How to Choose Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Luxury vinyl flooring for residential interiors comes in three basic types: LVT/P (tile and plank), WPC, and what is called rigid core, SPC or MLF.

 

Luxury vinyl flooring for residential interiors comes in three basic types: LVT/P (tile and plank), WPC, and Hexing or MLF.

Vinyl has always been performance flooring. However, new luxury vinyl flooring is breaking down the barriers of this exciting new product.

Thanks to advances in HD printing, layering of patterns and colors, and new embossing techniques, luxury vinyl is moving out of the kitchen and into specialty spaces throughout the home.

 

 

LVT/P - Tile and Wood Paneling

Luxury vinyl is often referred to as LVT or LVP, depending on whether it is in tile or plank format. It is an upgraded vinyl product with a heavier vinyl substrate that provides greater dimensional stability, is water resistant and sometimes waterproof, and allows for deeper embossing and better visual appeal, giving today's LVT a realistic appearance. Luxury vinyl is not only more expensive than sheet vinyl, it is often superior to sheet.

The performance of luxury vinyl comes from the solid vinyl core, backing and superior wear layer. The solid core also enhances the visual impact and contributes to the great look you see in LVT products. LVT is typically installed fully adhered to the subfloor, although some offer floating floor installations. However, LVT is known to report defects in the subfloor. This is essentially the opening price for luxury vinyl flooring; expect to pay $1 to $3 per square foot.  

 

Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl (SPC, MLF)

Rigid core vinyl - sometimes referred to as SPC or MLF flooring - improves the performance characteristics of LVT/P by combining the vinyl (usually with calcium carbonate to form a rigid waterproof core, which provides greater dimensional stability). This also gives it excellent dent resistance and often has an enhanced wear layer to prevent abrasion and staining. It is most often installed as a floating floor. Click-lock systems benefit from Rigid's increased thickness and are easier to install.

But there is a trade-off: its solid core prevents deeper indentations on other luxury vinyl flooring. Rigid Core is particularly popular in multi-family residential and commercial environments for its enhanced performance. Price points typically range from $2 to $4 per square foot, with higher prices for commercially rated flooring.

 

WPC (Wood-Plastic Composite)

WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) also offers excellent dent resistance and a rigid waterproof core, but it is not as resistant to denting as rigid core products.WPC does offer underfoot comfort and additional acoustic and thermal insulation qualities unmatched by other luxury vinyl flooring, especially when used in combination with the reinforced backing layers found in better products. Because of the way it's manufactured, WPC also offers a high quality of visual appeal and deep embossing that you won't find in Rigid Core products, although the more traditional LVT offers the same benefits. Here, WPC's thicker profile allows for a click-lock system and can be used as a floating floor installation. With the ability to hide subfloor imperfections, some WPC products can be installed directly over existing flooring. You can expect to find WPC products in the $3 to $6 or more range. wPC can often be identified by its cream colored core layer. 

Some WPC and SPC products are waterproof with an advanced surface system that prevents spills from sitting. Many of these now offer guaranteed protection not only against sitting spills, but also against pet accidents.

 

All vinyl flooring is primarily made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).