Installation guides — Page 2
A miscalculation is expensive in both directions. Order too little and you have to top up from another batch, where the shade will not match. Order too much and the money sits in your storeroom. Here is how to get the figure right.
Step 1. The area
Measure to the maximum dimensions, including alcoves, bay windows and door openings. Openings do count: the flooring runs into them.
Break a complex shape into rectangles and add them up.
Nothing that merely stands on the floor and can be moved is deducted from the area. Only structural elements are deducted: columns, service shafts and built-in ducts.
For a van or campervan this calculation changes: wheel arches and curved edges make the cutting plan trickier. We cover it in detail in «how much flooring a van needs».
Step 2. Cutting allowance
This is not a "just in case" figure but a calculated one: some of the material inevitably ends up as offcuts.
| Layout | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Straight, simple rectangular room | 5% |
| Straight, complex-shaped room or many openings | 7–8% |
| 45° diagonal | 10–12% |
| Herringbone, chevron | 12–15% |
| Sheet vinyl, room wider than 2 m | 8–10% |
| Sheet vinyl with a directional pattern | 10–15% |
Add 2–3 m² on top of the calculation to keep in storage. Years later, if the floor is damaged in one spot, that reserve is the difference between replacing a single plank and relaying the whole room: a batch shade is never repeated.
Step 3. Converting to packs
The material is sold in packs, not by the metre. Always round up.
Our packs:
| Material | Per pack | Area | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| LVT 2.0 mm, class 32 | 18 planks | 2.835 m² | 8.56 kg |
| LVT 2.5 mm, class 33 | 14 planks | 2.205 m² | 8.75 kg |
Plank size 150 × 1050 mm.
Formula: (area × allowance factor) ÷ pack area, rounded up.
Worked examples for planks
Living room 4 × 5 m, straight layout, LVT 2 mm
- Area: 20 m²
- 5% allowance: 21 m²
- Packs: 21 ÷ 2.835 = 7.4 → 8 packs (22.68 m²)
- The 1.68 m² left over is exactly the reserve for the storeroom
Flat of 90 m², straight layout, LVT 2 mm
- 5% allowance: 94.5 m²
- Packs: 94.5 ÷ 2.835 = 33.3 → 34 packs (96.4 m²)
Living room 30 m², herringbone, LVT 2.5 mm
- 13% allowance: 33.9 m²
- Packs: 33.9 ÷ 2.205 = 15.4 → 16 packs (35.3 m²)
Over 30 m², the difference between a straight layout and herringbone is about 2 packs. Worth factoring in before you settle on the pattern.
Calculating sheet vinyl
Here you work out not the area but the sheet layout, and that is what drives the waste.
Our roll: 2 m wide, 30 linear metres long, 60 m² of flooring.
Procedure:
- Decide which way the sheets will run. Usually along the longer wall — that means fewer seams.
- Number of sheets = room width ÷ 2 m, rounded up.
- Length of each sheet = room length + 10–20 cm for fitting.
- Total length = number of sheets × sheet length.
- Area = total length × 2 m.
An example where direction decides everything. A room of 5 × 8 m, net area 40 m².
Option A — sheets running along the eight-metre side: 5 ÷ 2 = 2.5 → 3 sheets of 8.2 m = 24.6 linear m = 49.2 m²
Option B — sheets running along the five-metre side: 8 ÷ 2 = 4 sheets of 5.2 m = 20.8 linear m = 41.6 m²
The difference is 7.6 m², close to €100 at a price of €12.99/m². Option B, however, has more seams (3 against 2), which matters if they have to be heat-welded.
The takeaway: work out the layout before ordering, weighing material consumption against the number of seams.
Welding rod
Needed for sheet vinyl in wet areas and hygiene-critical spaces.
Calculation: the total length of all seams + the room perimeter if the flooring is coved up the wall.
Example: a 100 m² hall, sheets 2 m wide and 10 m long → 5 sheets, 4 seams of 10 m = 40 linear m. Plus the perimeter where a coved skirting is used.
The rod: €0.99 per linear metre, 90 m coil.
Skirting and profiles
Skirting: room perimeter − width of door openings + 10% for cuts and corners. A 90 m² flat usually works out at around 75 linear metres.
Profiles: according to the number of door openings and transitions to other floor coverings.
Adhesive and primer
Adhesive: 0.3–0.4 kg/m². For 90 m², about 32 kg. Primer: 0.1–0.2 kg/m² on absorbent substrates, 0.2–0.35 kg/m² on ceramic. Self-levelling compound, where required: 1.5–1.7 kg/m² per millimetre of thickness.
More detail in the article on ancillary materials.
Five calculation mistakes
- Working from the net area with no allowance. You are guaranteed to run short.
- Ignoring the layout. Herringbone eats 8–10% more than a straight layout.
- Not working out the sheet layout for a roll. Up to 20% wasted for no reason at all.
- Rounding packs down. Nobody sells half a pack.
- Not setting aside a repair reserve. The batch shade will not come back.
If you would rather not do the maths
Send us the room dimensions, the layout type and the material you have chosen — we will calculate the number of packs or linear metres, find the best sheet direction and give you a material quote.
Prices and specifications: glue-down LVT, sheet vinyl, welding rod.
FAQ
How many square metres are there in a pack of vinyl flooring? 2.835 m² in a 2 mm LVT pack (18 planks) and 2.205 m² in a 2.5 mm pack (14 planks).
How many metres are there in a roll? 30 linear metres at a width of 2 m, that is 60 m² of flooring.
What allowance should I plan for? 5% for a straight layout, 10–12% for a diagonal, 12–15% for herringbone. Plus 2–3 m² for future repairs.
Can I buy the roll cut to length? Yes, by the linear metre. Each linear metre gives 2 m² of flooring. Send us the room dimensions and we will work out the layout.
Do door openings count? Yes, the flooring runs into them. Only structural elements are deducted from the area.
What if I run out of material? Top up from the same batch while it is still available. A different batch will differ in shade — which is why the allowance is planned from the start.
A miscalculation is expensive in both directions. Order too little and you have to top up from another batch, where the shade will not match. Order too much and the money sits in your storeroom. Here is how to get the figure right.
For the last few years Spanish flooring shops have mostly sold click SPC: click-click, done, no adhesive involved. Glue-down vinyl, meanwhile, has been pushed into a corner — as if it were that cheap self-adhesive tile for a rented flat.
The reality is different. Glue-down and click vinyl are not "the cheap one and the expensive one"; they are two different engineering solutions for different jobs. Let's compare them point by point and see where each one works.
In short: what the fundamental difference is
Click SPC is installed as a floating floor: the planks lock into each other and rest freely on the subfloor without being fixed to it. The whole floor is a single slab that "breathes" freely and needs an expansion gap around the entire perimeter of the room.
Glue-down LVT is bonded to the subfloor across its full area. Every plank is fixed in place. The floor is not a separate slab — it becomes part of the subfloor.
Everything else follows from that difference.
1. Stability and large areas
A floating floor expands and contracts as a whole with temperature swings. The larger the uninterrupted area, the greater the cumulative movement. That is why SPC manufacturers limit the continuous installation area — typically to around 100–150 m², beyond which a separation profile is required. Doorways need a profile too.
Glue-down flooring has no such limits. A bonded plank does not move. A 400 m² hall is laid as a single field, without a single threshold strip and without breaks in the pattern.
Conclusion: for large open spaces — an office, a showroom, a sales floor, an open-plan living room and kitchen — the glue-down option wins outright.
2. Sun and full-height glazing
This is a sore point specific to the Spanish market. A room with large south-facing glazing: on a summer day the floor surface temperature easily reaches 45–50 °C.
A floating floor behaves predictably badly in that situation: it expands, runs into the gap and, once the gap is used up, it buckles or the joints pull apart. Local overheating under a patch of direct sunlight creates uneven stress across the whole field.
Glue-down LVT planks are held by the adhesive layer and physically cannot shift. The demands on the adhesive are higher — you need a formulation rated for thermal load — but the problem is solved when the adhesive is chosen, not after the floor is down.
3. Height and renovation without demolition
Click SPC is 4–5 mm plus another 1–1.5 mm of underlay. Around 6 mm in total. In a renovation over existing tiles that means a step at the entrance, trimming the internal doors and transition profiles to the adjoining rooms.
Glue-down LVT at 2 mm thick adds exactly 2 mm. Doors stay where they are in most cases, there are no thresholds, and junctions with other floor coverings are resolved without steps. For residential renovation in Spain, where ceramic tile is almost everywhere, this is the decisive argument — we covered it in detail in the article on installing vinyl over existing tiles.
4. Repairability
Here the glue-down option wins by a wide margin, even though intuition suggests otherwise.
Say one plank in the middle of the room is damaged. In a floating floor you have to unclick everything from the wall to the damaged spot and then reassemble it, with the risk of damaging the joints during dismantling.
In a bonded floor the damaged plank is warmed, lifted, the subfloor is cleaned and a new plank goes in. Half an hour's work, with the neighbouring planks untouched. That is exactly why high-traffic projects, where point damage is inevitable, are specified with glue-down installation and spare material from the same batch.
5. Underfloor heating
A bonded floor transfers heat more efficiently: there is no air gap and no underlay, which by definition acts as a thermal insulator. Warm-up is faster, heat losses are lower, and so is the heating bill.
Floating installation over underfloor heating requires an underlay compatible with the system and still gives higher thermal resistance. On top of that, constant heating and cooling cycles are exactly the load under which a floating floor moves the most.
One limit applies to both types: the floor surface temperature must not exceed 27 °C.
6. Acoustics and underfoot feel
Here SPC honestly wins. A floating floor with an underlay is softer underfoot and does more to damp impact sound for the neighbours below.
A bonded floor is rigid — you feel the subfloor exactly as it is. If there is a concrete slab underneath, footsteps will sound hard. This is solved with an acoustic underlay beneath the adhesive or with a self-levelling compound with acoustic properties — but that is an extra line in the budget and has to be planned for in advance.
7. Subfloor requirements
Glue-down installation is demanding: the subfloor must be flat (no more than 2 mm deviation under a 2-metre straightedge), dry (residual moisture below 2 % by the CM method for cement screeds), sound and dust-free. A 2 mm plank follows the profile of the subfloor — any unevenness or grain of grit will show through on the surface.
SPC, thanks to its rigidity and underlay, forgives minor subfloor flaws. That is its main practical advantage.
There is a caveat, though: deviations beyond the permissible limits are not forgiven by a floating floor either — you simply get joints pulling apart instead of a cosmetic defect.
8. Cost: it has to be calculated differently
Material price per square metre is not the figure to base the decision on. You have to cost the whole job:
| Item | Glue-down LVT | Click SPC |
|---|---|---|
| Material | lower | higher |
| Underlay | not needed | mandatory |
| Subfloor preparation | higher (levelling mandatory) | lower |
| Adhesive | needed | not needed |
| Installer's labour | higher | lower |
| Profiles and threshold strips | practically not needed | needed at doorways and on large areas |
| Trimming doors | usually not needed | often needed |
The bottom line depends on the state of the subfloor. A flat subfloor: glue-down comes out cheaper on the total budget. An uneven subfloor: SPC.
Summary table
| Parameter | Glue-down LVT | Click SPC |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 2–2.5 mm | 5–6 mm with underlay |
| Uninterrupted area | unlimited | 100–150 m² |
| Expansion gaps | not needed | mandatory around the perimeter |
| Resistance to sunlight | high | medium |
| Underfloor heating | optimal | acceptable |
| Replacing a single plank | easy | difficult |
| Subfloor requirements | high | moderate |
| Impact sound | needs addressing | better |
| DIY installation | not recommended | realistic |
| Renovation over tiles | no build-up in level | +6 mm |
Who should choose what
Glue-down LVT is your option if: the area is large or the layout is open-plan; there is plenty of light and direct sun; underfloor heating is installed; it is a renovation over tiles and height is critical; the project is commercial and repairability matters; you need a result that lasts 15 years or more. In other words, in practically any case where the floor is being done seriously and for the long term.
Click SPC is worth considering if you are installing it yourself without experience, if the subfloor is uneven and you do not plan to level it, or if the floor is being laid temporarily in rented accommodation. We do not supply that product — we work only with glue-down floor coverings, because they are the ones that deliver a predictable result over the long run.
If you are unsure which scenario your project falls into, send us the room dimensions and the subfloor type and we will advise without any hard sell.
The use class, meanwhile, is chosen separately and does not depend on the installation method — how to read the marking is explained in the article on classes 32, 33 and 34. For high-traffic areas with wet processes it makes sense to look not at planks but at commercial sheet vinyl with welded seams.
You can view decors and specifications in the catalogue of 2 and 2.5 mm glue-down LVT — the wear layer and use class are listed for each item.
In a campervan or van conversion the rules change: what matters there isn't floor area or wet processes but weight, thickness and temperature swings — covered separately: glued or floating flooring in a campervan.
FAQ
Is glue-down vinyl the same as the self-adhesive tile from the DIY superstore? No. Self-adhesive tile has a factory adhesive layer under a release film and is designed for temporary use. Professional glue-down LVT is installed with a specialised adhesive applied with a notched trowel and is designed to last decades.
Can glue-down LVT be installed by yourself? Technically yes, but subfloor preparation and working within the adhesive's open time take experience. A mistake in glue-down installation, unlike click, cannot be redone — the plank has to be lifted and the subfloor cleaned off.
How soon can you walk on the floor after installation? It depends on the adhesive. As a rule, light foot traffic after 24 hours; full load and furniture placement after 48–72 hours.
Can a glue-down floor be taken up? Yes, but not for reuse. Planks are lifted with heat and adhesive residue is removed mechanically or with solvent.
Which one handles water better? Both coverings are waterproof in themselves. The difference is in the joints: in a bonded floor water does not get under the plank, whereas in a floating floor it can get into the joint and under the underlay. For bathrooms and kitchens the glue-down option is the safer one.
For the last few years Spanish flooring shops have mostly sold click SPC: click-click, done, no adhesive involved. Glue-down vinyl, meanwhile, has been pushed into a corner — as if it were that cheap self-adhesive tile for a rented flat.
Two products on the shelf: one 4 mm, the other 2 mm. Common sense says take the first — thicker means tougher. With vinyl flooring that logic breaks down, and the difference in service life can be twofold in favour of the thin one.
What a vinyl plank is made of
From top to bottom:
- Polyurethane lacquer (PU) — protection against scratches and dirt, makes cleaning easier. A fraction of a millimetre.
- Wear layer — clear PVC. This is what determines how long the floor lasts.
- Decorative film — the wood, stone or concrete pattern.
- PVC core layer — the bulk of the material and its rigidity.
- Backing (balancing) layer — stability and protection against curling.
In click SPC, a rigid stone-polymer core and, as a rule, an underlay bonded to the bottom are added between layers 4 and 5 — that is where the 4–5 mm of thickness comes from.
What actually wears out
Only the wear layer. Once it is gone, the decorative film is exposed and the floor is visually finished — no matter how many millimetres are left underneath.
That is why "what thickness?" is the wrong question. The right one is "what wear layer?".
Head-to-head comparison
| Product A | Product B | |
|---|---|---|
| Total thickness | 4.0 mm | 2.0 mm |
| Wear layer | 0.15 mm | 0.30 mm |
| Use class | 23 (residential) | 32 (commercial) |
| Type | click SPC | glue-down LVT |
| Service life in a flat | 7–10 years | 15–20 years |
Thickness is twice as high for the first product; service life is twice as long for the second. That is exactly how it works in practice.
What total thickness is responsible for
Not for wear — but not for nothing either:
Underfoot comfort. A thicker covering feels softer. A 2 mm glue-down floor transmits the feel of the subfloor as it is.
Resistance to point indentation. A table leg, a stiletto heel, a shelving unit's foot. This is assessed by residual indentation (EN 433), and here the mass of material helps.
Locking-joint strength — for click products only. A thin joint breaks during installation and works loose over time.
Tolerance to an uneven subfloor. A thick, rigid covering bridges minor defects. A 2 mm plank copies the subfloor exactly — which is why flatness requirements are higher.
Floor height. 2 mm does not call for trimming the doors; 5–6 mm with an underlay almost always does.
If the flooring goes into a campervan, thickness and composition translate directly into kilograms — and with the 3,500 kg MTPLM limit, every kilogram counts, as we cover in the article on campervan floor weight.
Table: wear layer → application
| Wear layer | Use class | Where to use it | Indicative service life |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.10–0.15 mm | 21–23 | bedroom, dressing room, rented housing | 5–8 years |
| 0.20–0.25 mm | 23–31 | living room, single-person office | 8–12 years |
| 0.30 mm | 32 | an entire flat, office, reception area | 15–20 years |
| 0.40 mm | 33 | entrance hall, kitchen, corridor, retail, bar | 20+ years |
| 0.55–0.70 mm | 34 | supermarket, station, clinic, hospital corridor | 20+ years under heavy traffic |
Classification by intensity of use is set out in EN ISO 10874 (formerly EN 685). The first digit is the type of premises: 2 residential, 3 commercial, 4 industrial. The second is the intensity: 1 moderate, 2 general, 3 heavy, 4 very heavy.
Important: class 32 covers residential use in full. A material certified for an office simply will not wear out in a flat — domestic loading is well below the design figure.
What else to look at besides thickness
Use class and wear layer only account for wear. The full minimum set of characteristics:
- Abrasion (EN 660-2): group T is the most resistant and is required for commercial floors;
- Residual indentation (EN 433): the lower the better it holds up under point loads;
- Castor chair resistance (EN 425): critical for offices with wheeled chairs;
- Dimensional stability (EN 434): for sunlit rooms and underfloor heating;
- Reaction to fire: Bfl-s1 is mandatory in public buildings;
- Emissions: E1.
If a supplier quotes only the total thickness and cannot show these figures, they either do not know the product or have something to hide.
Our products
| Product | Thickness | Wear layer | Use class | Weight per m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glue-down LVT, plank | 2.0 mm | 0.3 mm | 32 | 3.08 kg |
| Glue-down LVT, plank | 2.5 mm | 0.4 mm | 33 | 3.88 kg |
| Sheet vinyl | 2.0 mm | 0.3 mm | 32 | 1.45 kg |
All products are Bfl-s1, E1 emissions, supplied with a declaration of performance and CE marking. Plank size 150 × 1050 mm.
How to choose in a minute
Bedroom, living room, study — 2 mm, 0.3 mm wear layer, class 32. With margin to spare.
Entrance hall, kitchen, corridor — 2.5 mm, 0.4 mm wear layer, class 33. Foot traffic here is several times higher.
A whole flat in one material — 2 mm, class 32. The difference in loading between rooms is not big enough to complicate the project.
Office, showroom, small shop — 2.5 mm class 33 in circulation areas, 2 mm class 32 in work areas.
High-traffic retail, hospitality, gym — 2.5 mm class 33, or move to sheet vinyl with welded seams.
A refurbishment over existing tiles where height matters — 2 mm, question closed.
On keeping a reserve
Separately from thickness: buy 2–3 m² over the calculated quantity and put it away in storage. Batch shade is never repeated exactly. Five years on, with localised damage, that is the difference between replacing a single plank and relaying the whole room.
FAQ
What vinyl flooring thickness is best for a flat? 2 mm with a 0.3 mm wear layer and class 32 covers every residential area. For the entrance hall and kitchen, 2.5 mm class 33 makes more sense.
Which matters more — thickness or wear layer? The wear layer. It determines how long the floor will last. Thickness affects comfort, indentation resistance and floor height.
Why is click SPC thicker? Because of the rigid stone-polymer core and the underlay. Both are needed for the locking joint and floating installation, and have nothing to do with wear resistance.
Is class 32 suitable for commercial use? For an office, a consulting room and a small shop — yes. Circulation areas, retail and catering need class 33; very heavy traffic needs 34.
How do I verify the declared class? Ask for the declaration of performance and the CE marking. A class stated only in a catalogue is backed by nothing.
How long does a vinyl floor last? With a 0.3 mm wear layer in a flat, 15–20 years; with 0.4 mm, over 20. Provided it is installed and maintained correctly.
By the way, thickness is not the only selection criterion: we compare glue-down LVT with click SPC in this article.
If you need flooring for warehouses or industrial units, see industrial vinyl flooring for warehouses, where we explain what thickness and wear class that kind of floor requires.
Two products on the shelf: one 4 mm, the other 2 mm. Common sense says take the first — thicker means tougher. With vinyl flooring that logic breaks down, and the difference in service life can be twofold in favour of the thin one.
The flooring itself is roughly 60 % of the budget. The rest goes on consumables — the ones people remember at the last minute, once the material has already been delivered. Here is the full list, with consumption per square metre.
Adhesive
Which one you need
Vinyl floor coverings are laid with a water-based dispersion adhesive formulated specifically for PVC. General-purpose construction adhesives, "liquid nails" and tile adhesive will not do: they have a different elasticity and behave differently under load.
The main types:
| Adhesive type | When it is used |
|---|---|
| Universal dispersion | standard installation in homes and offices, absorbent subfloor |
| Dispersion with high initial grab | large areas, working single-handed, laying over a non-absorbent subfloor |
| Tackifier (semi-permanent) | liftable floors, temporary solutions, carpet tiles. Not recommended for LVT in homes |
| Two-component polyurethane | rooms with permanent moisture, high temperatures, direct sun, underfloor heating |
| Special grade for sun-exposed rooms | full-height south-facing glazing, surface heating above 40 °C |
In Valencia that last line is not theoretical: in a room with large south-facing glazing the floor reaches 45–50 °C in summer, and an ordinary dispersion adhesive is not designed for that regime.
How much you need
Consumption depends on the trowel notch size stated in the adhesive's data sheet:
| Trowel notch | Consumption | Application |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | 0.25–0.30 kg/m² | smooth subfloor, thin planks |
| A3 / B1 | 0.30–0.40 kg/m² | standard for LVT and sheet vinyl |
| B2 | 0.40–0.50 kg/m² | rough subfloor, heavy covering |
A worked example. A 90 m² flat at 0.35 kg/m² → 31.5 kg. Buy a 20 kg tub plus a 14 kg tub, leaving a small margin.
An opened container does not keep well, so there is no point over-ordering "just in case".
Open time
The key parameter, and the one most often responsible for a ruined installation. It is the interval between spreading the adhesive and the moment the covering has to go down.
Lay too early, into wet adhesive, and the covering will slide and the adhesive will squeeze up through the seams. Lay too late, into skinned-over adhesive, and there will be no bond.
Data sheets usually give 10–20 minutes at 20 °C. In hot weather that time halves. The test is simple: the adhesive should string out behind your finger without staining it.
When vinyl goes down in a van or campervan rather than a home, vibration and temperature swings add to the open-time challenge — see which adhesive holds vinyl flooring in a van under heat and vibration.
Primer
Always mandatory. The type is chosen to suit the subfloor:
| Subfloor | Primer | Consumption |
|---|---|---|
| Cement screed, concrete | deep-penetrating, for absorbent substrates | 0.10–0.20 kg/m² |
| Ceramic, porcelain stoneware, terrazzo | epoxy or polyurethane for non-absorbent substrates, often with quartz sand | 0.20–0.35 kg/m² |
| Anhydrite screed | dedicated product, as specified by the screed manufacturer | 0.15–0.25 kg/m² |
| Existing PVC floor covering | to suit the surface type, after degreasing | 0.15 kg/m² |
The primer does two jobs: it binds dust and creates a surface the adhesive can key into. On ceramic tiles, skip it and the floor will go down looking fine and lift within six months — the most expensive saving in the whole project.
Levelling compounds
Needed if the subfloor fails the flatness check (tolerance: 2 mm under a two-metre straightedge).
| Material | When | Consumption |
|---|---|---|
| Repair mortar | isolated cracks, pits, tile joints | as required |
| Self-levelling compound, 2–3 mm | general unevenness, wide tile joints, large-format porcelain | 1.5–1.7 kg/m² per 1 mm of thickness |
Calculation: 90 m² at 2 mm → 90 × 2 × 1.6 ≈ 288 kg, i.e. 12 bags of 25 kg.
Skirting
What to choose
| Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| PVC | moisture-resistant, cheap, built-in cable channel | plainer appearance |
| Foil-wrapped MDF | better appearance, wide choice of decors | not water-tolerant, unsuitable for bathrooms |
| Duropolymer | moisture-resistant, paintable, looks like MDF | more expensive |
| Aluminium | contemporary look, concealed fixing | expensive |
| Coved (sanitary) | sealed perimeter, no internal corner | sheet vinyl only, utilitarian look |
For bathrooms and kitchens: PVC or duropolymer. For living rooms and bedrooms: MDF or duropolymer. For commercial premises with wet processes: coved skirting only.
The rule that is broken most often
Skirting is fixed to the wall, not to the floor. Screwed down into the covering, it pins the material and causes it to buckle.
How much to allow
The room perimeter minus the width of the door openings, plus 10 % for cuts and corners.
For a 90 m² flat the perimeter usually works out at around 75 linear metres.
Profiles and thresholds
At a covering thickness of 2 mm they are rarely needed, but there are three cases where they are:
- transition to a different floor covering — a flat joint profile;
- door openings between rooms with different decors — optional, not technically required;
- the edge of a step or platform — an L-shaped profile with an anti-slip insert.
Welding rod
Sheet vinyl only. Mandatory in kitchens, washrooms, healthcare and warehouse premises.
Calculation: the length of all seams + the perimeter. With a 2 m wide roll, a 100 m² hall works out at roughly 50 linear metres of seam.
The welding rod is matched to the colour of the covering — welded carefully, the seam is all but invisible. Price 0.99 €/linear m, 90 m coil.
Acoustic underlay
A separate word on the "insulation under vinyl flooring" question.
Conventional underlay is not laid beneath a glue-down floor. The whole point of glue-down installation is that the covering is rigidly bonded to the subfloor; an underlay destroys that.
There are dedicated acoustic underlays for glue-down systems, 1–2 mm thick, which are bonded to the subfloor with the covering then bonded on top of them. They cut impact noise by 10–15 dB and are used in apartment blocks and open-plan offices. They cost appreciably more than ordinary underlay and require a compatible adhesive.
Thermal insulation under vinyl flooring is rarely needed in Spain, and over underfloor heating it is actively harmful: it reduces heat transfer.
Full shopping list: a 90 m² flat
| Item | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Floor covering | 94.5 m² (5 % margin) | 34 packs of 2 mm LVT |
| Primer | 20–30 kg | to suit the subfloor type |
| Repair mortar or self-levelling compound | as measured on site | routinely underestimated |
| PVC adhesive | 32 kg | A3/B1 notch |
| Skirting | 75 linear m + 10 % | to the wall, not the floor |
| Skirting corners and end caps | per number of corners | |
| Transition profiles | per number of openings | flat |
| Sanitary silicone | 2–3 cartridges | for wet areas |
| Felt pads for furniture | full set | from day one, not later |
Tools to hire: 50–68 kg pressure roller, moisture meter, industrial vacuum cleaner.
Where to buy it
We supply the floor covering and the welding rod. Buy the adhesive, primer and levelling compounds from a construction chemicals supplier — what matters is that the product is matched to your subfloor type and to the temperature regime of the room, rather than being "universal for everything".
If you need a full material take-off for your project, send us the area and the subfloor type and we will work it out.
Browse the catalogue: glue-down LVT, sheet vinyl, welding rod.
FAQ
What adhesive should I use for vinyl flooring? A dispersion adhesive for PVC floor coverings, selected to suit the subfloor. For sun-exposed rooms and underfloor heating, choose a grade with higher thermal resistance.
How much adhesive per square metre? 0.3–0.4 kg/m² with the standard A3/B1 trowel notch.
Can I use liquid nails? No. Construction adhesives have a different elasticity: the covering deforms and lifts.
Is primer really mandatory? Yes, always. On ceramic tiles the covering will lift within a year without it.
Which skirting for a bathroom? PVC or duropolymer. MDF swells in a damp room.
Does glue-down vinyl need an underlay? No. The exception is a dedicated acoustic underlay for glue-down systems, where impact noise has to be dealt with.
By the way, these materials (adhesive, primer, skirting) come into play during the installation itself — the step-by-step process is covered in this installation guide.
The flooring itself is roughly 60 % of the budget. The rest goes on consumables — the ones people remember at the last minute, once the material has already been delivered. Here is the full list, with consumption per square metre.
Search for "vinyl flooring price" and you get a spread of anything from 8 to 60 € per square metre. Let's look at what makes up that figure, which part of the budget usually stays off the radar and what a finished floor actually costs.
Material price: the real numbers
Our prices ex-warehouse in Valencia (excluding VAT):
| Material | Thickness | Wear layer | Class | Price per m² | Box / roll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glue-down LVT, plank | 2.0 mm | 0.3 mm | 32 | 14.99 € | 18 planks = 2.835 m² → 42.95 € |
| Glue-down LVT, plank | 2.5 mm | 0.4 mm | 33 | 17.99 € | 14 planks = 2.205 m² → 39.67 € |
| Commercial sheet vinyl, roll | 2.0 mm | 0.3 mm | 32 | 12.99 € | roll 2 × 30 m = 60 m² → 779.40 € |
| Welding rod | — | — | — | 0.99 € / linear m | 90 m coil → 89.10 € |
Every item is Bfl-s1, E1 emissions, supplied with a declaration of performance and CE marking.
For market context: mass-market click SPC in DIY superstores starts at 9–12 €/m² with a wear layer of 0.15–0.25 mm and class 23–31. Premium-brand LVT runs 35–60 €/m². Our range sits in the middle: commercial-grade class at a price close to the domestic segment, because we work directly with the manufacturer.
Why you can't compare prices head-on
Two quotes at 15 €/m² can differ twofold in service life.
What you need to compare is the cost per year of service. The maths is simple: price per m² divided by the expected service life.
| Material | Price per m² | Class / wear layer | Service life | Cost per m² per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superstore SPC | 11 € | 23 / 0.15 mm | 7 years | 1.57 € |
| LVT 2 mm | 14.99 € | 32 / 0.3 mm | 18 years | 0.83 € |
| LVT 2.5 mm | 17.99 € | 33 / 0.4 mm | 22 years | 0.82 € |
The more expensive material turns out to be half as expensive once you spread it over its service life — and that is before you factor in that re-laying the floor after seven years costs roughly as much as the first installation. How the classes break down and why the wear layer, not the overall thickness, is what matters is covered in the article on thickness and wear layer.
Installation cost
Important. We supply the material and do not carry out installation work ourselves. The figures below are indicative market ranges for Valencia, intended to help you size up the whole project budget. The exact price is quoted by the installer after a site visit. We work with trusted installer partners and can pass your enquiry on to them — just mention it when you order.
Installation labour in Valencia costs approximately:
| Work | Indicative, € / m² |
|---|---|
| Glue-down LVT installation, simple geometry | 12–18 € |
| Glue-down LVT installation, complex layout (herringbone, diagonal, inlays) | 18–28 € |
| Sheet vinyl installation | 10–15 € |
| Heat welding of sheet vinyl seams | 3–6 € / linear m |
| Removal of the old floor covering | 6–12 € |
| Filling of tile joints | 4–8 € |
| Self-levelling compound, 2–3 mm | 10–16 € |
| Priming a non-absorbent subfloor | 3–6 € |
These ranges are market rates and depend on the area: on a 500 m² site the rate per metre is noticeably lower than in a 40 m² flat. All the calculations below use the mid-point of these ranges and serve as a guide, not as a commercial quotation for labour.
The hidden items people forget
Subfloor preparation. The most underestimated line. Glue-down installation requires a subfloor deviating no more than 2 mm under a two-metre straightedge. If the subfloor is uneven, add 10 to 16 €/m² for self-levelling compound. This is the line that most often turns a "cheap" project into an expensive one.
Cutting allowance. Budget 5 % for a straight layout and up to 10–12 % for a diagonal or herringbone. On 90 m² that is 4.5–10 m² of extra material.
Skirting and profiles. Skirting from 4 €/linear m installed. Plus transition profiles in doorways, threshold strips and corner pieces.
Adhesive and primer. Adhesive consumption runs at around 0.3–0.4 kg/m². It is a separate line item and is not included in the price of the floor covering.
Waste removal. If you tear out tiles, you need a skip and a collection. This is one reason why installing over the existing floor is chosen more and more often: that line simply isn't in the budget.
