The Ultimate Vinyl Plank Flooring Guide

This is a loaded question, as the market has many different options. Before diving in, it is important to understand that LVP flooring has several layers. We wrote a whole blog on LVP wear layers. 

Generally speaking, LVP with a thicker wear layer last longer. Residential flooring projects with heavy foot traffic or households with pets should stay in the 8-12-mil range, while areas with less foot traffic can handle LVP in the 6-8 mil range. 

A product with a thicker wear layer typically costs more. However, there are exceptions to this, as some brands offer solutions at a cost-effective price point. Should you go with a lower mil for heavy foot traffic areas, know that you may need to replace thinner floors more often. Therefore, if you’re shopping for a rental property instead of an investment property, you may want to consider whether the cost to replace your vinyl floors every few years and the items associated with it, like removing upending baseboards or stair noses and treads, outweigh the upfront savings. 

Suggested LVP Brands for Durability:

COREtec Plus

Shaw Floorte Pro

Paradigm Performer

Provenza Concorde

Discover these styles in our luxury vinyl plank flooring catalog.

New flooring can transform a space. It can make the room feel fresh and clean. But just as with renovated spaces, the feeling will fade once you start cooking, living, and using it daily. If you live in a household with pets and kids will want to select a more durable LVP for life’s everyday messes.

When picking out durable flooring for kids and pets, keep these factors in mind:

• Scratch-resistance 

• Water-resistance and waterproof

• Comfort

• Safety

Scratch-Resistance

You can measure scratch resistance and resilience by taking a quarter and scratching the surface of the free flooring samples you receive to test how resilient it is to wear and tear over time. 

Water-Resistance and Waterproof

Water-resistant LVP are designed to only hold up to small spills that are dealt with quickly, say urine or spilled milk that gets cleaned up right away. Waterproof LVP is more durable and can withstand liquid spills and significant accidents, like a washing machine or water heater that causes flooding. 

You can also test your flooring samples to see how they hold up to spills over long durations.

Comfort

Regarding comfort, you’ll want to gather enough samples to step on them barefoot. Get your kids, dogs, and cats to do the same to ensure they don’t find it discomforting. Texture plays a significant role in comfort, and LVP is available in a wide variety of them, from real-wood texture impressions to smooth surfaces. For a convincing wood finish and look, we suggest Shaw Anvil Plus, and for smooth-to-the-step LVP flooring, check out SMARTCORE Pro by COREtec.

Safety

Lastly, regarding safety, an expert can review each sample’s specifications during your showroom visit. Almost all manufacturers these days run thorough testing on their products. As an extra layer of assurance, we only carry reputable and FloorScore® Certified LVP brands with standards for the flooring materials, adhesives, and underlayments they produce. Rest assured that your family won’t worry about coming into contact with harmful VOCs.