Dec. 27, 2021
WPC vinyl is quickly becoming one of the most popular flooring choices. This product is revolutionizing the future of flooring. WPC stands for wood polymer composite. It is completely waterproof, including having a waterproof core. The visuals are stunningly real in the ultra-high-definition and require very little maintenance. It might be the perfect flooring option for you. Here is what you need to know about WPC floors.
You may have also heard of Luxury Vinyl Tiles/Planks or LVT. These tiles are sometimes also waterproof but are not the same as WPC. All WPC products fall into the LVT category, but not all LVT products are WPC. At the very least, a luxury flooring product should be thick, durable, and have multiple layers offering protection and aesthetic appeal. WPC is the next evolution of LVT technology and offers a more stable rigid core which allows it to be produced in wider formats without complications.
Tip: What is Luxury Vinyl (LVT and LVP) Flooring?
Luxury vinyl is a type of PVC flooring (aka vinyl). It’s waterproof, relatively inexpensive, and very durable. It’s made primarily of plastic—or PVC, to be more accurate.
Luxury vinyl is often designed to mimic the look and feel of hardwood planks. This is generally called LVP (or luxury vinyl plank).
However, it can also mimic the look and feel of tile. This is called LVT (or luxury vinyl tile).
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Most often, luxury vinyl (LVP and LVT) products are made up of 3 distinct layers:
A core layer that provides a foundation for the rest of the floor. This layer can be rigid or flexible, depending on the product.
A design layer that mimics the look and texture of wood or tile.
A wear layer that protects the floor from fading, scratches, dents, and so on.
WPC vinyl is known for its layers, which are what help it provides superior comfort and stain resistance. Most often, there are four layers. The top layer is known as the “wear” layer. It is what protects your floor from everything life throws at it. It will guard against scratches, dents, stains, and general wear and tear. The printed vinyl layer lies just below the wear layer. This is the layer that shows the beautiful design and colors. It looks realistic and vibrant. Under that is the waterproof core, which is the biggest benefit of WPC flooring when compared to other Vinyl products improving the stability in construction. It never buckles or ripples or shows any other sign of liquid damage regardless of the amount of moisture. The final layer contains a padded underlayment making it an idea for floating installation.
One of the common complaints about conventional vinyl flooring is that it can look man-made or fake. This has been heavily improved up with high-resolution digital photography capturing true wood grains. WPC vinyl flooring can provide very realistic imitations of natural materials. The texture is added to the grains to give it a distinct feel of a character flooring.
Thicker is generally better when it comes to flooring. Thicker flooring is denser, and it will feel stronger under your feet. A thick flooring option can make up for slight flaws in subfloor defection and make for an easier interlocking system. Standard WPC flooring comes in thickness options of anywhere from 4mm to 8mm.
Some floors need a lot of maintenance to keep their appearance. With WPC, all that’s needed is to vacuum occasionally and to spray mop on a regular basis. That is it. If you have pets, then of course you will need to vacuum more often. It is much more forgiving on stains as well, because of the top layer. Stains are not able to set in and become permanent, so even if you come home hours later after the dog knocks something off a table, you will still be able to get it back to its original condition.
Stone and SPC flooring can also be waterproof, just like WPC. However, the thing that many people do not say about those flooring options is that they can be uncomfortable on your joints and feet when standing on for longer durations causing long-term damage. WPC vinyl flooring is much more resilient and forgiving to your feet. This means that it is a lot more comfortable and easier on your joints and provides added health benefits.
This concludes our sharing and we hope this article is helpful to you! We are a WPC flooring supplier, please feel free to contact us if you need them!
