We sell more than 2,500 luxury vinyl plank products—so how should you begin your search? Follow Ken’s decision tree: Click vs. glue down, bevel preferences, color/appearance, and finally, character/color variation. If you follow these steps in order, you can’t go wrong.
Today, I want to talk about another decision tree. This decision tree will tell you exactly how to select the right luxury vinyl plank floor for your residential home or commercial business. Luxury vinyl plank is likely the hottest and most popular product in our industry.
The first step at the root of the decision tree is a choice of whether to get a floating LVP floor that clicks together or to get a glue-down vinyl floor. Glue-down vinyl floors offer a variety of different features/benefits. For instance, glue-down floors are generally better for high foot-traffic areas or when you have a slightly uneven subfloor. It's also easier to replace an individual plank that is damaged. You can learn more about this here.
Additionally, some customers prefer a glue-down product because it can be installed right up to the baseboard. If you install a click/floating product, you have to leave expansion around the perimeter of the room. While we cover the expansion with a molding, some people don't like that molding.
See an example of how floating/click LVP can have difficulty in high-traffic areas, such as near a doorway.
Once you've decided on a glue-down or click LVP floor, the next step is to understand your preference for bevels. Some vinyl plank floors have almost no bevel (or line) between the boards. We also have luxury vinyl plank (LVP) with an eased edge and LVP that has a painted bevel. People sometimes have strong feelings—so you want to start looking and decide on which bevel approach(es) that you're comfortable with. Below is an example of me pointing out a 'pillowed' edge on a vinyl plank floor.
After you've decided on bevels, the next step is to make a decision about color and appearance. Color is central to almost everything. You should also decide what type of species-look (i.e. red oak) that you want. Below is an example of a variety of vinyl plank floors from Karndean.
The last decision you have to make is about character and color variation. When you're looking at a small sample in a flooring store, you may not be able to see the character between the boards. What do I mean by character? Things like the replication of knots and mineral streaks. Some vinyl plank floors are rustic, others are very clean and clear. Instead of solely relying on a small sample, try to look at a picture or room scene of what that floor is going to be like. If you want to be extra safe, you can also buy a single box and lay it out before committing to the floor. See an example of an online room scene that reveals color/character variation of a Karndean Van Gogh LVP floor.
That's your basic decision tree for selecting the right luxury vinyl plank floor for your home or business.
If you follow that system in order, it will make the process of looking through hundreds and hundreds of different choices a lot simpler.
If you have any questions about selecting luxury vinyl plank floors, we're happy to talk more. Give us a call at 401-214-0285 or visit our showroom. We serve customers throughout Rhode Island and southeastern New England, including Newport, Middletown, Jamestown, Portsmouth, Bristol and more.
About Ken: Ken Fain is the co-owner of Island Carpet in Middletown, RI and a floorcovering veteran of more than 40 years. His popular 'Ask Ken' video series answers common flooring questions on a variety of topics. It has reached thousands of viewers on both YouTube and Facebook.
695 West Main Road Middletown
Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm, Sat: 10am-3pm
Ken answers a new question every week! Check out:
