When looking at LVT flooring, it’s vital that you understand the different subcategories as they have minor differences and can be used in different ways. One type that is seeing a surge in demand is rigid core luxury vinyl flooring.
But what is rigid core vinyl flooring, what sets it apart from the other types, and why might you consider using it in your home? I discuss all of these questions in the below guide.
What is Rigid Core Vinyl Flooring?
When looking at what is rigid core vinyl flooring, the name should be a huge giveaway! As expected, this type of LVT flooring has an enhanced rigid core compared to standard types of glue-down and click LVT flooring.
Generally, this rigid core is either PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), WPC (wood plastic composite), or SPC (stone plastic composite). Essentially, the core is a composite of materials that give enhanced toughness, strength, and durability.
Typically, rigid core LVT flooring has the following layered construction:
- Protective top layer.
- Performance wear layers.
- Aesthetic layer.
- Rigid core layer.
- Backing layers.
- Underlayment layers.
This is exactly the same as other LVT flooring but with the addition of the rigid core layer. On the top, you have a protective layer and performance layers that help reduce denting and damage.
The aesthetic layer is what actually gives the tiles their style and colour, and underneath this is the rigid core. Depending on the manufacturer and type, rigid core LVT flooring may also have backing layers and built-in underlayment.
Styles of Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Rigid core luxury vinyl flooring is just the sub-category and within this branch, there is a range of popular styles and colours:
Styles
- Wood effect: This rigid core LVT flooring is meant to emulate traditional hardwood floors and is typically available in lighter colours.
- Stone effect: This LVT flooring has a contemporary look and emulates stone floors and stone tiles and is available in a range of colours that mimic natural stone like various shades of grey.
- Parquet effect: Parquet rigid core LVT flooring typically has smaller tile sizes that mimic the different patterns you can find in traditional parquet designs.
Popular Colour Shades
- Dark
- Grey
- Light
- Natural
- White
There are some fantastic shades of brown, beige, and golden colours that work perfectly with lighter decor and give the appearance of hardwood. Alternatively, you can get your rigid core LVT flooring in various shades of grey – both light and dark.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Rigid Core LVT
So, you can see the makeup of rigid core LVT and the different types and should already have an idea of its suitability. However, to give you a clear picture, I have listed the pros and cons of rigid core LVT flooring below:
Advantages
- Easy to clean: Due to the composition of rigid core LVT flooring it’s especially easy to clean including hoovering and stain removal.
- Incredibly durable: Due to the enhanced composite rigid core, this type of LVT flooring has better durability and is perfect for high-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens.
- Stylish finish: Just look at our range of rigid core LVT flooring and you will see how good it looks! There is a gorgeous range of colours and patterns to choose from that emulate wood, stone, and ceramic floors.
- Easy installation: Our rigid core LVT flooring uses the click installation method and this means that the pieces simply slot together and do not need glueing to the subfloor. This makes installation quick and hassle-free.
Disadvantages
- Comfort: Compared to carpet, rigid core LVT flooring is not as comfortable and it does have less soundproofing.
How to Choose the Right Rigid Core LVT Flooring
I hope you can now see the benefits of rigid core LVT flooring and what you stand to gain from upgrading to this flooring in your home. But how do you choose a suitable rigid core LVT floor for your rooms? I list the main considerations below:
Style
The style is obviously imperative and you have to think if you want your rigid core LVT flooring to look like wood or stone. This is a great starting point and you can then filter this further by looking at the different tile patterns.
Colour
Next, what colour would you prefer? There are some fantastic rigid core LVT flooring colours such as beige, brown, and various shades of grey, but they might not match your current decor. Look at your existing wall and furniture colours and you should be able to pick a suitable floor tile colour to match.
Wear layer
Rigid core LVT flooring is available in different wear layer thicknesses ranging from 0.3mm to 0.5mm and this can have a slight difference in longevity and resistance to damage. Simply put, the thicker the wear layer, the more durable the tiles are.
Cost
Cost is obviously a huge factor too and there may be a slight variance in price depending on the manufacturer, wear layer thickness, colour, and style.
