereas wood needs regular waxing and polishing to keep it in good condition. Considering this special characteristic of vinyl, manufacturers offer lifetime warranties which itself is a big advantage for the users, hence vinyl tile floors can easily be voted as a best economical solution over other floors.