Karndean is one of the most recognised names in UK flooring, but the name causes almost as much confusion as it solves. Shoppers regularly ask whether Karndean is wood, whether it is different from vinyl, and whether it can be laid over an existing floor. This guide answers those questions properly, explains how the product is actually built, and sets out what you need to check before you order.
Short answer
Karndean is a brand of luxury vinyl tile, usually shortened to LVT. It is not wood, stone or laminate. It is a multi layer vinyl plank or tile with a photographic design layer that reproduces the look of timber or stone, protected by a clear polyurethane wear layer. Almost all Karndean sold for UK homes is glued down to a prepared subfloor, which means the subfloor has to be flat, dry and clean before anything is laid. Our flooring range is 12 Karndean floors across two collections, Karndean Da Vinci with 5 designs and Karndean Knight Tile with 6 designs, plus the Serpentine tile.
On this page
- What Karndean flooring actually is
- How a Karndean plank is built, layer by layer
- Karndean versus vinyl, LVT, laminate and engineered wood
- The Karndean ranges we stock and what separates them
- Wear layers, guarantees and where each range belongs
- Subfloor preparation, the part most projects get wrong
- Gluedown, looselay and click, and why the format matters
- Underfloor heating and the temperature limit you must respect
- Underlay, and why gluedown Karndean does not take any
- Cleaning and maintenance the way the manufacturer intends
- Costs, wastage and what a realistic budget looks like
- Room by room suitability
- Matching Karndean to doors, skirting and architrave
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Frequently asked questions
What Karndean flooring actually is
Karndean Designflooring is a British company founded in 1973, based in Evesham in Worcestershire. It does not make wood or stone flooring. It makes luxury vinyl tile, a manufactured floor covering built from bonded layers of PVC with a printed design film in the middle.
It is a brand, not a material
This is the single most useful thing to understand. Asking whether you should choose Karndean or vinyl is like asking whether you should choose Hoover or a vacuum cleaner. Karndean is vinyl. It sits at the premium end of the vinyl category, but the base material is the same PVC family used across the whole sector.
Why the confusion exists
In the UK, the word vinyl still carries an association with sheet vinyl, the roll of cushioned material fitted in kitchens and bathrooms from the 1970s onwards. LVT is a different construction and a different quality tier, so retailers began marketing it under brand names instead of the category name. The result is that many shoppers now believe Karndean and vinyl are two separate products competing against each other.
What it is designed to replace
Karndean exists to give the appearance of slate, marble, limestone, concrete or timber without the behaviour of those materials. Timber moves with humidity, stone is cold and brittle, and both are heavy. A vinyl plank 2.5mm to 4.5mm thick is dimensionally stable, warm underfoot, waterproof and light enough to lay over an existing solid floor without raising levels significantly.
How a Karndean plank is built, layer by layer
Understanding the build explains almost every practical property of the floor, including why you clean it the way you do and why you must never sand or seal it.
The wear layer
The top layer is clear, unpigmented polyurethane. It carries no pattern at all. Everything that scratches, scuffs or dulls the floor is happening in this layer, and its thickness is the single best predictor of how long the floor will look new. It is measured in millimetres, typically between 0.3mm and 0.55mm on residential products.
The design layer
Beneath the wear layer sits a high resolution photographic film of real timber or stone. Because it is a print, the same design repeats across the batch. Better ranges use more individual scans to reduce visible repetition, and the plank surface is often embossed to follow the printed grain so the texture lines up with the image.
The core and backing
The bulk of the plank is a dense, solid PVC core with a stabilising backing layer. It is worth being explicit here because it is widely misreported: gluedown Karndean has no foam backing and no attached underlay. It is solid vinyl all the way through. That is precisely why it needs a flat subfloor, and why it transmits the shape of anything left underneath it.
What the build means in practice
- The pattern is a film, so the floor cannot be sanded, refinished or re-stained. Damage is repaired by replacing the affected plank.
- The floor is waterproof as a material, though the joints and perimeter still need sensible detailing in wet rooms.
- There is no timber in it, so it does not swell, cup or shrink seasonally the way a wood floor does.
