PVC or SPC Flooring: Which Is Right For You?

21 Oct.,2024

 

PVC or SPC Flooring: Which Is Right For You?

Selecting the ideal flooring for your home or business isn&#;t merely an aesthetic decision; it involves striking the right balance between style, durability, comfort, and affordability. Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVT) has gained popularity in recent years, standing out for its diverse designs and enduring quality relative to traditional wood and laminate options.

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Among LVT options, the debate often boils down to the type of core: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) or SPC (Stone Plastic Composite). This article will guide you through these two core options, breaking down their structures, advantages, and disadvantages to help you make an informed decision.

The Structure of Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Luxury Vinyl Flooring is a multi-layered product, each contributing to its functionality and appeal. Here&#;s a general overview of the structure:

  1. Wear Layer: This top layer (0.3mm to 0.7mm thick) provides resistance to scratches and scuffs, keeping the floor looking new.
  2. Print Image Layer: Just beneath the wear layer, this contains the aesthetic design, whether it&#;s wood, stone, marble or any other visual effect.
  3. Core Layer: This is where PVC or SPC Rigid Core comes in. It&#;s the heart of the flooring that provides stability and durability.
  4. Backing Layer: The foundation that adds further stability and noise insulation.
  5. Built in Underlay: Lastly, certain LVT styles come with built in underlay which offers many advantages like comfort and smooth underfoot feel.

The core options, specifically PVC and SPC, will be our main focus, but it&#;s essential to understand their role within this complex structure.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring Core

The core of LVT is crucial for its performance and feel. There are primarily three types of cores:

  1. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Core: A flexible and soft core that offers comfort underfoot.
  2. WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) Core: Composed of wood fibers and thermoplastics, it&#;s a middle ground between PVC and SPC in terms of rigidity.
  3. SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) Core: A rigid core made of limestone and stabilisers, providing superior strength.

Understanding these cores will help you align your flooring choice with your specific needs and preferences.

Advantages of PVC Core

PVC core flooring is often chosen for its particular benefits:

  • Flexibility: Suitable for uneven subfloors.
  • Comfort: Provides a softer feel underfoot.
  • Affordability: Generally more cost-effective than SPC.
  • Sound Insulation: Effective in minimising noise.
  • Various Styles: Available in numerous colours and styles.
  • Cost: PVC is the basic core for LVT and therefore comes a little cheaper.

Disadvantages of PVC Core

Despite its advantages, PVC core has certain drawbacks:

  • Susceptibility to Temperature Changes: May expand or contract with extreme temperatures.
  • Less Rigidity: May not offer the same level of stability as SPC.
  • Durability: PVC is far less durable vs. SPC core.

Advantages of SPC Core

SPC core is known for its distinct strengths:

  • Durability: Highly resistant to impacts and wear.
  • Rigidity: Offers a stable and robust structure.
  • Moisture Resistance: Suitable for bathrooms and kitchens.
  • Premium Feel: Often associated with high-end aesthetics.

Disadvantages of SPC Core

SPC core, while highly functional, also has some disadvantages:

  • Cost: Generally more expensive than PVC.
  • Harder Feel: May not be as comfortable underfoot as PVC (however, if you introduce an underlay this is completely avoided)

PVC vs. SPC Comparison

 

FeaturePVC CoreSPC CoreDurabilityModerateHighFlexibilityHighModerateMoisture ResistanceModerateHighCostLowerHigherFeel UnderfootSofterHarder

Conclusion

Choosing between PVC and SPC flooring is about understanding your needs and preferences. Both offer unique advantages and trade-offs. Whether you value comfort and affordability with PVC or seek the robustness and premium feel of SPC, the choice ultimately depends on your specific situation. Explore more on Wood and Beyond&#;s Luxury Vinyl Flooring to find the perfect match for your home or business. With a wide range of styles, thicknesses, and wear layers, there&#;s a flooring solution for every room and design vision.

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FAQ

What are the layers in Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVT)?