Delivery and carrying up. A box of LVT weighs 8.5–8.8 kg and a 60 m² roll around 87 kg. Getting a roll to the fifth floor with no lift is a story of its own.
Worked examples
90 m² flat, refurbishment over existing tiles
Material: LVT 2 mm, class 32.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Floor covering | 90 m² + 5 % = 94.5 m² → 34 boxes | 1,460 € |
| Priming a non-absorbent subfloor | 90 m² × 4 € | 360 € |
| Filling of tile joints | 90 m² × 6 € | 540 € |
| Adhesive | ~32 kg | 190 € |
| Installation | 90 m² × 15 € | 1,350 € |
| Skirting, installed | 75 linear m × 5 € | 375 € |
| Total | ≈ 4,275 € | |
| Per m² | ≈ 47.5 € |
By comparison, the option with tile removal adds roughly 900 € for tearing out, 350 € for waste disposal and 1,100 € for rebuilding and levelling the subfloor — around 6,600 € in total, or 73 €/m².
300 m² office
Material: LVT 2.5 mm, class 33 in the circulation areas.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Floor covering | 300 m² + 5 % = 315 m² | 5,667 € |
| Self-levelling compound, 2 mm | 300 m² × 12 € | 3,600 € |
| Primer | 300 m² × 3.5 € | 1,050 € |
| Adhesive | ~110 kg | 640 € |
| Installation (volume rate) | 300 m² × 13 € | 3,900 € |
| Skirting | 210 linear m × 4.5 € | 945 € |
| Total | ≈ 15,800 € | |
| Per m² | ≈ 52.7 € |
150 m² shop, sheet vinyl
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet vinyl covering | 150 m² + 8 % = 162 m² → 3 rolls | 2,338 € |
| Welding rod | ~85 linear m | 84 € |
| Subfloor preparation | 150 m² × 10 € | 1,500 € |
| Installation | 150 m² × 12 € | 1,800 € |
| Seam welding | 85 linear m × 4.5 € | 383 € |
| Skirting with coved edge | 100 linear m × 8 € | 800 € |
| Total | ≈ 6,905 € | |
| Per m² | ≈ 46 € |
These examples are for flats and commercial units. For a van or campervan, the area and cutting plan are worked out differently: see «how much flooring a van needs».
How to trim the budget without losing quality
Zone by class. In a home, class 33 is needed in the hallway and the kitchen; class 32 is enough for the bedroom. On 90 m² the difference between 2.5 mm throughout and a zoned specification is around 200 €.
Don't overpay for class 34. For an office, a showroom and most retail units, 32–33 is enough. Class 34 is for railway stations and supermarkets.
Assess the subfloor honestly at the start. Checking flatness and moisture before ordering material costs nothing, whereas the surprise of a compulsory self-levelling layer mid-project wrecks the budget.
Buy material from one batch, with a margin. Two or three spare square metres kept in a store cupboard will save you re-laying a whole room if there is localised damage five years later — the shade of a batch is never repeated exactly.
Don't skimp on rolling and priming. They are the cheapest operations in the budget and the most expensive to put right.
What our price includes
Material from our warehouse in Valencia with a complete document pack: declaration of performance, CE marking, class to EN ISO 10874, Bfl-s1 and E1 emissions. Collection from the warehouse or delivery available.
Current prices and stock are in the catalogues: glue-down LVT 2 and 2.5 mm and commercial sheet vinyl. For seam welding, welding rod matched to the floor colour.
FAQ
Is the price per square metre or per box? Per square metre. The product page shows both figures: the price per m² and the price per box. A box of 2 mm LVT is 2.835 m², a box of 2.5 mm is 2.205 m², and a roll is 60 m².
Why is sheet vinyl cheaper than planks? Production is simpler and there is less waste when covering large areas. It also has fewer seams, and once they are welded with a rod the floor becomes watertight — for commercial premises that is an advantage, not a compromise.
How much does it cost to lay a floor of 60 m²? Roughly 900–1,100 € for the labour with a simple geometry, plus subfloor preparation. That is the average market rate in Valencia — we do not carry out installation ourselves, but we can pass the enquiry to our installer partners, and they will give the exact figure after measuring the flatness and moisture of the subfloor.
Do you do the installation? No, we supply the material. The work is carried out by our partners, professional installers we work with on a regular basis. When you order, we can forward your request to them for a quotation.
Can I buy part of a roll rather than the whole thing? The 2 × 30 m roll is sold whole. Cutting to linear metres is discussed separately — get in touch.
Are there discounts for installers and contractors? Yes, we work with trade professionals on separate terms. Request the trade price list through the contact form.
Before asking for a quote, it helps to know exactly how many square metres you need: we explain it step by step in this article.
Budgeting for an office? Here we compare the 10-year cost of carpet, laminate and vinyl: flooring for offices.
Search for "vinyl flooring price" and you get a spread of anything from 8 to 60 € per square metre. Let's look at what makes up that figure, which part of the budget usually stays off the radar and what a finished floor actually costs.
Ripping out the ceramic tiles in a 90 m² flat means a week of work, several tonnes of debris, dust in every room, waste removal and, almost certainly, a damaged screed that then has to be repaired. Add the noise, which is worth clearing with the neighbours in advance.
None of that is necessary. Glue-down vinyl flooring 2 mm thick is installed directly over the existing surface. Below: when you can do it, when you can't, and how to do it properly.
What you can install over
Ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware. The most common case in Spanish housing stock. Installation is viable; the key question is the joints (more on that below).
Terrazzo, marble chip flooring. An excellent substrate: monolithic, strong and jointless. It needs sanding and thorough dust removal.
Old linoleum and PVC flooring. Possible if the covering is firmly bonded across its whole area, has no blisters and is not foam-backed. Homogeneous PVC: yes. Linoleum on a felt or foam backing: no, it has to come up.
Cement screed. The classic substrate, with the standard requirements: flatness, strength, dryness.
Poured floor, self-levelling compound. The ideal case.
What you cannot install over
- Laminate and engineered wood — these are floating floors and they move. Vinyl glued over them will follow every one of those movements and open up at the seams.
- Carpet of any kind.
- Debonded tiles. Tap the floor: a hollow sound means the tile has come away from the substrate. Those areas have to be lifted and made good.
- Substrates showing signs of moisture — efflorescence, dark patches, flaking paint. First find and eliminate the cause.
- Timber decking with any springiness — the boards must be rigidly fixed, otherwise the deflection will show through the flooring.
Three criteria that decide the job
1. Flatness
The tolerance is no more than 2 mm under a two-metre straightedge. Check the whole area, not a single spot.
A 2 mm vinyl plank does not level the substrate — it copies it. Any step between tiles, ridge of adhesive or dip will show on the surface after a few months of use, once the flooring has "settled" under load.
2. Moisture
For cement substrates, no more than 2% by the CM method (calcium carbide method). For anhydrite substrates, no more than 0.5%.
Vinyl flooring is vapour-tight. Moisture left in the substrate cannot escape and will build up beneath the covering: adhesive failure, blisters, mould. Even an old screed needs testing if there may have been leaks below it or no damp-proof membrane.
When installing over ceramic tiles moisture is usually not an issue — the tiling has stood for decades and the substrate beneath it is dry. It is still worth testing if the room has had leaks.
3. Strength and adhesion
The substrate must not be dusty, friable or delaminating. Old paint, mastic and residues of adhesive from the previous covering are removed mechanically.
How the joints between tiles are dealt with
This is the central technical question of the whole job and the point where mistakes are most often made.
A grout joint is a recess 3–8 mm wide and 1–3 mm deep. A 2 mm plank laid over it will in time press down into that joint, and the grout pattern will telegraph through as a grid across the floor surface. The defect does not appear straight away — it takes a few months, as the material adapts under load.
There are two solutions.
Option A: filling the joints. The joints are filled flush with a repair compound and then sanded. This works when the joints are narrow (up to 5 mm) and the tiling is flat. Cheaper, faster, less added height.
Option B: a self-levelling layer. A 2–3 mm self-levelling compound is poured across the whole area over a primer for non-absorbent substrates. This works in every case, and especially with wide joints, steps between tiles and large-format porcelain. It gives a perfect substrate, but adds 2–3 mm of height and one to two days of curing.