- Because it is thin and solid, every hollow, ridge or lump in the subfloor will eventually telegraph through to the surface.
Karndean versus vinyl, LVT, laminate and engineered wood
These five terms get used interchangeably online, which is why so many buyers end up with the wrong product. Here is where each one sits.
Karndean versus LVT
Karndean is LVT. LVT is the product category, Karndean is one of the brands within it. Amtico, Moduleo and Polyflor are others.
Karndean versus sheet vinyl
Sheet vinyl arrives as a roll and is cut to the shape of the room, usually with a cushioned backing. LVT arrives as rigid individual planks or tiles laid piece by piece. Sheet vinyl is cheaper and faster to fit. LVT looks considerably more convincing, can be laid in patterns, and allows single damaged pieces to be swapped out.
Karndean versus laminate
Laminate has a high density fibreboard core, which is compressed wood. That core swells irreversibly if water reaches it, which is why laminate remains a poor choice for bathrooms and utility rooms. It also floats over an underlay, so it drums underfoot. Karndean has no wood content and is glued flat to the subfloor, so it is both waterproof and much quieter. If you are weighing the two, our guide to common laminate flooring mistakes explains where laminate tends to fail.
Karndean versus engineered wood
Engineered wood is genuine timber, a real hardwood top layer bonded to a plywood or softwood base. It can be sanded and refinished, it ages, and it carries the value that only real wood carries. It is also more expensive, less water tolerant and needs acclimatisation. Our engineered oak flooring guide covers that side properly. Note that we do not currently stock engineered wood or laminate. Our entire flooring range is Karndean vinyl.
Quick comparison
| Property | Karndean LVT | Laminate | Engineered wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core material | Solid PVC | HDF, compressed wood | Plywood or softwood |
| Water tolerance | Waterproof material | Poor, core swells | Moderate, needs care |
| Can be refinished | No, replace planks | No | Yes, usually two or three times |
| Typical fitting | Glued to subfloor | Floating on underlay | Floating or glued |
| Sound underfoot | Quiet and solid | Noisiest of the three | Moderate |
| Underfloor heating | Suitable within limits | Sometimes | Usually, with limits |
The Karndean ranges we stock and what separates them
We list 12 Karndean floors. They fall into two ranges that sit at different points on price and specification, and choosing between them is mostly a decision about wear layer thickness and design realism rather than about looks alone.
Karndean Da Vinci
Da Vinci is the higher specification of the two. It uses a thicker wear layer, a more detailed print and deeper embossing, and it is the range to choose for a hallway, a kitchen or anywhere the floor takes daily traffic from the front door. Our Da Vinci collection holds 5 designs.
- Da Vinci Rustic, a golden slate effect with grey and earthy undertones
- Da Vinci English Pewter PEW01, a cool grey design and the natural choice for a grey scheme
- Da Vinci Azure CC01, a pale stone effect
- Da Vinci Sepia CC03, a warmer mid stone
- Da Vinci Alabaster CC04, the lightest of the stone effects
Karndean Knight Tile
Knight Tile is Karndean's established mid range, and it is where most domestic projects land. It carries a slightly thinner wear layer than Da Vinci at a noticeably lower price per square metre, which makes it a sensible choice for bedrooms, studies, snugs and any room that is not taking constant footfall. Our Knight Tile collection holds 6 designs.
- Knight Tile Soapstone ST5
- Knight Tile Rona T99
- Knight Tile Andecite T89
- Knight Tile Onyx T88
- Knight Tile Midnight Black T74
- Knight Tile Dolomite T86
The twelfth product is Karndean Serpentine T82, a dark stone effect tile. Every one of these sits in the main Karndean collection and in vinyl flooring if you prefer to browse by category.
