Shrinkage: Why precision milling vinyl tile is important
Regular SVT is prone to dimensional instability and shrinkage.
Lack of squareness creates uneven joints between tiles. Over a 50 foot span, these small variations grow cumulatively to as much as ½”. Get more indepth off shore vinyl tile shrinkage information here |
Solid vinyl tile is pressed, cut, processed and polished at high temperatures. As hot tiles move through the automated system, they begin to cool. Next, tiles are chilled by a series of water baths (filtered, recycled and reused water), in a process called annealing, used to inhibit dimensional changes. After this step, the tile is die-cut and prepared for shipment.
As with all polymers, the dimensions of SVT change slightly after manufacturing. This dimensional instability, caused by post-production temperature trauma and curling, can last for up to 72 hours. Because these changes are never perfectly proportionate, the size of die-cut tile varies. During shipment and storage, pressure and temperature changes can cause further dimensional instability, changing the size of a tile by as much as 1/16 of an inch, depending on tile composition, temperature, pressure and shipping distance.
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