What is LVT flooring?

Luxury vinyl tiles are the latest innovation in modern flooring technology. Also known as LVT, this high-quality smooth flooring combines the realistic look and feel of a wooden or stone floor with the added practicality all busy homes need.

Thanks to their water, moisture and slip resistant properties, luxury vinyl tiles can offer both superior durability and an authentic wood finish. It’s why they’re such a popular alternative to traditional sheet vinyl, solid wood, engineered wood, and stone tile flooring in modern homes.

Learn all you need to know about luxury vinyl tiles with our ultimate guide, covering everything from the benefits of LVT flooring to different types of LVT.

In this guide:

• What is LVT flooring?
• What is LVT flooring made of?
• Benefits of LVT flooring
• Which type of LVT is best?
• Which room is best for LVT?
• How do you fit LVT?
• How much does it cost to install LVT?
• What’s the difference between vinyl and luxury vinyl?

What is LVT flooring?

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) are a type of durable smooth flooring that imitate the appearance of stone tiles and wooden planks. Each luxury vinyl tile or plank is made up of many different layers, resulting in a smart and stylish floor with super strength, durability, and stain and water resistance.

There are various different style options available with LVT flooring, meaning you can replicate timeless herringbone and parquet flooring designs with moisture resistant and insulating flooring planks. LVT lets you enjoy the glamour of classic flooring styles with the extra functionality of modern flooring options. You might have heard of luxury vinyl brand names like Karndean. 

Whether you choose a natural oak, whitewashed wood, or slate design, even the most eagle-eyed visitors will struggle to spot the difference between LVT and a genuine wooden or stone floor! The main difference is the added warmth and softness underfoot, which is all thanks to how it’s made.

What is LVT flooring made of?

Much like traditional sheet vinyl, LVT is made up of multiple layers of PVC, all of which have an important role to play. The result is an incredibly sturdy plank or tile with the appearance of natural wood or stone that can be laid in any room in your home.

• At the heart of each luxury vinyl plank is a lightweight core, surrounded by compact layers that provide strength, stability, and support, and guard against impact and indentations.
• It also includes a wear and tear layer, which adds to the floor’s performance, followed by a design layer, and an acoustic layer that minimises surface sound while adding comfort.
• Finally, the protective surface layer shields the floor from potential damage and provides scratch and stain resistance.
• In some types of LVT, there may be another layer of integrated underlay at the bottom to provide extra cushioning and sound absorption.

Luxury vinyl can come in either planks for a wood effect or tiles for a stone effect. Depending on the range, there can be anywhere from six to 18 planks in a box, and the width of a plank or tile varies on different designs.

To create the realistic look of wood or stone, a large repetitive pattern is printed on the design layer. The pattern is moved slightly each time, so no two planks look the same, which creates a unique and authentic look.

Luxury vinyl tile and plank designs can be made with surface texture too, featuring registered embossing that imitates the grooves and knots of the pattern. That way, it looks and feels like real wood or stone beneath your feet. From traditional oak effect wood vinyl flooring to modern black stone, there are options to suit every space.

Benefits of LVT flooring

There are various upsides to choosing luxury vinyl for your home – it’s one of the most advanced flooring options out there! We’ve broken down the key benefits of LVT flooring to compare below:

• Durable – The wear and tear layer combined with the protective coating makes luxury vinyl incredibly durable. It can easily cope with a high footfall, while other options are tough enough for commercial spaces – we even use it in our Tapi stores! Many styles come with a lifetime wear guarantee for complete peace of mind.
• Versatile – Luxury vinyl is suitable for all rooms and temperatures. It’s compatible with underfloor heating, and its UV resistant properties mean you can use it in conservatories too.
• Water resistant – Luxury vinyl is also water resistant, making it ideal for kitchens and bathrooms where there might be more splashes, spills, and moisture.
• Scuff resistant – The protective wear layer can help prevent scuffs and scratches, though we always recommend adding floor protectors to moveable objects like chairs.
• Stain resistant – Once again, that clever protective coating comes to the rescue, ensuring spills sit on the surface of the floor until you can clean them up.
• Easy to fit – Click luxury vinyl is one of the easiest floors to lay; it simply clicks into place. You can even have a go at fitting it yourself.
• Low maintenance – Unlike a real wooden floor, there’s no oiling or waxing required. You just need to sweep it and lightly mop it from time to time, so it’s easy to keep clean.
• Realistic design – The state-of-the-art embossing process used to create the texture on the design gives the tiles or planks incredible detail, from the grain and knots in the wood to the natural lines found on stone or slate.
• Comfortable – The synthetic materials make LVT a warmer and more cushioned option underfoot than stone tiles or wood.
• Price – LVT is often more affordable than genuine wooden, stone, or tiled flooring options. And if you do try your hand at fitting it yourself, you can save on the cost of fitting.

