Better quality flooring tends to have the highest wear layers but is more expensive.
Luxury vinyl plank wear layer.
Luxury vinyl flooring construction.
It is considered an entry level or builders grade flooring.
Most lifeproof luxury vinyl flooring has a 6 mil wear layer.
I know you are all excited about the wear layer so i will cover that first.
The wear layer is simply an extra layer of protection placed between the printed design of your vinyl plank or tile flooring material and the protective finish that goes on the very top.
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.
This is typically made from a urethane based protective coating.
6 mils wear layer.
It is a transparent coating covering the top of your floor s visual or pretty picture as i like to call it.
Some manufacturers incorporate additives into the wear layer including aluminum oxide nylon or ceramic beads and claim to provide extra protection against scratches.
The wear layer for vinyl flooring is the top coat that provides durability and resistance.
Learn more about the wear layer of vinyl in this article.
Its warranty is lifetime for residential and 5 years for commercial use.
The wear layer is what you step on.
Before we take a look at wear layers or the overall thickness of a plank or tile it s important to understand what luxury vinyl is and how it s made.
Luxury vinyl wear layers.
Unlike traditional vinyl this style of flooring is comprised of layers which always include a core vinyl top layer and wear layer.
What the luxury vinyl wear layer does is protect your floors from scratching and denting keeping them looking their best for a lot longer.
Usually though a luxury vinyl product includes a thick durable floor multiple layers a realistic image and a tough wear layer.
If not then it might not be as high quality as it claims.
The composition of the wear layer.
You can find vinyl planks with wear layers starting at as little as 2 mil 0 002 in but these will wear out quickly.
Since luxury vinyl s quality is often based on its thickness you ll find that shaw s luxury vinyl plank flooring lines are all at least 5 mm thick or about 0 197 of an inch thick.
Shop luxury vinyl planks.
Choose a wear layer of 10 mil 0 01 in or more for most family areas.
A thicker layer is more resistant to scratching and denting.
Wear layers of many luxury vinyl floors are composed at least in part of pvc.
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.
The wear layer is urethane with ceramic beads for toughness.