Luxury Vinyl Flooring consists of several layers:

  1. Wear Layer: 0.3mm to 0.7mm thick, provides resistance to scratches and scuffs.
  2. Print Image Layer: Contains the design, such as wood or stone effects.
  3. Core Layer: The heart of the flooring, where PVC or SPC Rigid Core is used.
  4. Backing Layer: Provides stability and noise insulation.
  5. Built in Underlay: Some styles include built-in underlay for comfort and a smooth feel underfoot.

What are the core options in LVT and their characteristics?

There are three main types of cores in LVT:

  1. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Core: Flexible and soft, offering comfort.
  2. WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) Core: A middle ground between PVC and SPC in rigidity.
  3. SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) Core: Rigid, made of limestone and stabilisers, provides superior strength.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of PVC Core?

Advantages of PVC Core include flexibility, comfort underfoot, affordability, sound insulation, various styles, and cost-effectiveness. Disadvantages include susceptibility to temperature changes, less rigidity, and less durability compared to SPC core.

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of SPC Core?

Advantages of SPC Core are high durability, rigidity, moisture resistance, and a premium feel. Disadvantages include higher cost and a harder feel underfoot (though an underlay can mitigate this).

How do PVC Core and SPC Core compare in terms of durability, flexibility, and feel?

PVC Core offers moderate durability, high flexibility, and a softer feel underfoot. In contrast, SPC Core provides high durability, moderate flexibility, and a harder feel.

Does Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Flooring Make People Sick?

When people are looking for a quick flooring fix, they may be tempted to go with vinyl flooring or PVC flooring for their homes. This is especially true if the area they&#;re looking to repair is in a part of the home that is exposed to a lot of water, as vinyl flooring does hold up well to moisture. However, these plastic floors do come with downsides. While some are obvious, like lacking natural beauty of hardwood flooring, others might not be apparent to people that aren&#;t experts. One particularly troublesome downside to vinyl flooring is the hazards to health it might pose.

As flooring experts, we&#;ll take a short dive into what PVC flooring is and why it can make people sick. 

What is PVC Flooring

PVC flooring is just another term for the more commonly used term vinyl flooring. The acronym PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, the material that the flooring is made out of. In common use, the word polyvinyl was shortened to vinyl, the term most people are familiar with.

The material polyvinyl chloride is fused and pressed to make strips of plastic flooring that will often be designed to look like wood or some other appealing flooring material like stone or tile. However, PVC strips are normally very thin, often less than half an inch, and while they can be wear-resistant because of the material they&#;re made from, some complain that it&#;s almost more like a mat than proper flooring.

Dangers of PVC Flooring

While the durable material vinyl floors are made out of may appeal to some homeowners looking to install it in a room where more damage may be expected, like a kitchen or bathroom, this material does have some downsides, primarily the health concerns that come along with it.

In recent years, more studies have come out linking PVC flooring to health issues like asthma and even rare cancers. The reason for this is the chloride that the name polyvinyl chloride comes from. In order to produce chloride-based plastics, most of these floors are made out of reprocessed plastics to reduce the cost of production, however, these plastics contain toxic chemicals that are released when they get broken down, exposing the material to hazards like lead and phthalates.

Compounding the health risks posed by PVC is that the production of chloride-based plastics itself produces toxic chemicals that can damage the health of anyone exposed to them, specifically the class of chemicals known as dioxins, which are carcinogenic chemicals that can remain in the environment for a long period of time and accumulate in an individual&#;s body, potentially leading to health issues.

Is PVC Flooring Safe

The safety of vinyl flooring is going to depend on your particular circumstances at home. The chemical toxins in PVC flooring get released into the home as dust and can accumulate in the air, but in a small space that people aren&#;t often exposed to, this risk will be reduced. However, if you have young children at home you may want to consider the risks associated with vinyl flooring, as children have been shown to get up to 10 times the exposure as adults do because they often spend so much time playing on the floor.

Now that you know a little more about the hazards posed by PVC flooring you&#;re in a better position to figure out what kind of flooring is best for your home. Every home will have different needs, but as hardwood flooring experts, we are big fans of hardwood.

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