Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is not one product. The word covers everything from a cheap roll of cushioned sheet to a rigid tile that convincingly imitates limestone, and the differences matter far more than the shared name suggests. Everything on this page is luxury vinyl tile, the top end of the category, supplied by Karndean and sold by the square metre from £14.00 to £55.00 per square metre.

The three kinds of vinyl floor

Sheet vinyl comes on a roll and is cut to the room. It is the cheapest option, it has no joints in the middle of the floor which is genuinely useful in a bathroom, and it is the one that looks like vinyl. Cushioned vinyl is sheet with a foam backing, softer underfoot and easier on the feet in a kitchen, but it dents under furniture legs and tears rather than scratches.

Luxury vinyl tile, usually shortened to LVT, is supplied as individual planks or tiles. It is thinner and denser than cushioned vinyl, the design layer is printed from photographs of real stone and timber, and the surface is embossed so the texture lines up with the pattern. That embossing is the reason a good LVT reads as stone from standing height while sheet vinyl does not. It is the only kind of vinyl we stock.

What actually determines quality

Three things, and thickness on its own is not one of them.

The wear layer is the clear top layer, and it takes every footstep, grain of grit and chair leg. It is what decides how long the floor keeps looking new, and it is the number worth comparing between products rather than total thickness.

The design and embossing decide how convincing the floor looks. A pattern with few repeats gives away the trick quickly across a large room, which is why premium ranges carry more designs per colour.

The format decides how it looks laid. Plank formats read as timber, tile formats read as stone, and the size of the unit changes the scale of the room. Larger tiles suit larger rooms.

Priced per square metre

Every floor here is sold by the square metre. Measure each room in metres, multiply length by width, add the rooms together and add 10 per cent for cuts. Increase that to 12 to 15 per cent for a diagonal or herringbone lay, or for a room with a bay window and a chimney breast. Order the whole quantity at once, because design revisions and batch variation mean a top up order months later may not match.

Rooms where vinyl is the correct choice

Kitchens, because water gets spilled and appliances leak. Bathrooms and cloakrooms, for the same reason. Utility rooms, where a washing machine will eventually flood the floor. Hallways, where wet coats, grit and dog paws destroy timber and swell laminate joints. Any room with underfloor heating, because LVT is thin and conducts heat well within the manufacturer temperature limits.

It is less obviously right in a formal sitting room or a principal bedroom, where the cost of engineered timber is easier to justify and the abuse is lower. The oak engineered flooring guide covers that alternative, and common laminate laying mistakes explains why the cheaper option often disappoints.

Vinyl against laminate, tile and timber

Against laminate, vinyl wins on water and on sound and loses on outright scratch hardness. Against ceramic tile, vinyl wins on warmth, comfort and installation cost, and loses on ultimate durability and on heat resistance. Against engineered timber, vinyl wins on water, cost and thickness at thresholds, and loses on authenticity and on the ability to be sanded back. Our flooring buying guide works through the comparison in full, and what is Karndean flooring explains the construction of the specific product we sell.

What we stock

12 Karndean LVT floors in two ranges. Knight Tile covers the stone and slate effects from £33.40 per square metre, and Da Vinci covers the wood effects and softer colours from £50.06. A single design, T82 Serpentine, sits below both at £14.00 per square metre. See Karndean Knight Tile, Karndean Da Vinci, the full Karndean range and the wider flooring collection.

Subfloor preparation is the whole job

LVT is thin, and thin floors telegraph. A dip, a proud screw head, a loose board or a ridge of old adhesive will show through the surface within weeks, and no amount of care with the tiles themselves will rescue it. The subfloor must be dry, level, sound and clean before anything is laid, and screed and timber substrates need different preparation. Requirements for adhesive, acclimatisation and expansion vary by product, so follow the instructions supplied with the floor. Our installation information covers general preparation.

Living with a vinyl floor

Sweep or vacuum, then damp mop with a pH neutral cleaner. No steam mops, no abrasive pads and no solvent cleaners. Felt pads under every chair and table leg, and a mat at each external door, will extend the life of the wear layer more than anything else. See product care.

Doors, thresholds and skirting

A new floor raises the finished level, so check that existing doors still clear it. A standard door can usually be trimmed; a fire door often cannot be trimmed beyond a small allowance. Use the door size guide and how to measure a door before committing, and finish the perimeter with new skirting rather than laying up to old paint clogged trim.

Common questions

Is vinyl flooring waterproof?

The tiles themselves are water resistant throughout. Standing water can still reach the subfloor through the joints, so it is not a substitute for a properly detailed wet room.

Can it be laid over existing tiles?

Only if the grout lines are filled and the surface made flat. Otherwise the joints will show through.

Does it scratch?

The wear layer resists it well, but grit is abrasive and unprotected furniture legs are the usual culprit.

How long does it last?

Warranty terms are set by the manufacturer and vary by range and by domestic or commercial use. See warranty information.

Can I see it before buying a whole room?

Ask us about samples first. Contact us and we will tell you what is available.