LVT & Vinyl Flooring Guides

Luxury vinyl tile and vinyl flooring explained: waterproof performance, click vs glue-down installation, and cost comparisons.

LVT, luxury vinyl tile, and vinyl flooring more broadly, are the go-to choice for anyone who needs a genuinely waterproof floor without giving up on realistic wood or stone looks. Unlike laminate or engineered wood, the core material is vinyl or a stone-polymer composite rather than wood fibre, so there's nothing in it that absorbs water and swells. That single property is why vinyl flooring dominates UK bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms.

The category splits into a few distinct product types, each suited to slightly different situations. LVT itself comes as individual planks or tiles, either clicking together without adhesive (fast to fit, easy to repair a single damaged piece) or glued down (more stable underfoot, better for uneven subfloors and commercial settings). Sheet vinyl, sold in wide rolls, offers fewer seams and a lower price point, making it a solid budget option, particularly in smaller rooms like ensuites where one sheet can cover the whole floor without a join. Cushion vinyl adds a foam backing layer to standard sheet vinyl for a softer, warmer feel underfoot, popular in kitchens where you're on your feet for long stretches.

All of these are waterproof at the plank or sheet level. What differs is how well the joins resist water over time: welded-seam sheet vinyl is the most watertight option going, since there are effectively no open joints at all, while standard click LVT is fine for splashes and everyday spills but shouldn't be relied on for genuinely standing water over multiple days.

Costs in the UK run from £6-12 per m² for budget sheet vinyl up to £35-55 per m² for premium LVT from brands like Amtico or Karndean. Most rooms sit comfortably in the £15-35 per m² range for a good-quality product. Installation is often DIY-friendly for click LVT, while sheet vinyl and glue-down products are generally better left to a professional fitter for a clean, watertight finish.

Wear layer thickness is the number that determines how long any of these products actually lasts, and it's worth checking before you buy rather than after. Budget LVT with a 0.3mm wear layer starts showing wear, loss of gloss and texture, in busy areas within 8-12 years. Mid-range products at 0.5mm push that out to 15-20 years, and commercial-grade LVT with a 0.7mm wear layer can last 20-25 years even in a hallway or kitchen with constant footfall. The wear layer is a clear, tough coating over the printed design, not the design itself, so a thin wear layer wearing through shows up as a dull, scuffed patch rather than the pattern disappearing outright.

Nearly all LVT is compatible with underfloor heating provided the surface temperature stays under the manufacturer's limit, usually 27°C, and the specific product confirms UFH suitability in its spec sheet. Rigid-core products (SPC and WPC) tend to transfer heat slightly more efficiently than flexible-core LVT, which is worth knowing if you're fitting a floor specifically to sit over a heated screed.