In practice, a residential refurbishment with ordinary 30×30 or 45×45 tiles is fine with Option A. For commercial projects and large formats, Option B is the safer choice.
Primer is a mandatory step
Ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware do not absorb moisture. A standard adhesive will not develop adhesion on such a surface.
Use a primer for non-absorbent substrates — usually epoxy or polyurethane, often with quartz sand to create texture. It does two things: it provides the bond and it creates a micro-profile for the adhesive to key into.
Skipping this step is the most expensive mistake in the process. The floor will go down fine and lift six months later.
Sequence of work
- Survey. Tapping for debonded tiles, checking flatness with a straightedge, measuring moisture, inspecting for leaks.
- Repair. Loose tiles are lifted and the area made good. Cracks are opened out and filled.
- Cleaning. Degreasing and removal of wax, mastic and polish residues. Kitchen and bathroom tiling is washed with an alkaline cleaner — there is always a greasy film on it.
- Joints. Filling or self-levelling compound, then sanding and vacuuming off the dust.
- Priming. As per the manufacturer's instructions, allowing full drying time.
- Acclimatising the material. The planks are laid out in the room for 24–48 hours at service temperature so the material takes up its dimensions.
- Setting out and dry-laying. Plank direction usually follows the longest wall or the direction of the main light source. Lay in a staggered pattern with an offset of at least 1/3 of the plank length, mixing material from different packs so the shades are evenly distributed.
- Installation. Adhesive is applied with a notched trowel of the correct size, respecting the open time. Every plank is rolled with a 50–68 kg pressure roller — this is mandatory, not optional.
- Curing. Light foot traffic after 24 hours; full load and furniture after 48–72 hours.
What this saves in time and money
A 90 m² flat:
- With tile removal: stripping out the floor, removing the debris, repairing the screed, levelling and installing — in the region of 8–12 working days. Plus the cost of waste disposal, plus a completely uninhabitable home for the duration.
- Without removal: substrate preparation 1–2 days, installation 2–3 days, plus curing. About a week in total, with no rubble and no heavy work.
The difference in the quotation comes from having no demolition, no waste removal and no substrate reconstruction. On a residential job that is a substantial share of the budget.
A separate note on height: 2 mm add exactly 2 mm. In the vast majority of cases the doors stay where they are, no threshold step appears at the entrance, and the transition to adjoining rooms is handled with a flat profile. That is precisely why renovations go for the glue-down option rather than click SPC — the latter, with its underlay, comes to around 6 mm and nearly always means trimming the doors.
For commercial premises
The same approach works here, with two qualifications. First: the use class is matched to the load — at least class 32, and class 33 for circulation areas. Second: if the space involves wet processes or requires hygienic joints, sheet commercial vinyl with welded seams is used instead of planks.
There is also an organisational benefit: a shop or a café can be refitted zone by zone without closing completely — impossible if the tiles have to come up.
FAQ
Does the skirting have to come off? Yes. The skirting is removed, the flooring is installed up to the wall, and then the skirting goes back on — new or the original.
Can vinyl go over tiles in a bathroom? Yes, the flooring is waterproof. What matters is the quality of the junctions with walls and sanitaryware, which are sealed with sanitary silicone. Shower areas with a floor drain are specified separately.
What about the level change at the room entrance? At 2 mm the step is minimal and is covered with a flat transition profile.
How long does this kind of floor last? Service life is determined by the wear layer and the use class, not by the installation method. On a properly prepared substrate a class 32 floor in a home lasts 15–20 years.
Can it be installed over tiles with underfloor heating? Yes, provided the temperature regime is observed: no more than 27 °C at the surface, with the mandatory heating-up protocol before and after installation.
Ripping out the ceramic tiles in a 90 m² flat means a week of work, several tonnes of debris, dust in every room, waste removal and, almost certainly, a damaged screed that then has to be repaired. Add the noise, which is worth clearing with the neighbours in advance.
Vinyl flooring is low-maintenance — right up until someone goes over it with a steam cleaner or a splash of acetone. Here is what you can do, what you must not do, and how to deal with specific stains.
The first 72 hours after installation
A glue-down floor does not reach full strength straight away.
| Action | When it is allowed |
|---|---|
| Light foot traffic | after 24 hours |
| Moving furniture in | after 48–72 hours |
| First wet clean | not before 72 hours |
| Full adhesive curing | up to 7 days |
Washing the floor too early lets water reach the uncured adhesive through the seams and ruins the bond. For the first three days, dry cleaning only.
Daily maintenance
Dry cleaning — vacuum cleaner or a soft brush. The main enemy of the floor is not dirt but sand: it acts as an abrasive and leaves micro-scratches in the wear layer with every step.
Wet cleaning — a well-wrung mop and a pH-neutral cleaner for PVC floors. The floor should dry in a minute or two; no puddles should be left standing.
Cleaner dosage. Over-concentration is the second most common mistake after abrasives. The excess does not rinse away, it forms a sticky film that traps dirt, and the floor looks dull. If a residue is left after mopping, the concentration is too high.
Water temperature — warm, not hot.
What you must never clean it with
| Product | What happens |
|---|---|
| Abrasive powders, hard scourers, wire wool | scratch the wear layer, the floor goes dull for good |
| Acetone, solvents, white spirit | dissolve the polyurethane lacquer, leaving a matt patch |
| Undiluted chlorine bleach | discolours the décor |
| Strong acids and alkalis | destroy the wear layer |
| Steam cleaner | hot steam softens the PVC and breaks the glue bond; acceptable only if the manufacturer explicitly allows it |
| Parquet wax and mastic | build up a sticky layer that collects dirt |
| "Two-in-one" products with polish | build up in layers and make the floor slippery |
How to remove stains
The general rule: a fresh stain almost always comes out, a dried one often does not. Act immediately.
| Stain | How to remove it |
|---|---|
| Coffee, tea, juice | warm water with a pH-neutral cleaner |
| Red wine | blot at once, then soapy water; if dried, a weak isopropyl alcohol solution spot-applied |
| Grease, oil | a degreaser for PVC floors or washing-up liquid |
| Blood | cold water (hot water sets the protein), then soapy water |
| Ballpoint pen, marker | 70% isopropyl alcohol spot-applied with a cotton pad, rinse with water immediately |
| Shoe marks, black scuffs | eraser or melamine sponge with no pressure, then wipe |
| Chewing gum | ice in a bag until it hardens, then lift it carefully with a plastic scraper |
| Candle wax | ice, then a plastic scraper |
| Iodine, gentian violet | act at once; once dried it does not come out |
| Water-based paint | a damp cloth while it is still wet |
| Rust | a specialist PVC product, never an acidic household cleaner |
Any aggressive product should first be tested in an inconspicuous spot — in a corner under furniture or on an offcut from your spares.
Stains that never come out
They are rarely written about, and they are the most common ones.
Plasticiser migration from rubber. Dark rubber in prolonged contact with PVC — rubber-backed mats, furniture pads, shoe soles, castors — triggers a chemical reaction: the plasticiser migrates and leaves a yellow-brown stain in the shape of the object. Nothing removes it — the pigment is inside the material, not on the surface.
Prevention: use felt pads under furniture, never rubber ones. Choose mats with a textile or PVC backing. Rubber mats in gyms and workshops should be light-coloured or unpigmented only.
Heat damage. A dropped iron, a cigarette end, a hot pan set straight on the floor. PVC melts and cannot be restored. The only repair is replacing the plank or welding in a new section.
Deep scratches that go through the wear layer down to the décor film.
Prevention is cheaper than any chemical
Entrance matting. The single most cost-effective measure there is. Three or four metres of entrance matting in the direction of travel remove up to 80% of the abrasive from shoes. A mat in the hallway is enough for a flat; a shop or an office needs a full three-module system.
Felt pads on every piece of furniture that gets moved. Check and replace them once a year: sand embedded in the felt turns the pad into sandpaper.
Soft castors on office chairs. Standard hard castors are designed for carpet and cut into smooth floors. Replacing them costs next to nothing.
Sun protection. Direct sunlight through full-height glazing means both fading of the décor and heating of the surface. In Valencia this matters: roller blinds on south-facing windows extend the life of the floor and cut the heat load at the same time.
