Today’s flooring options are so widely varied that the average consumer is easily confused by the “alphabet soup” of acronym product names in just one flooring type, let alone all the distinct choices in each category. Sometimes, it helps to narrow the focus a bit. Pare things down. So let’s do that, shall we?
Let’s talk Vinyl -- specifically vinyl plank flooring. Vinyl plank flooring is growing in popularity in both residential and commercial applications. But what are all of these acronyms? LVP? WPC? WTH? We’ll get into LVP, some SPC and some WPC for good measure, as well as the differences between them, and the pros and cons of each.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring, or LVP, checks just about every box on the things-you-want-in-a-floor checklist. It’s seriously tough, easy to install, decently priced, and long-lasting. In fact, of all the types of flooring on the market, LVP may present the best overall value.
As a type of PVC flooring, LVP is made of polyvinyl chloride—a hardy and versatile plastic that’s used in everything from water pipes to old records (yep, it’s the same material). And unlike the sheet vinyl of yesteryear, it looks more like real wood or tile than it does linoleum (you can learn about the differences between linoleum vs. laminate vs. vinyl, if you’re curious).
Most importantly for us, LVP can come as either a flexible or rigid core product.
Now we’re getting to the meat and potatoes! As we mentioned earlier, you can find flexible or rigid core luxury vinyl flooring products (both LVP and LVT). And frankly, rigid core luxury vinyl is an improvement over flexible luxury vinyl in just about every way.
Rather than using just another piece of flexible vinyl, rigid core luxury vinyl floors use specialized, hardened core layers to provide tons of extra benefits.
Unlike most hardwood species, neither flexible nor rigid core LVP has any special care requirements. Since they’re both waterproof, a regular mop and bucket are perfectly safe to use.
One potential caveat: some low-end vinyl floors react badly to certain cleaners, so read your manufacturer instructions carefully.
