A thick wear layer will make your flooring less likely to have a scratch down to the design layer. A thicker wear layer means you have more protection from surface scratches having an impact that will be noticeable to your eye. Do you have one or more dogs? If your dog is big, high energy, and uses your floor as a racetrack then a thick wear layer is the way to go, but it still may not save you in the long run. A thick wear layer will not prevent a heavy sharp object from gouging it. If you drag a heavy hard object across any floor you are going to damage it.

Going back to dogs for a minute, vinyl flooring really is the way to go if you have pets. A glue down vinyl floor would be the best bet for long term durability and cleanliness for pets. Realistically if you aren’t up for the adhesive part then go with a floating vinyl floor that’s waterproof and clicks together like Allure ISOCORE. One bonus for ISOCORE is its also warmer and softer underfoot for those seniors and senior dogs out there!

All of the components that go into producing vinyl flooring have a cost associated with them. Deciding which components matter most to you and picking flooring that matches is always your best bet financially. Does it really make sense to buy flooring with the thickest wear layer when almost half of all homeowners live stay less than 10 years? Performance characteristics aside, there is also an aesthetic impact to really thick wear layers on vinyl flooring. Flooring with really thick wear layers can look more like plastic. That extra thick layer on top of your flooring means the design will look much softer and less realistic. That really thick wear layer flooring you chose may also end up yellowing or developing a haze over time with exposure to the sun. Having a beautiful floor is just as important as durability. Finding the right balance between beauty and durability in flooring is important.