In a busy household, durability is no doubt on the top of your list when considering your flooring options. What if we told you that you could get something that is not only durable but stylish too? It’s true – vinyl flooring could be the solution for you.

Vinyl flooring is a great option for any home, and incredible design advances have been made over the years. Before jumping into a vinyl flooring purchase, however, you should understand the basics of how today’s vinyl flooring is constructed and the implications it has for your home. Luckily, we’ve broken it down for you!

What is Vinyl Flooring Made Of?

There are different components that make up vinyl flooring. We’ll break them down for you to make it easy for you to understand and compare options for your home. Vinyl flooring is composed of several different layers:

• Top coat: This adds sheen as it protects the wear layer
• Wear layer: The wear layer of your vinyl floors safeguards the nice designer pattern to go with your home décor style
• Pattern layer: This is the sheet’s color, design, character and/or pattern that complements your home’s style.
• Cushion layer: This layer adds bounce and texture
• Fiberglass layer: This part keeps the sheet nice and flat
• Base layer: This last part supports all the above layers

Understanding Vinyl Floor Thickness and Wear Layer

When shopping for vinyl flooring you may see a lot of the above terms mentioned as selling features. In order to be best prepared when comparing vinyl options and making your final selection, it’s important to also be aware of thickness and wear layer components.

Vinyl Floor Thickness

Besides the type of lifestyle and traffic the space will endure, considering the subfloor is important when buying vinyl floors. If you plan to have your new floor installed on a solid, level, smooth and dry concrete pad, then you won’t need the thickest wear layer of vinyl that’s available. But if you have an uneven subfloor in a space that’s going to go through a lot of high traffic, the best range to get would be between 12 mil and 20 mil.

Vinyl Floor Wear Layer

The wear layer is like the bodyguard of your floor. Its measurements are put in the thousands-of-an-inch, called mils. The more wear layer you have between your top coat and the decorative layer, the longer the floor is going to last. Twenty to 28-mil ratings are typically for higher traffic and commercial areas.

Understanding the constructive aspects of vinyl flooring will help you decide whether this flooring option is the best choice for your home. If you have more questions or want to see some beautiful vinyl flooring choices, visit one of our showrooms!