Load-spreading pads under heavy furniture — they distribute point loads and prevent indentations.
Periodic maintenance
Once a quarter — deep cleaning: washing with the recommended product and a soft pad, or with a scrubber-dryer in commercial premises.
Every 6–12 months in commercial premises, every 3–5 years in homes — restoring the polymer protective layer. A dedicated product is applied in a thin coat and creates a new sacrificial film that takes the wear.
Hardly anyone knows about this operation, yet it extends the life of the floor by one and a half to two times. Renewing the layer costs incomparably less than replacing the floor — for sheet vinyl in sales areas and offices it is standard maintenance practice.
Special cases
Underfloor heating. No more than 27 °C at the surface on a continuous basis. Sharp swings and "let's heat it up quickly" are what cause deformation.
Bathroom and kitchen. The floor covering itself is waterproof, but keep an eye on the junctions with walls and sanitary fittings — the sealant lifts over time and needs renewing.
After a flood. The floor covering itself is not afraid of water. The problem is the subfloor: the water has to be removed and the substrate dried, otherwise moisture stays trapped underneath. If the water stood for a long time, the area is lifted and dried out.
Cleaning right after building work. Construction dust contains abrasive particles. Do the first clean with a vacuum, not a mop — otherwise you will smear the abrasive across the whole area.
Quick checklist
Every day: vacuum, then a damp mop wrung out dry with a pH-neutral cleaner.
Never: abrasives, solvents, acetone, steam cleaners, wax, dark rubber.
Always: felt under furniture, matting at the entrance, stains dealt with at once.
Periodically: deep clean once a quarter, protective layer renewed once a year in commercial use.
With this level of care, a class 32 floor with a 0.3 mm wear layer lasts 15–20 years in a home and still looks decent at the end of that period rather than simply "seeing out its days".
FAQ
Can a vinyl floor be cleaned with a steam cleaner? No, unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it. Hot steam softens the PVC and breaks the glue bond.
What should I use to clean a vinyl floor at home? A pH-neutral cleaner for PVC floors, warm water and a well-wrung mop. General-purpose floor cleaners are fine as long as they contain no abrasives, solvents or acids.
How do I get rid of black shoe scuffs? With an eraser or a melamine sponge, without pressing, then wipe with a damp cloth.
Why has the floor gone dull and sticky? Almost always because the cleaner was over-concentrated and a film formed on the surface. Rinse several times with clean water, then stick to the recommended dosage.
Where do the yellow stains under a mat come from? Plasticiser migration from dark rubber. It cannot be removed. Replace the mat with one that has a textile or PVC backing.
Does a vinyl floor need to be lacquered? Not with ordinary lacquer. There are dedicated polymer products for restoring the protective layer, applied every 6–12 months in commercial premises.
By the way, how well a floor holds up to this kind of care depends a lot on the thickness of its wear layer — we cover that in detail in this article on vinyl flooring thickness.
Vinyl flooring is low-maintenance — right up until someone goes over it with a steam cleaner or a splash of acetone. Here is what you can do, what you must not do, and how to deal with specific stains.
Both floors imitate wood, both cost roughly the same, and both sit on neighbouring racks in the same shop. Yet the difference between them is fundamental — it lies in the material, not the finish.
What they are made of
Laminate is a pressed HDF wood-fibre board with a decorative paper printed with a wood pattern glued on top and a protective melamine-resin film above that. The core is wood.
Vinyl flooring is a polymer, polyvinyl chloride. There is no wood in it at all.
Almost everything else follows from that difference.
1. Water — the key difference
The test is simple: spill water on the floor and fail to notice for a full day.
Laminate. Water gets into the click joint and reaches the edge of the HDF board. The wood core absorbs the moisture and swells — irreversibly. Within a few hours the edge lifts; within a day the joint peaks up like a little roof. The board never settles back: swollen HDF stays swollen. The only repair is replacing planks, dismantling the floor all the way back to the wall.
Water-resistant laminate postpones that moment but does not remove it: the treatment protects the edge, not the core itself.
Vinyl. Nothing happens. PVC does not absorb water at all. The floor can be flooded, dried and put straight back into service.
Practical conclusion: in a kitchen, a bathroom, an entrance hall or any room with a water cooler or a dishwasher, laminate is a deferred problem. Not "if", but "when".
2. Wear
Laminate is graded by AC classes AC1–AC6 (abrasion of the melamine layer). AC4 is the usual choice for homes, AC5 for commercial use. Its weak point is not the face but the edge: it chips from impacts and from office-chair castors, and a chip cannot be repaired.
Vinyl is graded to EN ISO 10874 (use classes 21–34) and by wear layer thickness. There is no edge as such — the material is homogeneous right to the border. Scratches in the polyurethane finish can often be polished out.
Service life at comparable quality: AC4 laminate in a flat, 8–12 years; class 32 vinyl with a 0.3 mm wear layer, 15–20 years.
3. Sound
Here laminate genuinely wins — or rather, the way it is laid does.
Floating laminate over an underlay feels softer underfoot. But it is also what produces that hollow, drumming footstep sound: there is an air gap under the floor and the board works as a membrane. The neighbours below hear people walking very clearly.
Glue-down vinyl is bonded across its whole area — there is no air gap, and the footstep sound is dull and quiet. Impact noise reaching the neighbours is lower. The floor itself, though, is harder: you feel the subfloor exactly as it is.
Bottom line: laminate is pleasanter underfoot, glue-down vinyl is quieter for everyone else.
4. Build-up height
| Thickness | |
|---|---|
| Laminate 8 mm + underlay 2 mm | 10 mm |
| Laminate 12 mm + underlay 3 mm | 15 mm |
| Glue-down vinyl 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Glue-down vinyl 2.5 mm | 2.5 mm |
For a refurbishment over an existing floor this is the decisive parameter. Ten millimetres means trimming every internal door, dealing with the threshold at the entrance and fitting transition profiles. Two millimetres means none of the above.
5. Underfloor heating
Laminate is permitted over underfloor heating but performs poorly: the wood board plus the underlay give high thermal resistance. Warm-up is slow, losses are higher, the heating bill is bigger. On top of that, heat-and-cool cycles gradually work the click joints loose.
Glue-down vinyl transfers heat far more efficiently: no air gap, no underlay. The limit is 27 °C at the surface.
6. Repair
One plank in the middle of the room is damaged.
Laminate: unclick the boards from the wall to the damaged spot, swap the plank, reassemble. Some of the joints break during dismantling. Half a day's work and, almost certainly, a visible result — the new plank differs in shade from its sun-faded neighbours.
Glue-down vinyl: warm it, lift the plank, clean the subfloor, bond a new one. Half an hour, with the neighbouring planks untouched.
7. Appearance
Laminate still wins on texture: register embossing, bevels, deep relief. Expensive laminate is hard to tell from real wood by eye.
Vinyl is catching up, but in the mass segment the difference shows — especially on plain, light decors. Wood-look planks with deep embossing look convincing; cheap vinyl with a flat surface does not.
In exchange, vinyl offers something laminate cannot do at all: it bends. Radiused junctions, coving up the wall, awkward geometry — all of it is available.
8. Environment and smell
Laminate is a wood board bonded with resin. Check the formaldehyde emission class: E1 or E0.
Vinyl is PVC. The usual objection is the obvious one: it is plastic. In practice what matters is the same E1 emission rating and the absence of phthalate plasticisers. Quality flooring rated E1 is used in schools and hospitals — which says it all.
Neither material is "natural". If natural is non-negotiable, that means solid timber, engineered board or marmoleum, and an entirely different budget.
