As with all things in life, you get what you pay for, and vinyl flooring is no different.

Quality vinyl flooring brands are more expensive and generally have higher specifications with improved UV and scratch resistant top coatings, that cost significantly more than the cheaper entry level products.

So how can you identify the best quality vinyl flooring?

Step 1: Ask your supplier if the floor is UV, stain, and scratch resistant?

Many types of Vinyl flooring come with UV protection coating, this will be advertised by the salesperson or clearly visible in their specifications. At Finfloor we have specified all our Luxury SPC’s, namely Diamond core SPC + and Sapphire SPC WIDE as well as our Commercial grade Galaxy ll LVT to have a SUPER-UV coating, which is a double layer of the UV-protect wear layer that increases the scratch, wear, and stain resistance properties of the floor.

 

Step 2: Test the surface coating?

Easy if you have a quality piece of our vinyl, you can run the permanent marker tests on it by yourself, to test the Super UV coating.

Marker Test

• Write on it with a permanent marker, with the super UV topcoat, these markings will easily just wipe away with a tissue or wet wipe, leaving no marker residue.

Step 3: Check the thickness of the wear layer?

Wear layers come in many thicknesses ranging from 0.3 to 0.7mm. The thicker the wear layer the more traffic or foot fall the floor can withstand. So, think about where you are going to install the floor.

 

For commercial applications choose a product like Diamond core SPC + with a .5mm super UV coating, and 10-year commercial warranty that can withstand the heavy footfall. If this floor is to be installed at home, then a glue down product such as Galaxy ll LVT or Sapphire SPC WIDE with a 0.33mm SUPER UV scratch resistant coating will bring you many years of hassle-free use.

Toughest wear and tear on vinyl floors

With so many types of flooring around, there is a reason that vinyl has become so popular. It’s durable, it’s affordable, and it doesn’t require much maintenance. Additionally, this synthetic material can be made to look like almost any other flooring option, giving you tons of creative liberty.  So make sure you protect your purchase and pocket in the long run and buy a product that will meet your sites requirements and that it is suitably manufactured to withstand life’s heavy knocks, without showing noticeable wear.

Ask for a SUPER UV scratch resistance wear layer.