Wood Look LVT– Superior to the Real Thing?

Sandra Drake, Vice President of Sales

Thanks to the high demand for LVT that looks like wood, there are more colors, styles, qualities and patterns than ever before. With such variety at your fingertips, there has never been a better time to consider wood look LVT for your next design project.

Over the last 20 years the gap has closed between wood and LVT – huge advancements in photographic, vinyl production and printing technology have made wood look LVT flooring practically indistinguishable from the real thing.

Despite these advancements, wood look LVT and engineered hardwood are both ideal options for commercial spaces in terms of design, durability, value and practicality.

Wood Look Vinyl Flooring vs. Engineered Hardwood

The technology used to create LVT has made replicating the look of high-end wood designs achievable and cost-effective. Using a printing process, high-quality photographs of real wood are used to give the flooring the most authentic look possible. Furthermore, LVT wood planks and tiles can now replicate the shape and feel of real wood planks with patternless precision.

Using Wood Look LVT Flooring

When using wood look LVT flooring, you can choose from floating, glue down or staple methods for installation.

Installation: Wood look LVT flooring is available in glue down, floating and rigid core click.

  • Glue Down – Glue down, also known as dryback LVT, is installed just like it sounds — it is glued down. Using manufacturer recommended adhesive, each individual tile or plank is adhered to the subfloor, making it the most durable and secure of all LVT flooring options. This makes glue down wood vinyl ideal for settings that will get a lot of foot traffic or even rolling traffic, such as healthcare facilities and retail stores.
  • Floating – Floating LVT flooring that looks like wood encompasses two different installation methods, loose lay and click. Loose lay wood vinyl requires adhesive for the perimeter planks and tiles of each room, then all interior flooring is simply laid into place. For high traffic commercial areas, like grocery stores, a grid system with the adhesive is necessary.
  • Rigid Core Click – Also a floating LVT, rigid core click wood LVT locks into place using the Uniclick locking system. The added bonus of rigid core click is that most have a specialized acoustic backing to help muffle sounds from the LVT. These acoustic backings come in various types from cork to IXPE vinyl.

Sizing: Wood look LVT flooring is available in a wide variety of sizes. The biggest difference across the various sizes is the thickness, which will impact the level of durability of the LVT. Wood look LVT is available in 3mm and 5mm thickness, with certain designs available in 6mm.

Durability: Similar to engineered hardwood, wood look LVT is highly durable and designed to meet the demands of a commercial setting. For optimal durability, look for a flooring that is crafted using heat infused technology. This process ensures strength and stability, while also producing a flooring that is realistic in appearance. The finishing touch for any wood look LVT flooring is the protective wear layer that is applied during manufacturing. It protects against any scratches or scuffs and makes the flooring easier to clean and maintain.

Replicating the Look of Wood with LVT

A noticeable pattern found in wood look sheet vinyl is the side effect of old technology. Since sheet vinyl comes in 6’ and 12’ rolls, its image is often comprised of one large photograph. And while this may not prove an issue for smaller rooms, large commercial spaces (an ideal application for LVT) will clearly call out sheet vinyl’s stereotypical tell.

With a greater number of photographs used over a higher number of small pieces, LVT wood plank eliminates the appearance of repeat patterns. While some planks may have the same photograph, they can be easily blended into the diversity of images. In addition, the thickness of planks (3mm vs. 2mm sheet) more effectively hide subflooring irregularities.

Wood Look Designs

Both engineered hardwood and wood look LVT flooring offer a wide variety of wood grain designs to choose from. Older vinyl technologies used to limit what types of wood could be mimicked by LVT flooring, but today that is no longer the case. Almost every type of wood species that engineered hardwood can offer, both exotic and native, is available in wood look LVT.

Inspiration for Wood and Wood Looks

Wood flooring naturally adds warmth to a space. Engineered hardwood and wood-look LVT are great options to evoke this welcoming feeling in any realm. This has become especially important in commercial settings — such as healthcare facilitiesoffices, grocery stores and even fitness studios — where businesses and organizations are looking to establish an inviting, safe and familiar welcoming connections for visitors and consumers, as well as the employees who work there.

There are also a lot of options when it comes to aesthetics. From the classic and traditional character of woodgrain  to more contemporary designs with bolder patterns, there is something for every space. The timeless and classic — but clean and soft — artistic feel of engineered hardwood and wood look LVT are intended to complement other design elements within a space, such as bright pops of color or area rugs. Engineered hardwood and wood look LVT are the perfect canvas for customization, and these products also come in a mix of warm and cool tones so architects and designers can tailor the space to either side of the color palette.

Here is a sampling of the many wood species that are available in wood look LVT:

  • Oak
  • Cedar
  • Teak
  • Maple
  • Walnut
  • Bamboo
  • Beech
  • Mahogany
  • Ash
  • Cherry
  • Pine
  • Hickory
  • Zebrawood
  • Elm

6 Benefits of Wood Look LVT

While engineered hardwood is derived from nature, the high-definition imaging used in wood grain LVT is inspired by nature. Both solutions provide many aesthetic advantages beyond just their appearance. Let’s explore the benefits for wood look LVT in terms of its design, species availability, application, overall price and value.

Design Benefits:

1. Because LVT’s look relies on a photographic layer, it can replicate any species of wood. Exotic and other types of expensive species, therefore, are no more expensive than common, domestic types.

2. Due to the ease of installing LVT, jobs can be completed quickly, easily and in any desired configuration. Just some creative ideas, imagination and a well-drawn floor plan.

Installation & Maintenance Benefits:

3. The finishing on our engineered hardwood products is of the highest quality, which means they are long lasting, and you never have to refinish them yourself. However unlike wood flooring, LVT is ideal for high-moisture and commercial settings.

4. LVT requires little maintenance and is easily repaired, making it suitable for practically any application you can imagine.

Wood look LVT is highly durable and designed to meet the everyday demands and traffic in a commercial setting. Anyone in search of LVT that looks like wood will, after a little investigation, be pleasantly surprised. With its durability, low maintenance, low cost, versatility to perform in commercial settings, and nearly unlimited design and customization possibilities, it’s easy to see why so many designers today are choosing wood look LVT.

At Parterre, we’re committed to providing LVT and engineered hardwood solutions in a variety of design options. To see real examples of wood look LVT, browse our digital Look Book. This downloadable resource is full of endless design inspiration from customers and clients who have found new and innovative ways to use wood look LVT in their spaces.

If you have any questions about Parterre’s engineered hardwood and LVT flooring products or how we can help you select the flooring that fits your needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us.