A little popularisation of science about the wear layer for floor

What is the wear layer vinyl flooring?

Purchasing vinyl flooring, all terms can be difficult to follow! One question asked most often is: What is the wear layer of vinyl floor? This is a very important thing to consider when buying vinyl flooring questions.

So what is the wear layer?
In short, the wear layer is the upper surface that provides durability, stain resistance and scratch vinyl flooring. The wear layer is typically a transparent coating based urethane maintaining the original appearance of the floor and provides easy maintenance. With new technology, some vinyl now offer additional layers of UV durability or on top of the wear layer for increased protection of the surface.

Wear layers ranging from 4000 to 40,000. Mil is an imperial measurement means mils. The wear layer is generally recorded in one thousand, but can also be displayed in millimeters (mm), or both. An example: 40mil or 1.016mm. Just note that these are two ways of expressing the same thickness of the wear layer, they're not two separate measures!

What measure of the wear layer is the best?

To decide which is the best wear layer must determine the use of the floor. If you have pets, children or much foot traffic in your home or workplace, you should opt for a thicker layer of wear. In summary, the thicker the wear layer, the longer lasting soil. If you have a space you'll need a high resistance to scratches and wear a layer of increased wear, as 12 thousand or 20 thousand, it would be best for your application. Commercial applications of vinyl flooring generally require a top layer of 20 mil.

Thicker Wear is Not Always Better

All of the components that go into producing vinyl flooring have a cost associated with them. Deciding which components matter most to you and picking flooring that matches is always your best bet financially. Does it really make sense to buy flooring with the thickest wear layer when almost half of all homeowners live stay less than 10 years? Performance characteristics aside, there is also an aesthetic impact to really thick wear layers on vinyl flooring. Flooring with really thick wear layers can look more like plastic. That extra thick layer on top of your flooring means the design will look much softer and less realistic. That really thick wear layer flooring you chose may also end up yellowing or developing a haze over time with exposure to the sun. Having a beautiful floor is just as important as durability. Finding the right balance between beauty and durability in flooring is important.

So, what exactly is it that makes our flooring so strong? We’re going to tell you a little about the MVP of our resilient flooring—the wear layer. It’s simple – the wear layer helps your floor last longer. Made of clear PVC film and applied to the top of the photographic layer, the wear layer adds an extra boost of durability and extends the life of your resilient flooring. The thickness of the wear layer is measured in mils, and wear layers are typically 6, 12 or 20 mils thick. As you may have guessed, the thicker the wear layer, the tougher the flooring will be. In fact, the 20-mil thickness can even stand up to commercial settings. If you’re choosing flooring for a high-traffic entryway into your home, go with the middle or higher wear layer. If your room in question isn’t likely to see much action in terms of foot traffic, a lesser thickness will work just fine.