Gluedown, LooseLay and rigid core explained
For design flooring that is easy to maintain, durable and still stylish, luxury vinyl is the way to go. But there are still options to explore within luxury vinyl flooring. Leading suppliers such as Karndean offer 3 different variation of fitting styles such as: gluedown, LooseLay and rigid core. Which is right for you? Let’s find out.
Installation
Gluedown luxury vinyl flooring is the most involved when it comes to installation, so it’s recommended that you get in the professionals. Individual tiles or planks are glued down using a special adhesive, with no need to factor in room for expansion.
LooseLay and rigid core luxury vinyl flooring are preferable if you want to get into some DIY as the installation is quick and easy. Karndean Korlok is a rigid core product that uses a 5G click locking mechanism, You won’t need any adhesive, simply click your tiles or planks into place; the 5G system means you’ll hear a slight click when the tiles are correctly placed. You will need to factor in room for expansion.
LooseLay also does away with the need for adhesive but rather than a click lock mechanism the tiles or planks secure themselves to the floor using K-wave friction backing. With stable dimensions, there is no need to leave room for expansion however humid the room gets.
Noise transfer
When it comes to reducing the noise from footfall or other activity, Korlok rigid core wins out over gluedown and even LooseLay, with the ability to reduce noise transfer by up to 19dB. LooseLay still fairs quite well, with a reduction in noise transfer of up to 13dB.
Hard floors
If you have existing hard floors, in most cases LooseLay and rigid core will install over them with ease. For larger floor areas, LooseLay requires the use of tackifier, so if preserving your existing flooring is a top priority, Korlok rigid core flooring is the way to go and what’s more, this flooring can effectively hide any minor imperfections in your existing flooring.
Whichever type of luxury vinyl flooring you pick, whether you go for Korlok’s rigid core technology or classic gluedown luxury vinyl, Karndean’s design flooring products are all completely waterproof, compatible with underfloor heating and come with a lifetime guarantee. So whether your home is full with kids tramping in mud, pets scuffing up the floors or it’s just the daily spills, wear and tear that you’re worried about, your luxury vinyl flooring can handle it and still look great.
