How Thick Should Luxury Vinyl Flooring Be

Testing and expert feedback reveals that click luxury vinyl tile should be at least 5 mm thick or more.

How thick should luxury vinyl flooring be. Thicker vinyl is a good option if you have a thin or uneven hardwood subfloor since it will smooth out imperfections. Before we take a look at wear layers or the overall thickness of a plank or tile it s important to understand what luxury vinyl is and how it s made. These planks cost the most but they are also the most durable and usually look the most like real wood. But these products are more expensive since the planks need to be quite thick to handle such deeply textured embossing.

Having new flooring that is either too tall or too shallow will create uneven floors that lead to awkward transitions between spaces. This makes luxury vinyl planks considerably thicker than standard vinyl giving it a semi rigid nature. It s worth noting that there isn t a defined industry standard for the word luxury usually though a luxury vinyl product includes a thick durable floor multiple layers a realistic image and a tough wear layer. Unlike traditional vinyl this style of flooring is comprised of layers which always include a core vinyl top layer and wear layer.

With most planks the width is about 6 inches though some go as much as 7 3 4 inches wide. Vinyl plank flooring cost. Vinyl plank flooring is available in a number of thicknesses ranging from 2mm to 8mm thick. Luxury vinyl flooring construction.

The thickest vinyl planks can be anywhere from 5 mm 0 20 in to over 8 mm 0 31 in thick. Building professionals tend to stick with a minimum of 12 mil for residential and 28 mil for commercial. You should look for vinyl planks with a wear layer of at least 12 mil. Luxury vinyl is sold in multi ply planks or tiles with wear layers that range from 2 to 8 mm in thickness roughly 8 100 to 3 10 of an inch thick.

If you have an active family or an assemblage of pets consider buying 20 mil or higher. Gaps need to be sealed in order to prevent moisture from seeping through your floor. If not then it might not be as high quality as it claims. Vinyl plank is commonly manufactured 4 or 6 inches wide by 3 or 4 feet long.

Generally speaking the thicker the wear layer the longer it will last. Just as laminate flooring the thicker the floor the sturdier it is but this is not the main factor in determining durability. Another thing to consider when choosing thicker over thinner lvt is the transitions between rooms. A 20 mil wear layer can be expected to last about 5 years compared with a 28 mil wear layer which can last for up to 10.

Vinyl flooring planks typically are 48 or 36 inches long. Even with a thicker wear layer your floors may not last as long as you d think. For heavy use commercial environments you will need to choose tiles with a wear layer of 28 mil 0 7mm thickness and above.