Aesthetics play an important role when you're thinking about your commercial space, but how the product performs for the life of the floor should be a major consideration. In most cases you want your floor to look good for a long time. .
In addition to the length of time you want to keep the floor, it's important to think about the amount of traffic in the space. These two things lead to your performance characteristics, which are typically specified in the wear layer.
The key consideration for selecting a commercial LVT product is the transparent wear layer. If it is damaged or worn off, there is no easy way to replace it or refinish the underlying design.
While you might be tempted by the lower price of thinner, 3- and 6-mil wear layer products, the downside is their performance. Investing in a superior product reduces overall life-cycle costs by extending wear life and reducing the need for costly, time-consuming repairs or replacements.
At a minimum, choose a 20-mil wear layer product for satisfactory commercial performance. If you’re looking for optimum durability plus the lowest overall life-cycle costs, consider a thicker wear layer, especially for areas with heavy foot traffic.