Which range for which room
| Room | Suggested range | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Hallway and entrance | Da Vinci | Grit tracked in from outside is the main cause of wear, and the thicker wear layer earns its money here |
| Kitchen | Da Vinci | Heavy traffic plus spills, dropped pans and chair movement |
| Living room | Either | Moderate traffic, so the decision can be made on budget and appearance |
| Bedroom and study | Knight Tile | Low traffic, mostly socks and slippers |
| Bathroom and en suite | Either | Waterproof material, but the perimeter detailing matters more than the range |
| Conservatory | Either, with caution | Temperature swing is the governing issue, covered in our conservatory flooring guide |
Wear layers, guarantees and where each range belongs
What the wear layer number means
Wear layer thickness is quoted in millimetres. A 0.3mm wear layer is a normal residential specification. A 0.55mm wear layer is roughly double the sacrificial thickness and is the level normally specified for light commercial use as well as busy homes. The number tells you nothing about how the floor looks and everything about how long it keeps looking that way.
Guarantees
Karndean publishes a residential guarantee against wear through against the design layer, with the length varying by range and the higher specification products carrying the longer cover. Guarantees are conditional. They generally require correct subfloor preparation, the manufacturer's own adhesive, and maintenance using the manufacturer's cleaning system. Always read the guarantee document supplied with the product you actually buy rather than relying on a general figure.
Things that void cover
- Laying over an unsuitable or damp subfloor
- Using a general purpose adhesive rather than the specified one
- Cleaning with steam mops, bleach, solvents or abrasive pads
- Applying a varnish, lacquer, sealant or wax to the surface
- Exceeding the permitted floor surface temperature over underfloor heating
Subfloor preparation, the part most projects get wrong
More Karndean installations disappoint because of the subfloor than for any other reason. The plank is thin and solid, so it copies whatever is underneath it. There is no underlay to hide anything.
Flat, not level
The requirement is flatness, not level. A floor can slope gently across a room and be perfectly acceptable. What it cannot have is local humps and dips. The normal working tolerance is around 3mm measured under a 2m straightedge in any direction. Check with a straightedge, not a spirit level, because a spirit level answers a different question.
Concrete and screed subfloors
New concrete and screed hold construction moisture for a long time. A rough guide is one day per millimetre of thickness for the first 50mm and considerably longer beyond that, which means a 75mm screed can take months. The floor must be tested rather than guessed at. A relative humidity test using a hygrometer is the usual UK method, and the accepted threshold for laying a moisture sensitive floor covering is 75 percent RH, or 65 percent RH where underfloor heating is present. If the reading is above the threshold, either wait or install a liquid applied damp proof membrane. Karndean is impermeable, so trapped moisture has nowhere to go except into the adhesive bond.
Timber subfloors
Floorboards must not be laid on directly. The gaps between boards and the movement of individual boards will both show through. The standard remedy is to overlay with a flooring grade plywood or hardboard, fixed at close centres across the whole sheet so it cannot lift, with joints staggered and screw heads set below the surface. Chipboard flooring is normally overlaid in the same way.
Existing floor coverings
Old vinyl, carpet, carpet grippers, adhesive residue and underlay all come up first. Laying new LVT over old cushioned vinyl is a common shortcut and a common failure, because the soft layer underneath allows the new floor to indent under furniture legs.
Priming and smoothing
Absorbent subfloors are primed, then a latex or cement based smoothing compound is trowelled on to correct the remaining unevenness. This is a normal part of an LVT installation rather than a sign that something has gone wrong, and it is the step most often cut to save money.
Gluedown, looselay and click, and why the format matters
Gluedown
The traditional and most common Karndean format. Planks are bonded directly to the prepared subfloor with the specified adhesive. It gives the thinnest build up, the quietest floor underfoot, the best behaviour over underfloor heating and the widest choice of designs and laying patterns. It also demands the most subfloor preparation and is the hardest to lift again.
Looselay
Heavier planks with a high friction backing that hold position by their own weight, usually with a tackifier around the perimeter. Faster to fit and easier to lift, but a smaller design range and still dependent on a sound, flat subfloor.
Rigid core and click
A locking edge profile so planks join to each other and float over the subfloor. More forgiving of minor unevenness and quicker for a competent DIY fitter, but thicker, which affects door clearances and threshold heights.
Why the format decides your programme
Gluedown is the format that gives Karndean its reputation, and it is also the format that is genuinely difficult to fit well. Cutting is straightforward, since planks are scored with a knife and snapped, but setting out, adhesive open time and rolling the floor are all skills. If you are not confident, this is a job worth paying for. A poor gluedown installation cannot be tidied up afterwards.