Which type of LVT is best?

When selecting the best LVT flooring for your home, it’s a good idea to do your research first. There are two main types of luxury vinyl: click and dryback. And as with everything, both types of LVT have their pros and cons.

What is click LVT flooring?

Click LVT is what’s known as a floating floor and simply clicks into place like a jigsaw puzzle, rather than being adhered or nailed to the subfloor. Similar to laminate flooring installation, click vinyl flooring is rigid and incredibly easy to fit, even if you’re a DIY novice!

And because it’s so simple to remove, it’s also the perfect solution if you’re thinking of moving home or changing the room it’s in. It’s often thicker than dryback LVT and has extra cushioning from the underlay. In fact, most modern styles of click LVT come with underlay built-in.

What is dryback LVT flooring?

Dryback LVT (also known as glue or stick down) requires an adhesive to bond the flooring directly with the subfloor. The planks are thinner and therefore more pliable, so gluing them down gives the floor more stability, making dryback LVT better for bigger rooms and areas of high traffic. However, dryback luxury vinyl can be difficult to install and remove. Plus, it requires a completely smooth subfloor, so you’d need to call a professional fitter.

However, one of the key benefits of LVT flooring with a dryback application method is that if one plank gets severely scratched or damaged, you’ll only need to extract and replace the single plank. With click LVT flooring, you’ll often need to remove all the planks before it, starting from the far edge, as they’re all connected by the click system.

Still not sure whether to choose dryback or click LVT? Pop into your nearest Tapi store and one of our floorologists can help you decide which of our two types of luxury vinyl is best for you.

Which room is best for LVT?

So, you’ve found the best LVT flooring for your style, but now you need to figure out which rooms to fit it in. Luxury vinyl can be installed in pretty much every room of your home. But the best LVT flooring for your space will depend on factors such as the overall style of your home and whether you prefer flooring that you can install yourself.

High-traffic rooms

LVT is sturdy, durable, and warm, so it’s ideal for high-traffic zones and areas with heavy furniture, such as:

• Hallways
• Living rooms
• Offices
• Bedrooms

It’s also more cost-effective than real wood flooring, as well as being much softer, which can make it feel pleasant under bare feet. If you’re thinking of transforming your space with a modern tile effect, discover our guide to how to style tiled flooring in your living room for inspiration.

Moisture-prone rooms

Luxury vinyl has amazing water resistant properties. We have a wide selection of luxury vinyl options which are specially designed for areas that see a lot of moisture and cleaning up, such as:

• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Dining rooms
• Utility rooms

How do you fit LVT?

Different types of LVT require different installation methods, and some are easier to DIY than others. Click vinyl uses a tongue and groove system that clicks into place, while dryback LVT needs to be adhered to the subfloor. For more information on how to lay vinyl flooring, head on over to our handy guide. 

Whilst you can choose to fit click flooring yourself, we’d always recommend professional fitting for dryback vinyl flooring. Once it’s stuck down, there’s no going back, so it’s best to bring in an expert. Whether it’s for dryback or click LVT, we can arrange professional fitting for you when you place an order – just ask your friendly Tapi floorologist for details in-store.

How much does it cost to install LVT?

The cost of LVT installation can depend on the cost of the luxury vinyl option you choose, the size of the space, and the installation method. For example, it will cost more to install LVT with a herringbone or chevron design than with a traditional straight plank design.

• Our fitting costs start from £15 per m2 for dryback LVT and £17.50 per m2 for click LVT.
• If you choose dryback LVT, you’ll need to add on adhesive.
• You may also need accessories, and there might be some extra costs involved if your subfloor needs a little TLC.
• Minimum fitting charges apply, as do higher rates and city congestion charges in London, where applicable.

Luxury vinyl can be one of the more expensive smooth flooring options, but thanks to its durability, it’s a long-term investment. If you compare it to a real wooden floor, which requires extra maintenance to keep it looking good, there are no extra costs involved for luxury vinyl aftercare. Learn more about how much vinyl and LVT flooring costs in our complete guide.