What is the difference between vinyl plank flooring and luxury vinyl plank flooring?

Vinyl flooring is a common choice for rooms where the floors are likely to come into contact with water or spillages. This is because it is durable, easy to wipe and mop clean and does not rot when wet. A relatively new addition to the vinyl options is vinyl plank flooring. Both in its standard and luxury versions, this is now becoming a much sought-after flooring solution.

Just as vinyl tile floors are sheets of vinyl designed to replicate the look of ceramic or stone tiles, vinyl plank floors recreate the look of flooring made from individual wooden planks. This type of floor is available in standard or luxury form, and there are some key differences between them.

Material thickness

Luxury vinyl plank floors utilise vinyl that is considerably thicker than that used for the standard variety. Whereas the latter will involve vinyl with a thickness of roughly 1mm, the former will give you a 5mm thick vinyl floor.

While the difference is not detectable to the eye, the increased thickness does capture the feel of solid wood planks much more effectively.

Look

The variance between standard vinyl plank flooring and the luxury type does become noticeable when you look more closely at them. As the wear layer on standard vinyl plank flooring is solid and smooth, the fact that the breaks between the planks are not real is very easy to spot.

In contrast, luxury vinyl plank floors use 3D printing to capture an idea of individual planks, complete with different wood grain depths and colours. This ensures that they recreate the look of an actual wood floor much more convincingly.

Overall durability

Again, there is a definite difference in how hard-wearing the two types of flooring are. A standard vinyl plank floor will last for roughly 15 years in most settings, but eventually, the thinner vinyl sheets used will become worn and scratched.

The much thicker material used in luxury vinyl plank flooring was created specifically because of that issue. In addition to more durable vinyl, it also offers thicker and better lasting film and wear layers underneath it. This will ensure it is much longer before a luxury vinyl plank floor needs to be replaced.

Whether you have a home or business in Oswestry or Chester, vinyl plank flooring will be an efficient and stylish option. For the highest quality flooring option, luxury vinyl plank floors are the choice to make.