Customers often ask us for the thickest LVT we can get, on the reasonable assumption that thicker means tougher. It rarely works that way. A vinyl plank has two measurements that matter, the overall thickness of the plank and the depth of the clear protective coat on top, and they do completely different jobs. This page explains what each number means, how they interact with your subfloor and door heights, and what we specify in different rooms when we fit LVT across Sidcup, Bexley, Dartford, Greenwich and the rest of South East London and Kent.
Overall thickness: feel, format and tolerance
Overall thickness is mostly a clue to what kind of product you are looking at. Flexible glue-down planks are thin, usually somewhere between 2mm and 3mm, and they are bonded straight to a prepared subfloor. Rigid click planks with a stone composite core are thicker, typically 4mm to 6mm, because the core has to be stiff enough to hold a locking joint.
That extra body changes how the floor behaves rather than how long it survives. A thicker rigid plank bridges small hollows better, feels more solid underfoot and can go down over a thin foam underlay. A thin glue-down plank follows the surface underneath exactly, which is why it looks so crisp on a perfect base and so disappointing on a poor one.
- 2mm to 3mm: flexible glue-down LVT, needs a very flat base
- 4mm to 6mm: rigid click (SPC), more forgiving of minor unevenness
- Thickness alone says very little about how long the surface will stay looking new
The wear layer is the lifespan figure
Above the printed pattern sits a transparent coat measured in fractions of a millimetre. That coat takes every scuff, grit particle and dragged chair leg, so its depth is the best single predictor of how long the pattern survives. When it wears through in a walkway, the floor is finished, however thick the plank underneath may be.
The three figures you will meet most are 0.3mm, 0.55mm and 0.7mm. On the site we describe 0.3mm as a light domestic grade, suitable for a spare room; 0.55mm as the sensible standard for kitchens, halls and family living spaces; and 0.7mm as commercial grade. Our domestic lifespan guide is roughly 10 to 15 years at 0.3mm, 15 to 20 years at 0.55mm and 20 to 25 years at 0.7mm, given mats at the doors and grit kept off the surface.
This is why a chunky plank advertised only by its total depth deserves suspicion. A 5mm board carrying a 0.2mm coat will show traffic lanes within a few years, while a 2mm glue-down plank with 0.55mm on top will still look fresh long after.
What we specify room by room
Our default for hallways, kitchens, bathrooms and main living areas is glue-down LVT with at least a 0.55mm wear layer. Those are the rooms that see outdoor grit, dropped pans and daily cleaning, and the extra depth is what keeps them looking right.
A quiet upstairs bedroom can justify a lighter specification if budget is tight, though the saving is small once fitting and preparation are counted. Rentals, offices, salons and shops are where we move up to commercial wear layers, because a thin domestic coat is the first thing to fail under heavy turnover.
Where water is involved, the joint matters as much as the wear layer. Click planks are waterproof individually, but water can pass between them, so bathrooms and wet areas get glue-down LVT or sheet vinyl instead.
- Hall, kitchen, living room, bathroom: glue-down, 0.55mm or more
- Low-use bedroom: 0.3mm is acceptable, 0.55mm is better value over time
- Rentals and commercial floors: commercial grade, around 0.7mm
Thickness, preparation and your door heights
The plank is only part of the finished height. A thin glue-down floor on a 6mm plywood overlay can add 8mm to 10mm in total, and a levelling compound on concrete adds a little more. Doors, thresholds, kitchen plinths and the bottom riser of the stairs all need checking against that figure before fitting day.
Thin planks also set the subfloor standard. Glue-down LVT wants no more than 3mm of deviation under a 2 metre straightedge, while rigid click products tolerate about 5mm. If your floor is somewhere in between, the choice of plank thickness can decide how much preparation the job needs.
What the extra millimetres cost
Our published starting price for LVT is 45 pounds per square metre supplied and fitted. Across the ranges we fit, a good click SPC typically sits around 35 to 55 pounds per square metre fitted and glue-down LVT with a thick wear layer around 45 to 75 pounds, with preparation priced separately from 12 pounds per square metre where it is needed.
Moving up a wear layer grade usually adds only a few pounds per square metre. Spread over the extra years of life it buys, that is almost always the better buy in any room you walk through every day. We bring samples to your home so you can compare grades side by side under your own lighting.
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Frequently asked questions
Is thicker LVT better?
Not necessarily. Overall thickness mainly tells you whether a plank is flexible glue-down or rigid click. The wear layer, the clear coat on top, is what decides how long the floor looks good.
What wear layer should I choose for a kitchen?
We recommend 0.55mm or more for kitchens, hallways and family living areas, glued down so it stays stable and the joints stay tight.
Is a 0.3mm wear layer any good?
It is a light domestic grade that suits a low-traffic room such as a spare bedroom. In busy rooms and rentals it is the first specification to show wear.
How much height does LVT add?
The plank itself is 2mm to 6mm depending on type. With a plywood overlay the total build-up is often 8mm to 10mm, so doors and thresholds are checked before fitting.