Buy the highest wear layer you can afford. Matte finish floors show less dirt in the grain, perfect for homes with pets and children. The wear layer lies at the top between the printed design film and the coating at the very top. But engineered wood flooring coated with aluminum oxide is more scratch resistant than solid hardwood. The wear layer of luxury vinyl plank flooring is an important factor to consider when selecting your ideal LVP floor. Because the boards expand and contract so much, they must be fastened to a subfloor and cant be laid directly over concrete, like engineered and laminate. For an engineered hardwood the most desired thickness can be anywhere from 1/2- 5/8 thick. . *Approximate lifespan 20-30 years, An engineered floor with a 2mm wear layer can be sanded and refinished approximately 1 to 2 times over the lifetime of the floor. 4mm is already considered very high quality as far as engineered hardwood floors go, but 6mm would be just like solid wood in terms of the amount of times it can be refinished. You have probably saved me form making a huge mistake. If so, youll need to keep that in mind when calculating the thickness of the planks. The wear layer being the top layer, if it is 3mm thick, you should really only expect to sand it once or maybe twice, but if it is 6mm thick, you'll probably get away with 5 or so professional sandings in its lifetime. In addition to considering foot traffic levels when choosing vinyl flooring materials that resemble wood or stone patterns, its crucial not to overlook aesthetics. It will also, This mix will ensure optimal durability for your home or commercial building renovation project. The cross layers will reduce expansion and contraction, which in turn minimizes gapping and buckling when the moisture in the room's atmosphere changes. Your retailer should provide you with documentation detailing these features. The main reason the wear layer thickness is important in your decision making process is that it basically dictates how many times a particular engineered floor can be sanded and refinished. Normally, we recommend a wear layer of at least 2mm, with 3mm being the . 4mm Layer- Can be sanded and refinished 3 to 4 times. Wear layers on engineered flooring can range anywhere from .6mm to 6mm. A perfect vinyl flooring option for your home is the one with the best wear layer that fits your budget. Shopping for a quality lvp floor will reveal a luxury vinyl plank wear layer number in bold. Get the Heritage Mill flooring at The Home Depot. The floor is topped with a best-in-class patented finish that resists scuffs. The following points will explain some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when shopping for this flexible flooring option. A mil is the standard unit of measurement for the thickness of vinyl flooring wear layers. Bruce Flooring Engineered approximately 1.7mm wear layer. Overall Thickness: 8 mm. By Fortino Rosas / May 20, 2022 / 84 Comments. . Using simple division for common flooring thicknesses . The recommended thickness for the wear layer is 3/16 inches. I've sampled another brand that is even thicker. Polyurethane-based wear layers offer excellent durability when compared to standard Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our expertsstraight to your inbox. Plank #2. This type of board will have a wear layer of around 8mm. Ensure the locking areas dont snap off by hand (take a plank and try to break off the locking areas, if they break easily, dont buy that floor). While commercial spaces need around 24 mil 30+ mils for optimal durability and performance. Each finish reacts, from scuffs or scratch marks. 10mm . These products offer similar benefits as LVP but provide even greater design flexibility due to their modular nature. As you can imagine, with an engineered wood floor, if you removed anything like 5mm, in most cases, youd be down to the man-made core board. 2mm wear layer: can be sanded and refinished 1 to 2 times. When you buy engineered wood flooring, youll see a figure in the dimensions that are expressed like this: 14/3, 18/5 or 20/6. Bob Vila Radio: Solid vs. in each area where you plan to install the new floors. Can 3mm engineered hardwood be refinished? What Is The Best Thickness For Vinyl Plank Flooring? Generally, the number of wear layer mils is expected to last the same number in years. A quality wear layer is important because it affects the performance of the floor. Engineered wood flooring is a man-made product. We like to taper expectations and say 1mil will equal about half a year of durability. Check with the radiant systems manufacturer before using a foam underlayment, which interferes with heat flow. It protects the photographic image layer of the wood or stone pattern of the floor. Shaw Floors Floorte Pro 7 Series and Coretec Mills River use ceramic materials to beef up the protection and longevity of their floors. Residential installations should have at least a 12 mil 20 mil thick wear layer. The thicker the wear layer the longer it takes for the top layer to wear off and expose your vinyl print. No, and this is a common misconception. Glue Down Vinyl Flooring. The level of wear on a vinyl plank is measured in mil(one thousandth of an inch). Simply put, the thicker the flooring, the longer it will last. The veneer has variances in color, knots, and grain to give it character. The wear layer on Luxury Vinyl Planks(LVP) is a crucial component of the floor. When shopping for vinyl plank; look at the warranty, core construction, wear level, and attached underlayment before making a final decision. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) shares the same wear layer measurments as Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), with a wear layer thickness measured in mils. A vinyl plank wear layers quality and materials matter as much as the wear layer thickness does. As a rule of thumb, for heavy traffic areas go with a wear layer of 20 mils and for low to normal traffic areas, go with 12 mils. Here are the general guidelines to keep in mind: .5 to 1mm wear layer: cannot be sanded and refinished; only recoated with a layer of urethane. You can also lay engineered flooring over any flat, stable surface, including ceramic tile, sheet vinyl, and existing wood floors. In a range of domestic and exotic wood species, both naturals and stain colors, Vintage Hardwood Flooring offers quite a few products to choose from in this collectionsomething for everyone. The wet feet, drips, and soggy towels of a busy bathroom, mixed with steam from a shower, put even stable engineered boards at risk. Engineered flooring wear layer thicknesses really vary from product to product and there is a huge range of thicknesses available on the market right now. Each plank in this kit is -inch thick and 47 inches long. Again depending on texture, you can rely on 3-4 re-sandings. Wide Range Of Engineered Wood Flooring With Express Delivery & Free Samples Available. And it is this 4 mm thick solid oak top layer that determines the number of times your floor can be re-sanded. Is it rated for residential or commercial traffic? Its helpful to compare the commercial warranty with the residential. Lifespan is approximately 50 to 80 years; The best engineered floors have at least a 2mm wear layer, and 3mm thickness is most commonly found in high quality engineered products. Image from Hosking Hardwood 6. Many Shaw floors have aluminum oxide while COREtec floors have a UV cured finish. Glossy finishes reflect light much better than matte surfaces do. Higher grades of engineered wood flooring often come with veneer layers that are around 3mm thick. The core layer is the material that the veneer sits upon. We will measure wear layer thickness based on foot traffic levels. Some advantages of choosing a matte finish include: A shiny or glossy finish on vinyl plank flooring can add a touch of glamour and sophistication. Laminate: It may look real, but thats actually a photo of wood youre standing on. High-traffic areas like hallways or commercial buildings need the best wear layer protection. It also provides the sheen level to the floors surface. The thickness of the floor's real wood veneer also determines how long your floors will look like new. The average lifespan of an engineered floor with this 4mm wear layer is approximately 60-80 years. Most engineered floors have a fairly thin wear layer, typically 1-2 millimeters. In short, when it comes to engineered hardwood flooring, the best standard thickness option ranges between 3/4 and 5/8 of an inch. Choosing an LVP product with a durable and protective wear layer has many benefits. After choosing engineered wood flooring, you may still have questions. A wear layers thickness measurement is often misread when shopping for vinyl floors. All Rights Reserved. 3. Shopping Options. The, A fusion-bonded process uses heat or pressure to bond all components of the LVP together. Understanding Luxury Vinyl Wear Layer Measurements. Good, better, best. Add 15 percent for cuts and waste, then multiply by the boards square-foot price. from clear PVC film materials. In general, yes, but its the individual components of the thickness that matter the most. The plywood gives a stable substrate base, but the top wear layer gives the solid wood looking. Engineered Wood Flooring At Flooring365. 3mm wear layer: can be sanded and refinished 2 to 3 times. to the floors surface. Below youll find information on the best thickness for engineered wood flooring and if it will meet your standards. There are high- and low-quality options in both varieties. A keen eye might conclude that this rich expanse is made up of solid strips of red oak, one of the most popular American hardwoods. Key Thought: The wear layer protects the visual image with the wood or stone pattern of a vinyl plank floor. Sure, its oak on top, but thats just a wood veneer skin. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. This results in a more durable and long-lasting product. High-traffic areas like hallways or commercial buildings need the best wear layer protection. Keep in mind, the thicker the plank, the more it will cost you, but this doesn't necessarily mean it'll be of better quality. What this means is that you can expect your floor to stay looking good for even longer. Engineered hardwood with a Densitek Core is constructed with a 100% natural wood veneer top, Densitek core and 100% wood bottom. Bellawoods floor features a tongue-and-groove design, but installation requires gluing or nailing. How Is Vinyl Plank Thickness Measured and Calculated? He has installed flooring in residential, government, and commercial office projects in the Midwest. Sanded, Stained, and Sealed Most customers prefer matte finishes because they hide imperfections and look great year-round. One may choose engineered over solid hardwood flooring because the cross layers of engineered flooring allow this type of hardwood construction the ability to be installed in more areas of the home, including below grade levels (basements) and over radiant heat. Ken Fisher . By underrating the vinyl planks life expectancy, companies avoid costly warranty claims. This may require more frequent cleaning as it tends to show dirt, dust, and smudges easily. The Woodstock Collection(formerly Northern Lights) is a click locking engineered floor with a 4mm wear layer and popular colors in both Maple and Red Oak wood species. . Copyright 2023 This Old House Ventures, LLC. Thanks to a protective layer of aluminum oxide on the veneer, this engineered oak flooring is more resistant to scratches, stains, and scuffs than solid oak flooring. However, keep in mind that a thicker wear layer might slightly alter the appearance of your LVP floor. to measure the thickness of an entire plank or tile flooring. Rigid Core Vinyl Plank Flooring. Our second engineered wood floor is 6 millimeters (0.23622 inch) of wear layer. Engineered Wood Flooring At Flooring365. Dense woods with less grain, like maple, show dings more readily than a slightly softer wood with a bold grain, like red oak. To ensure our options are versatile and last for years to come, we featured engineered wood floors with veneer wear layers of 1.2 to 3 millimeters that have an aluminum oxide coating for durability. Cheaper engineered wood flooring may have a thinner top layer, which means it will wear down faster and need to be replaced sooner. Veneer Wear Layer and Finish. Second, because of its resistance to moisture and temperature rises and falls, engineered wood flooring can be fitted in rooms where solid wood flooring wouldnt normally be recommended eg. Although this product has a tongue-and-groove design, installation requires nailing or gluing. It ranges from 1mm to 8mm thick depending on the quality of the flooring. Its much more eco-friendly than traditional hardwood flooring because each plank uses less wood. Higher-quality engineered wood flooring tends to be thicker than lower . when it comes to the veneer layer's thickness. This is what protects your vinyl flooring from scratches and dents. Get the Bellawood Maple flooring at LL Flooring. Bellawoods Select Maple Engineered Hardwood Flooring has premium veneers of creamy maple that are 3 millimeters thick. As an example, an engineered wood floor with a wear layer of 4mm (5/32") usually can be sanded and refinished 4-5 times over the lifetime of the floor. With that in mind, lets explore the types of sheens available for LVP flooring and their pros and cons. A 3mm wear layer can be refinished up to three times and a 4mm or greater wear layer can not be refinished more than five . A 12 mil floor with ceramic and aluminum additives would be great for commercial use in a coffee shop. 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). By submitting your email, you agree to our, 5 Easy Ways to Remove Scratches from a Glass Window, The 5 Best Gas Pressure Washers (2023 Review), The 5 Best Vacuums For Carpet (2023 Review), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Now lets translate the wear layer thickness to realistic home activity levels. Engineered hardwood can be nailed or glued to the subfloor. WINNER - We would choose this plank as the wear layer is much greater and will protect the floor . Breaking that down, the wear layer should measure 3/16 . Traffic isnt hard to measure, but in general, a 12 mil wear layer is for homes and 20 mil is for work. Do the butter knife test: take a butter knife and try to the scratch the floor using normal force (if a bunch of scratches appear, dont buy that floor). And floors with little or no gloss are better at hiding scratches and wear. But hardness isnt the only factor to consider. 6 years ago. In short, wear layer thickness is more important than overall thickness of a luxury vinyl plank. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 2. Glue it down. On the other hand, low-traffic spaces like bedrooms can benefit from thinner wear layers that still provide durability while being more budget-friendly. But knowing the necessary thickness for long-lasting, sturdy floors will benefit you even more. . The chief advantage of engineered wood is it can be used in places where solid wood flooring cannot, such as below-grade conditions, bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. Looking at a Mirage engineered hardwood floor sample; you'll see that the top veneer (wear layer) is at least " thickness. An engineered floor with a 3-millimeter top, for instance, can handle two refinishings. Knowing the best thickness for engineered wood flooring will give you the best quality and layout. 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