Underfloor heating and the temperature limit you must respect
Karndean and underfloor heating work well together, and gluedown LVT is arguably the best partner underfloor heating has, because it is thin, dense and conducts heat efficiently instead of insulating against it. There are conditions.
The 27 degree rule
The floor surface temperature must not exceed 27 degrees Celsius. This is a limit on the surface, not on the water flow temperature or the thermostat setting for air temperature. Exceeding it can soften the adhesive and dimensionally stress the plank. Fit a floor sensor and set a hard limit on the controller rather than relying on judgement.
Commissioning a new system
A new underfloor heating system in a new screed must be commissioned before flooring goes down. That means bringing the system up gradually, holding it, and cooling it back down over a period of days so the screed completes its drying and any movement happens before the floor covering is bonded to it. Then turn the heating off, allow the floor to return to room temperature, and lay.
Seasonal operation
Bring the system up and down in steps of a few degrees a day at the start and end of the heating season rather than switching from off to full. Sudden changes are harder on any bonded floor than sustained warmth.
Electric mat systems
Electric mats are usually embedded in a levelling compound so the surface presented to the adhesive is continuous and flat. Bonding straight onto exposed heating cable is not acceptable.
Underlay, and why gluedown Karndean does not take any
This deserves its own section because the wrong answer is repeated constantly online, including in the previous version of this page.
Gluedown
Gluedown Karndean takes no underlay at all. None. The adhesive bonds the plank to the subfloor, and any compressible layer in between destroys that bond, allows indentation under furniture and voids the guarantee. If your subfloor is cold or noisy, the answer is insulation boards or an acoustic layer built into the subfloor construction and then screeded or boarded over, not underlay under the planks.
Click and rigid core
Floating click systems are the exception. They do use a thin, high density underlay, and only a purpose made LVT underlay, typically 1mm to 1.5mm. Thick, soft carpet or laminate underlay will flex the locking joints apart.
Acoustics
If noise transfer to a room below is the concern, particularly in a flat, this needs designing into the floor construction rather than solving with a mat at the last minute. Wall treatments help with reverberation inside the room, and our acoustic wall panels address that separate problem, with the wall panelling guide covering fitting.
Cleaning and maintenance the way the manufacturer intends
Karndean is low maintenance, not no maintenance, and the routine is genuinely specific. Getting it wrong is the most common way people dull a floor that is otherwise performing perfectly.
Everyday routine
- Sweep, dust mop or vacuum on a hard floor setting. Grit is abrasive, and removing it is the most valuable thing you can do.
- Damp mop with the manufacturer's own floor cleaner diluted as directed. A well wrung mop, not a wet one.
- Wipe spills promptly. The material is waterproof, but standing water at joints and edges is still worth avoiding.
What not to use
- Washing up liquid and general household soap. These leave a film that builds up and dulls the wear layer, which is why the manufacturer specifies its own cleaner. This is the correction to the old advice on this page.
- Steam mops. Heat and forced moisture attack the adhesive bond and the layer edges.
- Bleach, solvents, white spirit and acetone.
- Abrasive pads, scouring cream and scrubbing. Elbow grease is exactly the wrong instinct on a clear wear layer.
- Any varnish, lacquer, sealant, polish or wax not made for the product. You never seal a Karndean floor.
Periodic refresh
Karndean supplies a refresh product that restores the sheen on a floor that has gone flat with age. It is applied to a properly cleaned floor and is not a repair for scratches. If a plank is genuinely damaged, the correct fix is to cut it out and bond a replacement in, which is why keeping a few spare planks from your original batch is worth doing.
Protecting the floor
- Felt pads under every chair and table leg, checked once a year because they wear and collect grit.
- A barrier mat at every external door. Not a rubber backed mat, which can stain vinyl, and not a coir mat that sheds grit.
- Wide, non staining castors on office chairs, or a hard floor chair mat.
- Care with prolonged direct sunlight. Any printed floor can fade over years, so use blinds in strongly south facing rooms.
- Never drag appliances. Lift them, or slide them on hardboard.
Our general product care page sets out guidance across the range, and if you also have a real wood floor elsewhere in the house, the parquet care guide covers a very different routine.
Costs, wastage and what a realistic budget looks like
Material
Prices on our range currently start around £14 and run to just over £50, and it is essential to check whether a listed price is per square metre or per pack before comparing. Knight Tile sits below Da Vinci, which is the expected relationship given the difference in wear layer.
Everything that is not the planks
Buyers routinely budget for the flooring and forget the rest. On a gluedown LVT job the additional items are not optional extras.
- Adhesive, the manufacturer specified type
- Primer for absorbent subfloors
- Latex or cement smoothing compound
- Plywood or hardboard overlay on a timber subfloor
- Damp proof membrane if the moisture test requires one
- Lifting and disposing of the old floor
- Thresholds and edge trims at doorways
- Fitting labour, which on gluedown is a real trade skill
Wastage
Order around 10 percent over the measured area for a standard straight or brick bond layout. For a diagonal layout or a herringbone pattern, allow closer to 15 to 20 percent, because angled cuts generate far more offcuts. Our herringbone flooring guide covers pattern layouts in detail. Order the whole job in one go so every pack comes from the same production batch, and keep the leftovers.
Room by room suitability
Kitchens and utility rooms
An excellent fit. Waterproof, warm underfoot, quiet, and forgiving of dropped items in a way tile is not. Seal around the perimeter under the plinth line and make sure appliances are lifted rather than dragged in and out.
Bathrooms and en suites
Suitable, provided the detailing is right. The material is waterproof but the installation is what keeps water out at the perimeter and around the WC pan and shower tray. Use the manufacturer's recommended detailing for wet areas.
Hallways
The hardest working floor in the house and the strongest case for the higher wear layer. A generous barrier mat at the front door will do more for the floor's lifespan than anything else.
Living rooms and bedrooms
Straightforward. Consider a rug in the main seating zone, using a non staining rug underlay made for vinyl rather than a rubber backed one.
Conservatories
Possible but consider carefully. The problem in a conservatory is not water, it is the daily temperature swing between a summer afternoon and a winter night. Discuss the specific room before ordering.
Basements and ground floors with damp history
Test, do not assume. An impermeable floor covering over a damp slab traps moisture at the adhesive line. This is the one situation where paying for a proper moisture survey is unambiguously worth it.
Matching Karndean to doors, skirting and architrave
A floor is judged partly by what meets it. Three junctions matter, and all three are easier to get right if you plan them before the floor goes down.
Door clearance
Gluedown Karndean adds very little height, typically a few millimetres including adhesive, so most existing doors will still clear. If you have added a plywood overlay or a thick levelling compound, the build up can be 10mm or more and doors may need easing at the bottom. Measure the finished floor height before hanging new doors. Our guides on how to measure a door and UK internal door sizes walk through this.
Tone matching
Grey and stone effect floors sit comfortably with grey and white doors. Our internal grey doors range holds over 60 options and white primed doors holds 82. Warmer timber effect floors suit oak, and our internal oak doors collection holds 292. A dark floor such as Midnight Black works strikingly against black internal doors, of which we list 114. The full internal doors range runs to over 710 products, with over 350 in the fully finished collection.
One general rule is worth knowing: do not try to match a floor and a door exactly. A near miss looks like a mistake, whereas a deliberate contrast looks intentional. Our oak versus walnut comparison and the guide to internal door finishes help with tone decisions.
Skirting and trim
Skirting is normally fitted after the floor on a gluedown installation, or the floor is scribed to existing skirting with a scotia or a matching trim covering the joint. Plan the order of work with your fitter. See our skirting and door architrave ranges, and the internal frames and linings collection if you are replacing the openings too.
Thresholds
Every doorway where the floor covering changes needs a trim, and the type depends on whether the two floors finish at the same height. Buy these at the same time as the floor.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Skipping the moisture test. The most expensive mistake available, because the failure shows up months later and the whole floor comes up.
- Laying over old cushioned vinyl or carpet underlay. Anything soft underneath causes indentation.
- Putting underlay under gluedown planks. Wrong product, wrong outcome, guarantee gone.
- Checking with a spirit level instead of a straightedge. You are testing flatness, not level.
