Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Guide

What kinds of styles are available with Rigid Core flooring?
Rigid Core comes in a wide range of highly realistic visuals and textures that capture the look of hardwood, natural stone, and tile. Beautiful enough to elevate the style of your main living spaces and bedrooms. Rigid Core is 100% waterproof, comfortable underfoot, and easy to maintain. They're also the easiest to install with their tongue-and-groove">tongue and groove system and floating installation, so it's perfect for DIY projects.

What Is Rigid Core?
An improvement on a traditional vinyl, rigid Core is an engineered product with a rigid core construction for added stability. However, because it is a solid plank, constructed of three to four layers, it has less flexibility than regular vinyl. The top wear layer protects the planks from scratches and stains, and a second thin layer of vinyl covers the core. A robust and rigid core is made from a wood or stone plastic composite core for added durability. Some products include an attached underlayment for extra cushion and sound absorption.

How durable is this type of flooring?
Unlike many other flooring types, rigid core flooring offers the ultimate dent resistance against things like dropped objects and high heels. It's also 100% waterproof, so the planks will not swell, buckle, or lose integrity when exposed to water.

Where can rigid core flooring be installed?
Rigid Core comes in a wide range of colors, styles, and textures to realistically mimic hardwood and natural stone, and ceramic tiles. Installed just about anywhere, vinyl flooring is known for its water-resistant properties. It's tough enough for the highest traffic and most moisture-prone rooms. You won't have to worry about moisture ruining your planks or causing them to swell for those with active kids and pets. The tongue and groove or click system make it easy to install on your own.

Rigid Core vs. Glue-Down LVT
Rigid core products have a floating installation method, which means they float over the subfloor without any glue or vinyl floor adhesive tape. For many, it is a straightforward DIY installation project for any room of the home. However, it is ideal for smaller areas since the floors could potentially lift or have vulnerable seams if in a large room. Regardless, rigid core LVT is better suited for high-moisture subfloors like in a basement. A below-grade room could always be damp or become flooded.

In a glue-down installation, LVT glued down to the subfloor using glue or double-faced acrylic tape. Begin installation with a flat, even subfloor since any imperfections could show through. Also, over time, uneven subfloors could cause damage to the underside of your luxury vinyl. Because Rigid Core harder to work with, it's recommended that a professional install glue-down LVT.

Glue-down LVT anywhere in the house. But since it's attached to the subfloor, it may be more durable for larger rooms or areas with higher traffic. Glue-down also is a benefit for any rolling traffic, such as furniture on wheels or those with wheelchairs. It is easy to replace individual tiles or planks, or portion of the flooring with a glue-down installation.

Vinyl flooring is an excellent budget-friendly choice when needing something durable and low maintenance and made for areas with moisture. Rigid core installation depends on how big your room size is, whether you plan to install yourself or hire a professional installer. Whichever type of installation you choose, you really can't go wrong with long-lasting Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl.