What Is Considered A Sufficient Wear Layer On Vinyl Lvp
Vinyl composite tiles don t have a wearlayer.
What is considered a sufficient wear layer on vinyl lvp. Commercial vinyl flooring applications will usually require a 20 mil top layer. In fact the 20 mil thickness can even stand up to commercial settings. Higher quality products have the best warrantees. This top layer of pure vinyl is called the wear layer and is the most expensive part of the flooring since it is the only thing protecting the paper print film.
In short the thicker the wear layer the more durable the floor. On top of the print film a clear layer of virgin or recycled pvc vinyl is layered as the main protection to the floor. The thickness of the wear layer is measured in mils and wear layers are typically 6 12 or 20 mils thick. Minimum of 6mm for high traffic read the warrantee carefully.
It effects how well the wear layer bonds to the surface of the vinyl. This means that a significant portion of maintenance time and effort is spent applying and polishing a wax coating which requires periodic stripping and reapplication to protect your flooring from scuffs scratches and stains. During manufacturing these substances need to bond to the flooring through the process of curation. This coating often contains additives like ceramic or other substances to increase the hardness level of the planks.
If you have a space that will need a high resistance to scratches and wear a higher wear layer such as a 12 mil or 20 mil would be best for your application. The most popular is a urethane based layer that protects the floor against scratches stains and scuff marks. Better vinyl floors have wear layers that include a protective top coat. The wear layer is the protective coating on top of the decorative layer of the vinyl flooring.
As you may have guessed the thicker the wear layer the tougher the flooring will be. While the internet has certainly become a huge research tool for consumers to educate themselves for making a purchase many companies still do not provide full technical specs that are easily available for a consumer to find. Wear layer lvt has a transparent wear layer on top of the printed design layer to protect it and the wear layer of lvt plays a large part in determining the lifetime of the tiles.