Sheet vinyl has been around for decades. Even though it is water-resistant and inexpensive, its reputation is not so great because, for the most part, it can look and feel cheap. Sheet vinyl flooring is NOT equivalent to luxury vinyl flooring. They might be cousins, but they are quite different. To make it even more confusing, you might have heard the terms luxury vinyl, luxury vinyl tile, luxury vinyl planks, LVT, or LVP.

  • Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) looks like ceramic and natural stone tile flooring.
  • Luxury vinyl planks (LVP) look like planks of hardwood flooring.

Quality luxury vinyl construction can look remarkably comparable to real hardwood and ceramic or natural stone tiles. Luxury vinyl has several layers to create the planks and tiles, producing a reasonably priced, durable, and more attractive floor than sheet vinyl. Not only does luxury vinyl have the look and texture of hardwood, ceramic tiles, and other premium types of flooring, but it has less maintenance than the floors that it mimics. It is water-resistance that makes it better for basements and bathrooms. Overall, luxury vinyl flooring is exceptionally durable. If it ever does become damaged, no need to replace the entire floor. Each plank or tile is individual, so just the damaged area can be replaced with a few pieces.

Luxury vinyl flooring has five layers:

luxury vinyl flooring

  • Backing – an attached underlayment that saves installation time and money. Adds comfort underfoot.
  • Vinyl core layer – Waterproof, dense and durable core. Great for uneven subfloors.
  • Print film layer – High-definition imagery with realistic hardwood and tile looks.
  • Wear layer – a transparent layer that covers the print layer and protects it from routine wear and tear.
  • Polyurethane top coating – protects against scratching and UV

The most critical layer is the wear layer. The wear layer will impact the durability the most and it is measured by how thick it is. For example, a room with moderate traffic, you want the wear layer to be at least 8mil. For high traffic areas, you want to go with a wear layer that is about 20 mil. It is best to stay away from luxury vinyl flooring under 4 mm if your sub-floor is not entirely smooth.

Luxury vinyl does not usually echo in the room it is installed. Most of the time, you can install luxury vinyl without underlayment. One instance you might want underlayment is on the second floor since it can help dampen the sound of footsteps to the floor below if necessary. The other case where you may want underlayment is to help limit MINOR imperfections of the floor you are laying the luxury vinyl on top of.

luxury vinyl flooringLuxury vinyl has the broadest range of designs, colors and styles, which you can personalize using different laying styles and color combinations. Luxury vinyl is waterproof and more durable than real wood, stone, or ceramic tiles, making it even more resilient to busy family life. If you have any questions about luxury vinyl flooring, call me or one of our knowledgeable flooring consultants who are always more than happy to help!