Understanding Vinyl Flooring Thickness and Wear Layer
Any home can benefit from vinyl flooring, and tremendous design advancements have been made over time. But before making a vinyl flooring purchase, you need to know the fundamentals of how modern vinyl flooring is made and what it means for your house. Fortunately, we've simplified things for you!
What Materials Makeup Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring is composed of a variety of parts. To help you understand and compare possibilities for your home, we'll break them down for you. Vinyl flooring is made up of numerous layers, including:
A clear film wears layer: This is the protective outer layer that helps your flooring withstand foot traffic, pets, and other elements. The thickness of this layer varies, but most products have a wear layer between 12 and 20 mils (thousandths of an inch). For more information about choosing the right wear layer for your needs, see our blog post, "What You Need to Know About Vinyl Flooring Wear Layers."
A design layer: This is the layer that provides the flooring's colour, pattern, and texture. Many of the latest designs are stunningly realistic imitations of stone, wood, and other materials.
A printed film layer: In some cases, the design layer is printed on a film that is then laminated to the core.
A core: The core is typically made of felt, fibreglass, or limestone. It gives flooring its shape and stability and also affects its thickness. Most vinyl plank flooring ranges from 2mm (6mil) to 8mm (20mil) in thickness, but some products go as thick as 12mm (30mil).
A stabilizing backing layer: This is the bottom layer that provides additional stability and cushioning. Flooring with a felt or fibreglass backing doesn't require an additional underlayment before installation. However, flooring with a limestone core will need to be installed over an underlayment.
What's the Difference Between Vinyl Flooring Thickness and Wear Layer?
Now that you know the basics of what's in vinyl flooring, you might be wondering about two key specs: thickness and wear layer. Here's a quick overview of each:
Vinyl flooring thickness: This refers to the overall thickness of the product, including the wear layer and all other layers. As we mentioned, most vinyl plank flooring ranges from 2mm (6mil) to 8mm (20mil), but some products go as thick as 12mm (30mil).
Vinyl flooring wear layer: The wear layer is the protective outer layer that helps your flooring withstand foot traffic, pets, and other elements. The thickness of this layer varies, but most products have a wear layer between 12 and 20 mils (thousandths of an inch).
You can decide whether vinyl flooring is the ideal solution for your house by being aware of its positive qualities. For example, it's affordable, comes in a broad range of colours and designs, and is easy to install and maintain. And with the latest technological advances, vinyl flooring can now convincingly mimic the look of wood, stone, and other materials.
From your first foot in our showroom to your first step on your new flooring, Vinyl Flooring & Beyond wants to ensure you're delighted. As your partner in home design, we'll be there for you at every turn.
Our design consultants have the expertise to help you choose from the many options we offer, and our skilled installation team has received professional training to ensure that everything is completed as you envisioned. We are here to provide you with the best vinyl flooring for your home for many years to come since we understand that it expresses your sense of style. Call us today!
Resources:
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