- Cleaning with washing up liquid or a steam mop. The two fastest ways to dull a wear layer.
- Sealing or varnishing the floor. There is nothing to seal. The wear layer is the finish.
- Buying too little and reordering later. A second batch may not match.
- Letting the underfloor heating exceed 27 degrees at the surface. Fit a floor sensor and set the limit.
- Choosing Knight Tile for a busy hallway to save money. Put the thicker wear layer where the grit is.
- Fitting a rubber backed mat. Rubber can permanently stain vinyl.
Frequently asked questions
Is Karndean the same as vinyl flooring?
Yes. Karndean is a brand of luxury vinyl tile, so it is vinyl. The old comparison between Karndean and vinyl as if they were different materials is simply incorrect. The meaningful comparison is between LVT and sheet vinyl, or between one LVT brand and another.
Is Karndean real wood?
No. There is no timber in it. The wood appearance comes from a high resolution photographic layer beneath a clear wear layer, usually with embossing that follows the printed grain.
Do I need underlay for Karndean?
Not for gluedown Karndean, which is what most of the range is. It is bonded straight to a prepared subfloor and any compressible layer will cause problems. Only floating click systems use underlay, and then only a purpose made rigid LVT underlay.
Can Karndean be laid over floorboards?
Not directly. Overlay the boards with a flooring grade plywood or hardboard first, fixed at close centres, so the plank has a continuous flat surface with no board joints to telegraph through.
Does Karndean scratch?
It is scratch resistant, not scratch proof. Most scratches come from grit tracked in on shoes and from unprotected furniture feet. A barrier mat, felt pads and regular sweeping deal with the great majority of it. A badly damaged plank is replaced rather than repaired.
Can I sand or refinish Karndean?
No. The pattern is a printed film, and sanding would remove it. This is one of the genuine differences between LVT and real wood.
Is Karndean waterproof?
The material is waterproof. The installation is what determines whether water reaches the subfloor, so perimeter detailing and the junctions around sanitaryware matter in bathrooms.
Is Karndean suitable for underfloor heating?
Yes, and it performs well because it is thin and conducts rather than insulates. The floor surface temperature must stay at or below 27 degrees Celsius, and a new system in a new screed must be commissioned before the floor is laid.
How long does Karndean last?
In a normal home with sensible care, a well fitted floor with an appropriate wear layer will typically give well over a decade of good service, and often considerably more. Lifespan is driven by wear layer thickness, traffic, grit control and the quality of the original subfloor preparation rather than by the brand name.
Can I lay Karndean myself?
Click and rigid core formats are realistic for a competent DIY fitter. Gluedown is a trade skill, because setting out, adhesive open time and rolling all have to be right first time and cannot be corrected afterwards. Be honest about which category you are in.
How much extra should I order?
Around 10 percent for a straight or brick bond layout, and 15 to 20 percent for diagonal or herringbone. Order it all at once so it comes from one batch, and keep the offcuts as future repair stock.
Will Karndean fade in sunlight?
Any printed surface can change over a long period of strong direct sun. In a bright south facing room, blinds or solar control glazing are worth having for the sake of your furniture as well as the floor.
Why buy your Karndean from Doors2Floors
Doors2Floors has supplied doors and flooring to homes and businesses across the UK. Our flooring range is deliberately focused: 12 Karndean floors across the Da Vinci and Knight Tile ranges, rather than a scattergun catalogue. We publish the specification against each product so you can compare wear layer and format directly, and we deliver across the UK.
If you are fitting out a whole room or a whole house, it is usually easier to order the floor, the doors and the trim together so tones and delivery dates line up. Alongside the flooring we list over 710 internal doors, over 2,500 door handles and a full range of wall panelling. There are also 15 lines in the clearance doors collection if the budget is tight.
Not sure which range suits your room, your subfloor or your heating setup? Contact our team with the details and we will talk it through before you order. If your scheme is built around grey tones, our guide to grey wood effect floors is the natural next read.
This guide is general information for UK homeowners. Subfloor moisture testing, damp proofing and underfloor heating commissioning should be carried out or verified by a competent professional, and you should always follow the specific installation and maintenance instructions supplied with the product you buy.