Luxury vinyl flooring sets itself apart from other vinyl products by its ability to closely mimic the look of natural materials, such as wood or stone. It accomplished this by a surface layer that has very realistic photo-created images, combined with textures that resemble that of the real materials.
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Luxury vinyl takes on one of two forms. Either it simulates stone, or it simulates wood. Another thing that distinguishes luxury vinyl is the shape of the individual pieces by coming in plank and tile shapes. Luxury tile is either 100% vinyl or a vinyl/limestone mixture. Any wood-look luxury vinyl will be made of all vinyl. Stone-look luxury vinyl will contain limestone.
There is no difference in the number of layers between traditional vinyl and luxury vinyl products, only the thickness of these layers. Both have four layers. Starting with the backing layer, or the bottom layer, this is the layer that gives the product structure and stability. The backing layer comprises 90% of the product’s thickness. Next, the design layer provides the photo-realistic print of the stone or the wood. Then a clear film is added. This layer protects against harder damage, such as rips and tears. The topmost aluminum oxide-based layer prevents light scratching and shoe scuffs.