Luxury Vinyl Wear Layer Thickness

Why is the wear layer of luxury vinyl tiles lvt important.

Luxury vinyl wear layer thickness.

The make up of these layers plays a significant role in the longevity and durability of your flooring. If you have a space that will need a high resistance to scratches and wear a higher wear layer such as a 12 mil or 20 mil would be best for your application. Planks with a wear layer of 10 mil 0 01 in are considered to be appropriately durable for use in moderate to high traffic areas of your home. Generally speaking the higher the wear layer the tougher the flooring will be.

Here are some factors to consider when evaluating the wear layer of a luxury vinyl product. You get what you pay for with luxury vinyl plank flooring and what you re paying for in many cases is the wear layer. It protects the visual design layer beneath. A thicker layer is more resistant to scratching and denting.

When purchasing vinyl flooring you should pay attention to the wear layer of the floor instead of the thickness. Shop luxury vinyl planks. Wear layers can range in thickness anywhere between 6 mil and 40 mil so how do you know which thickness you need for a project and what should you look for in a wear layer. It s the key to maintaining durable and protected lvt.

Usually though a luxury vinyl product includes a thick durable floor multiple layers a realistic image and a tough wear layer. Vinyl planks range in thickness from 2 mm for lower quality products to 8 mm or more for higher quality products. This multilayered approach adds thickness to any product that falls into the luxury vinyl plank class but tiles are made in a similar fashion as well. The wear layer is important for one main reason.

1 polyurethane coating to improve durability 2 protective clear layer known as the wear layer 3 printed layer with your chosen design 4 vinyl core 5 vinyl backing. You can find vinyl planks with wear layers starting at as little as 2 mil 0 002 in but these will wear out quickly. Luxury vinyl tiles are constructed in a series of layers. Unlike traditional vinyl this style of flooring is comprised of layers which always include a core vinyl top layer and wear layer.

In lvt the product s wear layer is one of the first lines of defense against scratches and everyday wear and tear. The level of wear on a vinyl plank is measured in mil one thousandth of an inch a mil is not the same as a millimeter as roughly 40 mil equals 1 0 mm 39 4 mil to 1 mm to be exact. This measurement varies since luxury vinyl tile is comprised of four to five different distinct layers that include a urethane coating the wear layer a print film layer the vinyl core and the backing. The floorte plus line is available with wear layers of 12 20 and 30 mils.

Choose a wear layer of 10 mil 0 01 in or more for most family areas. The wear layer is often the most expensive part of lvt as it acts as the most important part. If not then it might not be as high quality as it claims.