Luxury vinyl is unbelievably easy to lay, but few people want to repeat the process every 10 years to make it look new again.
While most types of luxury vinyl are resilient, some brands are carefully designed to make your floor stronger than ever. There are key features to look out for if you want a durable, long-lasting vinyl floor – from the wear layer to the installation method.
In this article, we’ll explain what the most durable vinyl flooring is, and share our most durable vinyl flooring in popular, trending colors.
What Type of Vinyl Flooring is the Most Durable?
The most durable type of vinyl flooring is luxury vinyl that’s 100% waterproof and glued down (rather than click-locked or floating).
A quality wear layer is also important, as this means your vinyl can withstand heavy traffic for longer. Our luxury vinyl wear layers range between 6 mil and 30 mil. A good wear layer is 20 mil and above. Read more about how vinyl thickness impacts strength.
Luxury vinyl installed with an underlay also lasts longer, as it helps distribute weight and acts as a moisture barrier. Some luxury vinyl flooring has a built-in pad under the plank which replaces underlayment. This offers soundproofing and insulation, and makes vinyl even easier to install.
However, vinyl flooring with padding won’t necessarily last longer than a luxury vinyl with a separate underlay installed. Therefore, this isn’t as important to look for in a strong vinyl floor.
What Makes Vinyl Flooring Strong?
In summary, the factors to look for in a strong vinyl floor include:
- 100% waterproof (not water-resistant)
- A wear layer of 20 mil+
- Suitable for glue-down installation rather than as a floating floor (ensures the floor won’t shift over time and with use)
- Luxury vinyl (not sticky vinyl or peel-and-stick vinyl)
- Lifetime guarantee or 15-year warranty
To make luxury vinyl last for longer, you should also install underlay or choose vinyl with pre-attached padding. This prevents moisture damage, improves stability, and adds extra comfort underfoot.
Read more about the best underlayment for luxury vinyl.
Top 8 Picks: Our Most Durable Vinyl Flooring
Explore our most durable vinyl flooring in your color of choice.
Light Brown Luxury Vinyl
By COREtec, these two light brown luxury vinyl options are some of our strongest floors. With an extra-thick WPC construction and 100% waterproof design, you get a floor that’s comfortable, kid-proof, and pet-proof.
A UV acrylic finish makes it highly resistant to stains. Its 30 mil wear layer ensures it can withstand the high traffic of hallways, kitchens, and lounges.
A pre-attached underlayment using natural cork offers extra soundproofing and makes installation even easier. With a lifetime limited warranty, these top picks of light brown luxury vinyl are built to last.
Medium Brown Luxury Vinyl
Our top picks of medium brown luxury vinyl are highly durable and realistic. With superior stain resistance (via a UV acrylic finish) and a COREtec core structure, they’re designed to never warp or buckle.
A 100% waterproof foamed core protects it from moisture, making it suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. The 30 mil wear layer is our strongest type of wear layer, making these floors perfectly suited to heavy footfall.
An attached cork underlayment saves time and money during installation. Its lifetime limited warranty offers homeowners the confidence that these floors will last.
Dark Brown Luxury Vinyl
Our top picks of dark brown luxury vinyl are found in our Shaw Titan HD Plus Premium Collection. With an Armourbead™ wear layer of 30 mil, these offer outstanding performance as one of the best floors for high-traffic areas.
With the option to install these floors as floating/locking or glue-down, you can choose how strong and secure you make your luxury vinyl. A scuff-resistant finish protects the surface against wear. It also maintains the textured, wood-look appearance for years to come.
Gray Luxury Vinyl
Showcasing the modern beauty of luxury floors are these durable gray luxury vinyl options. A strong 30 mil wear layer protects the surface against excessive wear and stains.
Detailed embossing and beveling create an unrivaled graining pattern that can mimic the look and feel of solid wood flooring. A 100% waterproof COREtex core structure prevents these floors from warping or buckling.
Like many of our COREtec products, these luxury vinyl floors come with a lifetime limited warranty. They also feature a pre-attached underlayment that blocks out noise and chills.
FAQs
What is the Best Grade of Vinyl Flooring?
The best grade of luxury vinyl flooring is COREtec or Shaw Titan. These both have a premium grade wear layer of 30-mil. With a waterproof foamed core, detailed embossing, and a protective finish, these vinyl floors are the strongest and most durable against heavy foot traffic.
How Long Should Vinyl Flooring Last?
Vinyl flooring in a residential home should last at least 15 years before starting to show signs of wear. However, it depends on how it’s cared for and how much foot traffic it receives daily.
The more foot traffic luxury vinyl gets, the fewer years it can last. To help vinyl last longer, avoid steam cleaning or wet mopping, and instead, use a special vinyl floor mop.
Using an LVP cleaner can also apply a protective coating to luxury vinyl, which can protect it from signs of wear under heavy traffic.
Is Luxury Vinyl Stronger Than Peel-and-Stick Vinyl?
Yes, luxury vinyl is stronger than peel-and-stick vinyl. Sticky vinyl (also known as peel-and-stick or self-adhesive vinyl) is not built to last. It has a sticky backing that can be stuck directly over existing flooring or tiles.
It’s cheap, but it can chip, peel away, shift, or grow mold easily. It usually only lasts up to 5 years with proper care and installation.
Luxury vinyl is considerably more durable. It’s of a similar caliber to laminate flooring and lasts for more than a decade. It has a rigid stone-composite core and uses Embossed in Register technology (EIR) to produce the grained texture.
If you want a vinyl floor that lasts for many, many years – even in high-traffic areas, choose luxury vinyl over peel-and-stick vinyl.
Our luxury vinyl products come with a lifetime limited or a 15-year limited residential warranty to give you peace of mind that your floors will last.
Is Luxury Vinyl Waterproof?
Most luxury vinyl is water-resistant, but if you want a really durable floor, choose a 100% waterproof luxury vinyl. This has a waterproof core and moisture-resistant protective surface coating.
These can be installed in bathrooms and kitchens without the worry of eventual warping or mold growth. They can also handle spillages very well, making them a resilient choice of flooring for family homes.
Find a Floor You’ll Love Forever
Our collection of luxury vinyl floors are some of the most durable floors you’ll find on the market. Designed with exceptional craftsmanship and superior technology, our floors stand the test of time.
Try our flooring visualizer to test different colors in your home, or shop our full suite of luxury vinyl flooring today.
Looking for luxury vinyl flooring in Ohio? Find a color you’ll love forever in our showroom.
