What is SPC Vinyl Flooring?
SPC vinyl flooring, also interchangeably referred to as rigid core luxury vinyl flooring, is known for its 100% waterproof core and structural rigidity. It is waterproof vinyl flooring 2.0. SPC vinyl flooring is perfect as both residential and commercial flooring.
SPC vinyl flooring is one of the best in the vinyl flooring world and is especially popular in commercial spaces. It has the look of traditional hardwood, but without the maintenance. Rigid core vinyl flooring can handle the wear and tear of even the busiest of commercial spaces.
Customer Favorite SPC Vinyl Floors
With so many styles and colors to choose from, it can be overwhelming to dive into the world of SPC vinyl flooring. To get started, take a look at some of our customer favorites and see how they measure up.
SPC Vinyl Construction
You might be wondering how rigid core vinyl can be 100% waterproof. I can clear that up for you! It all comes down to a layered design that maximizes durability and moisture resistance.
Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Flooring
SPC flooring is typically comprised of 4 layers*
- Wear layer: Just like with traditional vinyl, the wear layer is what protects your flooring from scratches and imperfections. The thicker the wear layer, the better protection.
- Printed vinyl layer: This is where you get your gorgeous photo imagery that makes the vinyl look (nearly) identical to natural materials like stone and wood. This flooring offers some of the highest quality images on the market.
- SPC core: This is the most important part! SPC flooring contains a solid, waterproof core. It won’t ripple, swell or peel. This core is ultra-dense and very durable.
- Backing layer: The solid foundation of your tile.
*Can vary between products.
What Does SPC Mean?
SPC stands for stone-plastic composite or stone-polymer composite. Both of these terms are used interchangeably. SPC is also referred to as rigid core flooring. That’s because the mixture of limestone powder and stabilizers in the core is ultra-dense and incredibly rigid. This core makes SPC vinyl more stable in a larger temperature range: no expansion and contraction here!
Types of SPC Vinyl Floors
SPC vinyl flooring comes in plank form and tile form. Discover what option best fits your style.
Planks
Planks work best for wood-look flooring. They’re the same size as real wood flooring planks, which adds another touch of realism to your floor. Some high-end rigid core vinyl planks even come with embossed wood grain patterns to give them a convincing feel.
Common plank sizes range from 5” to 9” in width. Our most popular sizes are 5” and 7” wide. Larger, wider planks can make even small spaces feel roomy.
Top-rated SPC vinyl plank products include:
- New Standard 2 Rigid Core Planks: This affordable plank flooring achieves a beautiful wood look that requires little to no maintenance.
- COREtec Pro Plus Rigid Core Vinyl Planks: Waterproof and highly durable planks that are perfect for installation in a variety of high-moisture or high-traffic environments.
- Shaw Cross Sawn Pine Rigid Core HD Plus: These planks beautifully capture the popular country farmhouse style within the functionality of a rigid core product.
Tiles
Stone-look floors usually come in rectangular tiles, matching the typical shape of genuine stone floor tiles. If natural stone visuals are important to you, you can purchase SPC vinyl tiles with beveled edges to give your flooring even more realistic detail.
Commonly, SPC tiles measure 12” x 24”, making them great for spaces where a small, busy pattern could leave you feeling cramped.
Top-rated rigid core vinyl tile products include:
- COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced Rigidcore Tiles: These tiles are durable, attractive, and GREENGUARD GOLD Certified for indoor air quality. All 4 sides are finished with an enhanced painted bevel edge.
SPC Vinyl Flooring Applications
Where should you use rigid core vinyl flooring? Everywhere! Seriously, we mean it. Rigid core vinyl is one of the most versatile flooring options out there.
Since it’s so durable, and waterproof as well, rigid core vinyl can be installed anywhere.
Residential
Install SPC vinyl planks or tiles in any room of the house and then let yourself switch to auto-pilot. Rigid core luxury vinyl planks are the ideal solution for a low-maintenance floor.
A thick enough wear layer prevents stains, gauges, and scratches. Meanwhile, the SPC core ensures that spills aren’t going to damage your flooring.
Commercial
SPC vinyl is a great all-around flooring solution, but it really excels in heavy and light commercial spaces. It’s both durable and cost effective, so the initial investment is manageable, and you know you won’t need to replace it for a very long time.
The thin, rigid core is going to hold up wherever you put it: grocery stores, restaurants, and even offices. Paired with the fact that it’s waterproof, this flooring is a dream for commercial spaces. Just make sure you buy an ultra-thick wear layer, and your SPC vinyl flooring will be good to go.
SPC Vinyl Flooring Looks
When it comes to choosing your flooring, it’s usually not wise to prioritize style over substance. If you make your decision based purely on looks, your beautiful floor might quickly be ruined by challenges it can’t handle. But you already know how tough SPC vinyl can be!
We’ve got the substance down. Let’s get into style.
Rigid core luxury vinyl offers the top styles, textures, and colors that are trending right now. With so many options, you’re certain to find one that’s perfect for you.
Wood-look SPC Vinyl
Wood-look vinyl is most common in planks, made to match the look of real hardwood flooring. As manufacturing technology continues to rapidly advance, wood-look floors become more and more convincing.
Stone-look SPC Vinyl
Stone-look vinyl offers the same natural beauty of genuine stone, but it’s much cheaper and easier to install. Even better, rigid core vinyl doesn’t require the maintenance that real stone floors demand.
SPC Vinyl Colors
You can find waterproof rigid core vinyl flooring offered in all the hottest colors for natural wood and stone. Dark colors like Mahogany and Espresso add a chic, warm vibe to the room. Find cool grays and whites to brighten any space.
Wood-look rigid core vinyl also comes in high variation styles to mimic the natural color variations you find in real wood planks. This dynamic look works just as well with rustic styles as it does with modern styles.
Tip: you can filter your search by color if shade is a determining factor!
SPC Vinyl Flooring Features
The word “luxury” gets thrown around a lot in the flooring world, and it means different things to different people. We want you to know how we define luxury vinyl, so you know what to expect from your flooring.
For us, a luxury vinyl product includes a durable floor with multiple layers, realistic 3D printing, a tough wear layer, and sometimes, a textured surface.
But wait, there’s more!
There are a few other features that come with some of our rigid core vinyl products that make them truly top-of-the line. Discover additional features available with rigid core vinyl.
Embossed: Some wood-look planks have an additional embossed wood grain layer on the surface. This detailed embossing gives your floor the feel of wood as well as the look.
Embossed in register: This is a step up from wood grain embossing. Registered embossing is designed to perfectly match the wood grain image underneath the wear layer. The texture actually follows the wood grain, so what you see is what you feel. It’s the most convincing wood-look flooring yet.
Attached Underlayment: Usually made of cork or foam, an attached underlayment saves you the trouble of purchasing your own. The underlayment softens your step, absorbs echoey sounds, and helps to even out slightly imperfect subfloors.
Beveled Edging: This features creates a groove between each plank and tile by softening the edges at the surface of the floor. When your flooring is beveled at the edges, each tile and plank has definition. This effect creates a more realistic natural look for your flooring.
SPC Vinyl Flooring Installation
Rigid core vinyl is an interlocking or floating floor, a style that mimics traditional click-together laminate floor. Homeowners love interlocking flooring because it’s so incredibly easy to install. You can achieve a professional look and feel without calling in the experts.
To install these floating floors, simply click and lock your tiles or planks together. Each product comes with specific manufacturer instructions to lead you to success.
Installation Costs
Maybe a DIY installation just isn’t for you. That’s okay! A contractor can help you out with that. The cost of installation depends on a few factors, including the size of the room and the type of rigid core vinyl you’re installing.
Here’s an estimate of what you’ll pay*:
| Cost of 1000 sqft Vinyl Plank Flooring | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Vinyl Plank | $990.00 | $2990.00 | $4990.00 |
| Cost of Installation (15hrs) | $925.00 | $1213.00 | $1501.00 |
| Total Cost | $1915.00 | $4203.00 | $6491.00 |
| Cost of 1000 sqft Vinyl Tile Flooring | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Vinyl Tile | $610.00 | $3300.00 | $5990.00 |
| Cost of Installation (15hrs) | $925.00 | $1213.00 | $1501.00 |
| Total Cost | $1535.00 | $4513.00 | $7491.00 |
*Pricing and installation costs will vary by location and installation space
SPC Vinyl Thickness and Wear Layers
Once upon a time, the thickness of a vinyl plank was a pretty decent indicator of its durability. No longer! Rigid core vinyl happens to be some of the thinnest and most durable flooring you can find.
You already know the SPC core is going to keep your rigid core tiles or planks waterproof and durable. The interior of your plank is good to go. To determine how the plank’s surface is going to hold up, you need to consider the wear layer.
The thicker the wear layer, the better your flooring will resist scratching and scuffing. I’m happy to tell you that all of our SPC floors come with wear layers more than thick enough to use in your home. Beyond that, the wear layer thickness you need depends on how you use your floor.
Wear layer options for SPC vinyl:
- 12MIL This is the standard for home use. If you have a super crazy house with a ton of traffic going on, the 12MIL will give your SPC vinyl floor a little extra security.
- 20MIL Perfect for commercial use. 20MIL wear layers will keep even the busiest commercial space lookin’ good.
- 28MIL The best of the best. Flooring with a 28MIL wear layer is approved for heavy commercial foot traffic.
Why SPC Vinyl?
There are so many factors that make spc flooring exceptional. It’s not just the fully waterproof core, it’s also the high quality image and thick wear layer. All this equals up to one tough and beautiful vinyl flooring.
For realistic looks, durability, and the best in stain and scratch protection, rigid core luxury vinyl flooring is where it’s at. SPC flooring is high traffic and commercially rated, so it can stand up to just about anything.
Lucky for you, SPC floors can be installed basically anywhere: in offices, homes, commercial spaces and other high traffic areas. Here are some other great benefits:
- It’s 100% Waterproof
- Perfect for Imperfect Subfloors
- Realistic Wood and Stone Looks
- Zero Maintenance
- Easy Installation
SPC Vinyl Flooring Reviews
Curious to know why SPC vinyl is so popular? See what customers are saying about it:
"We ordered Duxbury Oak to install in our home for a remodel. Installed in kitchen, living room and bedrooms. Beautiful floor and was easy to install according to our contractor.
A sample was ordered first and it exceeded our expectations. We have five dogs and trust me when I tell you it is a tough floor and certainly waterproof.”
“We absolutely love our new floor; so much we’ve decided to carry it into our pantry and laundry area as well. I look forward to talking to your friendly customer service staff soon.”
“I hired a handyman with the installation and was able to complete the project in three days. The floor looks great and we are very satisfied with the product.”