Luxury Vinyl Flooring is revolutionising how we look at the floors in our homes and it opens up a world of possibilities in terms of colours, styles, and home decor. These PVC floor tiles emulate traditional floors like wood, stone, and ceramic without the associated drawbacks.
If you are looking for a type of hard flooring and have come across LVT, it’s important to understand the difference between the main two types – glue down and click. In this guide, I take a look at the glue down vs click vinyl flooring debate including the pros and cons of both, and which is suitable for different rooms and situations in your property.
What is Click LVT Flooring?
LVT click flooring is not adhered to the subfloor. Instead, the individual tiles slot together like a jigsaw to form a floating floor over your subfloor.
Typically, click LVT flooring is thicker than glue down but it is similar in terms of the layered construction including a wear layer and protective top layer. Some click LVT flooring includes a layer of underlay too whereas LVT glue-down flooring has no underlay due to the installation process.
Advantages
- Fast installation: As the tiles simply lock together and are not bonded to the subfloor, click LVT flooring is incredibly easy to install and you can even do it yourself.
- Thickness: Click LVT flooring is generally thicker than glue-down LVT and thus emulates a traditional wooden floor better.
- Comfort: Due to the thickness, click LVT flooring is more comfortable to walk on, especially if you have a layer of underlay too.
- Subfloor: Unlike glue-down LVT flooring, the subfloor doesn’t need to be perfect as the imperfections won’t show through.
Disadvantages
- Affordability: Click LVT flooring is usually more expensive however you do save on installation costs if you feel confident enough to do it yourself.
- Temperature: This type of LVT flooring is prone to temperature changes and heating can shrink or expand at different times of the year.
Check out the Amtico Click Smart range on our website.
What is Glue Down Vinyl Flooring?
As the name suggests, glue-down LVT flooring reflects the installation method and these floor tiles are adhered to the subfloor with flooring glue. Typically, LVT glue-down flooring is thinner than click LVT and it requires a flat subfloor with no imperfections for a smooth installation.
Due to the glueing involved, LVT glue-down flooring is usually professionally installed unless you are skilled and confident with DIY and have done something similar before.
Advantages
- Affordability: Glue down LVT flooring is the cheaper option in terms of a square metre basis however you have to factor in the installation cost if you don’t feel confident to install it yourself.
- Stability: As the tiles are glued, there is no movement and this makes LVT glue down flooring more stable, especially for high-traffic areas.
- Less prone to change: Unlike click LVT flooring, glue down is not as prone to expansion and contraction due to temperature changes.
- Durability: If you need flooring for a high-traffic area like your hallway or kitchen, LVT glue down offers greater durability and will resist foot traffic better.
Disadvantages
- Slower installation: Due to the adhesive, glue-down LVT is not as easy to install and unless you are skilled then it should be professionally installed.
- Subfloor: Glue-down LVT flooring requires a smooth and flat subfloor and any imperfections could show through after installation.
Which One Should You Choose?
The benefits and drawbacks of glue down vs click vinyl flooring mean they are suitable in different scenarios and I have listed the main considerations with the better flooring option below:
- Appearance: Neither – both look the same and have similar styles and colour choices.
- Foot traffic: Glue down LVT as it is more stable.
- Furniture: For stationary furniture that doesn’t move, click LVT flooring. For movable furniture like in a dining room, glue down LVT.
- Cost: Glue down LVT as it is generally the cheaper option.
- Installation: Click LVT as it is much easier to install and you can do it yourself.
To summarise, click LVT flooring is better if you want a quick installation in low-traffic areas with stationary furniture. In contrast, glue down LVT flooring is better suited in high-traffic areas, and if you want to pay less for the initial tile cost.
Both Click LVT and Glue-Down LVT Flooring Work in Different Scenarios
As you can see, with the glue down vs click vinyl flooring it’s not an outright case of one being superior to the other. In terms of appearance and style, there is no difference and both LVT floor types look incredible.
The main difference comes in the thickness, installation process, and cost and this means that glue-down LVT is generally better suited for high-traffic areas whereas click LVT flooring is great if you want the job done fast, and don’t want to pay extra for installation.
