Choosing The Appropriate Thickness For Luxury Vinyl Tiles

Luxury vinyl tiles can also be called LVT. Nowadays, luxury vinyl tiles have received widespread attention as a choice for residential and commercial use in the market. Luxury vinyl tiles are just like luxury vinyl flooring, with strong durability. But due to advanced printing technology and texture embossing, luxury vinyl tiles have more colors and a more realistic wooden appearance, just like wood effect flooring. In addition, like waterproof vinyl flooring and non slip vinyl flooring, vinyl tiles can also be waterproof and non-slip. And it is anti-bacterial properties. But before choosing your favorite vinyl tile style, an important factor you need to consider is the thickness of the tile.

How to measure thickness

If you choose luxury vinyl tiles, you need to consider two important factors. The first is the thickness of the actual plank itself, which is measured in millimeters. The thickness range of vinyl plank varies with the quality of the planks. Low-quality planks are about 2 mm, and luxury vinyl plank is about 8 mm or thicker.

Luxury vinyl tiles are composed of four to five different layers. These different layers include a urethane coating, the wear layer, a print film layer, the vinyl core, and the backing.

The first LVT layer is a urethane coating, which protects all important wear layers and makes the tiles look shiny. Just like wood look vinyl flooring, luxury vinyl tiles should also be protected. The second LVT layer is the wear layer. The clear layer of PVC (vinyl) protects the design and is embossed to make the wood more textured. If you want to have different patterens, like hexagon vinyl flooring and herringbone vinyl flooring. The third LVT layer is the print film made of paper. It mainly provides colors and patterns, such as tiles like wood or natural stone. The fourth LVT layer is a vinyl core, which is usually a mixture of vinyl and plasticizer or fiberglass. The last layer is the backing. They are usually made of cork or foam. And its function is the same as cushioned vinyl flooring. It not only helps to reduce noise and retain heat, but also provides cushioning, and the thicker the backing, the more comfortable walking and standing.

Is Thicker Always Better?

One fact we need to know is that a special type of LVT is critical to thickness. When using click flooring, the thicker the plank, the easier the installation, because the click mechanism is safer. According to the test and expert feedback, the thickness of the click luxury vinyl tiles should be at least 5 mm or more.

Another thing to consider when choosing a thicker LVT over a thinner LVT is the transition between rooms. The new floor is too high or too shallow will cause the floor to be uneven, resulting in uneven space.

Is There a Difference in Warranty and Care?

Before choosing, you need to figure out whether the LVT product is suitable for residential use or commercial traffic and can provide a warranty. For industrial use with a longer warranty period, modern ceramic tiles are a good choice because it has a thicker protective layer. In addition, it should be noted that many companies believe that vinyl flooring has a short lifespan, and they will find ways to avoid expensive warranty claims. However, although some warranty details may vary between products, the same maintenance requirements apply.

Reference:

Msisurfaces, Choosing The Right Thickness of Luxury Vinyl Tile