Vinyl floor covering system with woven or non-woven glass fiber mat segmented reinforcement

A vinyl floor covering, comprising:

• a. a vinyl sheet floor covering having an underside;
• b. a top show surface having colors, patterns, and textures printed or embossed thereon;
• c. said vinyl sheet floor covering having a thickness with a centerline;
• d. a neutral axis located at said centerline of said thickness of said vinyl sheet floor covering;
• e. a woven or non-woven glass fiber mat bonded by a polymeric binder and having segmented portions to form a segmented glass fiber mat, wherein the segments are in the form of discontinuities in the mat and are comprised of random or patterned disruptions of the glass fibers which separate from each other, the segments having polymeric binder therebetween;
• f. said segmented glass fiber mat being integrally bonded to said vinyl sheet floor covering to form said vinyl floor covering;
• g. said segmented glass fiber mat providing rigidity to said vinyl floor covering at said segmented portions of said segmented glass fiber mat, said vinyl floor covering operable to be placed on a subfloor having a surface, said subfloor being subject to floor dimensional changes;
• h. said segmented glass fiber mat providing accommodation to said floor dimensional changes by deformation of said polymeric binder located between said segmented portions of said segmented glass fiber mat;
• said segmented glass fiber mat providing increased strength, flexure resistance, and creasing resistance to said vinyl floor covering.