A new generation of “luxury vinyl tile” has been getting attention, and savvy customers are frequently choosing it above stone, ceramic, wood and wood laminates.

Installing the luxury vinyl tiles in most cases requires troweling an adhesive onto the floor before the tiles are set, says flooring specialist Randy Jordan of High Desert Flooring. It’s easier, cleaner and less time-consuming than working with ceramic or stone tile, which is set with cement and then grouted, he says.

The new tiles can be cut by scoring with a utility knife and snapping apart, or by using a basic tile-cutting tool.

Luxury vinyl tiles also can be installed on top of old, ugly, damaged or worn-out ceramic or stone tile, though a “skim coat” of latex-fortified patching material may be needed to level the floor at the grout lines, Jordan says. Not removing the old floor saves money and time, and there’s less mess.

Retired social worker Carol Evans chose DuraCeramic luxury vinyl tiles made by Congoleum to replace about 425 square feet of linoleum in her Rio Rancho townhouse.

“I looked at a bunch of different things and then settled on this,” she says.

The earth-tone tile she selected is called “Fired Bisque.” The 16- inch square tiles have beveled edges, which can be butted up against each other. Because Evans likes the look of a heavier grout line, the installers created a bit larger space between the tiles, which they filled with a special bone-colored acrylic grout.

“This is ideal for people who like the look of stone or ceramic tile, but don’t like the coldness, hardness and the noise,” Jordan says.

The price of uninstalled DuraCeramic tiles is about $4.25 each. Installation can easily add $2 to $4 a tile.

“I just love it,” Evans says. “It’s real easy to take care of, and it’s more comfortable on the feet than ceramic tile.”

Of course, old-fashioned peel-and-stick vinyl tile remains widely available from home-improvement stores and flooring outlets.

Traditionally, these have been purchased by do-ityourselfers who appreciate the low cost and easy installation, which involves primarily a utility knife, says Jordan.

The wear layer on these tiles is generally thin, about 7 to 12 mils, and they don’t usually have much of a warranty, he says.

“Over time, the tiles tend to show cuts and nicks, and eventually the adhesive backing dries out and the tiles start lifting in the middle or curling at the edges.”

Many luxury vinyl tiles have a top wear layer up to 40 mils thick, and warranties are from 15 years to limited lifetime. Colors and patterns duplicate stones such as flagstone, travertine, granite, marble, slate and lapis; woods, including bamboo; and fibers, like wicker.

In addition to the DuraCeramic tile, a number of other products are available. Metroflor and Mannington make 16- and 18-square-inch tiles mimicking the look of stone, ceramic or wood.

Local Lowe’s and Home Depot stores carry various peel-and-stick vinyl tiles starting as low 36 cents per square-foot-tile. Those stores also sell better-quality and more expensive luxury vinyl tiles under the Armstrong, Novalis, Cryntel and TrafficMaster brands.

A clever concept in vinyl flooring comes from Konecto. The company’s Prestige and Sierra lines are vinyl flooring planks in various wood designs and colors. Many are embossed to enhance the wood-grain pattern. Unlike more rigid wood laminate floor systems that snap together edge to edge, the flexible Konecto planks have an adhesive tab bonding one plank to the next.

Like a laminate floor, this is a “floating” floor because it isn’t bonded to the concrete or wood subfloor; rather, it sits atop the subfloor surface.

Unlike a laminate, the vinyl product when set on concrete doesn’t require a plastic moisture barrier sheet and foam noise-dampening sheet to be laid down first.

The vinyl planks “can be cut with a utility knife and installed as quickly as the peeland-stick floors, but this heavier-gauge flooring is ideal for high-traffic areas,” Jordan says. “They absorb sound, are softer and more comfortable underfoot than stone or ceramic tiles, and won’t chip or crack. They can cover minor surface irregularities in the existing subfloor, and they are easy to clean.”

Another attraction of these floors is they are 100 percent water resistant even along the adhesive tab, according to Konecto. Sometimes with wood-laminate floors, water seeps into the groove where the edges snap together, “causing the seam to swell and the plank to cup.” The floating vinyl floor planks also are easy to clean and replace, he said.

The planks come in 6-inch widths, either 36- or 48-inch lengths.

“The price and durability are about the same as a betterquality laminate,” Jordan notes.

Another choice of vinyl plank, also with an adhesive tab, is the Allure line from TrafficMaster.

“Luxury vinyl products are a big part of our business, and people are not buying them as a price alternative,” Jordan says. “They’re buying them because they like the look of stone, ceramic or wood, but don’t like the way those products feel or the maintenance that they require.”