Summary table
| Parameter | Laminate | Vinyl flooring |
|---|---|---|
| Water | swells irreversibly | no reaction |
| Service life in a home | 8–12 years | 15–20 years |
| Edge | chips | does not chip |
| Height with underlay | 10–15 mm | 2–2.5 mm (glue-down) |
| Underfloor heating | permitted, inefficient | optimal |
| Impact noise for neighbours | high | low (glue-down) |
| Comfort underfoot | softer | harder |
| Replacing a single plank | difficult | easy |
| Texture realism | higher | lower, but catching up |
| Wet rooms | no | yes |
| Subfloor requirements | moderate | high (glue-down) |
| DIY installation | realistic | not recommended (glue-down) |
Cost of ownership: a 90 m² flat over 15 years
| Item | AC4 laminate | Class 32 glue-down vinyl |
|---|---|---|
| Material | €1,350 | €1,460 |
| Underlay | €270 | not required |
| Subfloor preparation | €450 | €900 |
| Installation | €900 | €1,350 |
| Skirting and profiles | €450 | €375 |
| Initial outlay | €3,420 | €4,085 |
| Patch replacement over 15 years | €600 (leaks, entrance area) | €150 |
| Full replacement within 15 years | yes, in year 10: +€3,420 | no |
| Total over 15 years | ≈ €7,440 | ≈ €4,235 |
The figures are indicative: material at our prices, labour at average market rates in Valencia. We do not carry out installation ourselves, but we can pass the enquiry on to partner installers.
Vinyl costs about 20 % more up front and is almost half the price over the service horizon.
What to choose room by room
| Room | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | vinyl, no question |
| Bathroom, WC | vinyl; laminate is unacceptable |
| Entrance hall | vinyl — dirt, water, grit |
| Living room, bedroom | either; laminate if texture and softness matter, vinyl if there is underfloor heating or children and pets |
| Children's room | vinyl — spills and damage resistance |
| Corridor | vinyl |
| Flat with underfloor heating | vinyl |
| Refurbishment without trimming doors | 2 mm vinyl |
| Commercial premises | vinyl, class 33–34, or sheet vinyl |
| Rented home for a couple of years | a budget floating floor; we do not supply those |
| Campervan, van conversion | thin, light roll vinyl; more detail: best flooring for a campervan |
The short answer
Laminate — if the floor stays dry, if texture and softness underfoot matter, and if the budget rules here and now.
Vinyl — in every other case. Especially where there is water, underfloor heating, children or pets, or where the work is going over an existing floor and height is critical.
How glue-down vinyl differs from click SPC is covered in a separate comparison. We supply glue-down flooring only: over a 15-year-plus horizon it beats floating systems on every parameter except how easy it is to lay yourself.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, laminate or vinyl? Laminate is cheaper to buy, by roughly 15–20 %. Vinyl is cheaper per year of service, because it lasts one and a half to two times longer.
Can laminate be used in a kitchen? Technically yes, in practice it is not worth it. The first serious leak means replacing a section and dismantling the floor to get there.
Which is better for underfloor heating? Vinyl, by a clear margin: it transfers heat more efficiently and there is no insulating underlay. The limit is 27 °C at the surface.
Does vinyl look cheaper than laminate? Mass-market vinyl, yes. Flooring with deep embossing and a good decor is hard to tell from laminate by eye.
Which is quieter for the neighbours below? Glue-down vinyl: it is bonded across the whole area, so there is no air gap. Floating laminate transmits impact noise noticeably more.
Which is easier to lay yourself? Floating floors — laminate and click vinyl. Glue-down vinyl needs a properly prepared subfloor, the right adhesive and a pressure roller: that is a job for an installer. We supply the material and can pass the enquiry on to partner installers in Valencia.
Looking for office flooring? Here we compare carpet, laminate and vinyl over 10 years of use: flooring for offices.
Both floors imitate wood, both cost roughly the same, and both sit on neighbouring racks in the same shop. Yet the difference between them is fundamental — it lies in the material, not the finish.
"Vinyl is waterproof" — true. "So nothing can go wrong with it in a bathroom" — not true any more. The covering itself really does not mind water, but in wet rooms the trouble does not come through the floor covering; it goes around it.
Let's look at where the moisture under the floor actually comes from and how to stop it.
Why vinyl suits wet rooms
The material does not absorb water. PVC is a polymer — no timber, no cellulose in it. There is nothing to swell. Spilled water left standing for a day leaves no mark.
No seams for water to disappear into. With a glue-down covering the plank is bonded to the subfloor across its whole area: even if water reaches a joint, it will not travel underneath the plank — there is adhesive there. A sheet covering has almost no seams at all, and the ones it does have are welded into a monolithic surface.
It is not slippery when wet — provided the right class is chosen. Wet ceramic tiles are noticeably more slippery.
Warm to the touch. A bathroom tile is always cold; vinyl has low thermal effusivity and feels warm even without underfloor heating.
Quiet. In a kitchen you notice it: crockery dropped on tiles almost always breaks, on vinyl it often survives.
Where the moisture under the covering really comes from
Three real sources, and not one of them is water spilled on the floor.
1. Moisture in the subfloor
The most common cause. Vinyl flooring is vapour-tight: vapour rising from a screed that has not dried out, or from a ground-bearing slab with no tanking, hits the covering and condenses on its underside.
The result: adhesive failure, blisters, odour and, in severe cases, mould.
Hence the strict requirement: moisture in a cement subfloor no higher than 2% by the CM method, in an anhydrite subfloor no higher than 0.5%. The measurement is mandatory even if the screed is five years old.
2. Junctions with walls and sanitaryware
Water does not pass through the covering, but it readily runs underneath it around the perimeter — into the gap at the wall, around a pipe, at the base of the WC, along the edge of a shower tray.
This is the key technical question in a bathroom. It is solved by sealing, not by the choice of material.
3. Condensation on pipes
A cold mains pipe collects condensation in summer, and the drips land on the floor in a single spot for years. Inside the cabinet under the basin you will not see it until an odour appears.
The sealing protocol — how to do it properly
The sequence for a bathroom:
- Tanking the subfloor. A liquid-applied waterproofing membrane across the whole floor area, taken 100–150 mm up the walls, and 1800 mm in the shower area. Corners and junctions are taped with waterproofing tape. This is done before the covering goes down and is not replaced by it.
- Laying the covering with a 2–3 mm gap around the perimeter (for a glue-down floor this is a working gap, not an expansion gap).
- Perimeter sealing with sanitary silicone containing a fungicide — around the entire outline, before the skirting goes on.
- Pipe penetrations. Cut exactly to the diameter, with the gap filled with silicone. A decorative collar goes on top, but it is the silicone that provides the seal, not the collar.
- Junction with the shower tray and the bath — a silicone joint, renewed every 2–3 years.
- Skirting — moisture-resistant, fixed to the wall, with the joint sealed.
For rooms with a floor gully, or for public toilets, a sheet covering with a coved skirting is the better answer: the covering is taken 100 mm up the wall, there is no internal corner, and the outline becomes continuous.
What to choose: planks or sheet
| LVT planks | Sheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom in a flat | yes | yes, more reliable |
| Kitchen in a flat | yes | rarely, plainer look |
| Public toilet | no | yes, with welded seams |
| Commercial kitchen | no | yes, mandatory |
| Room with a floor gully | no | yes |
| Realism of the decor | higher | lower |
| Water-tightness | high | complete once welded |
For a flat, in the overwhelming majority of cases people take LVT planks: they look better, and with a properly sealed perimeter the water-tightness is sufficient. Sheet is for when guaranteed continuity matters or the room is a public one.
Which specifications you need
Class of use. The kitchen and the hallway are the most heavily loaded areas of a flat. Class 32 with a 0.3 mm wear layer covers the job with room to spare; for a kitchen in a home with children and pets, class 33 with a 0.4 mm wear layer makes more sense.
Slip resistance. For a domestic bathroom there are no special requirements, but a gloss surface is not worth choosing. For public toilets — R10–R11.
E1 emissions — bathrooms and kitchens are poorly ventilated, so this parameter matters.
Bfl-s1 — formally not required in a flat, mandatory in public premises.
Vinyl flooring over tiles in a bathroom — is it possible?
Yes, and it is the most common renovation scenario in Spain. But with caveats that usually go unmentioned.
What to check:
- the tiles are firmly bonded across the whole area (tap them — a hollow sound means debonding);
- there are no signs of leaks, efflorescence or dark patches;
- the fall to the gully, if there is one, is preserved.
What to do:
- fill the grout joints flush and sand them, otherwise their pattern will telegraph through the covering;
- degrease — bathroom ceramics always carry a film of soap and cosmetics;
- prime with a primer for non-absorbent subfloors;
- do not skip the waterproofing membrane if there was none under the tiles and you have doubts.
When you must not: if there is a leak under the old tiles, if the subfloor is damp, if the room has a shower with a gully and a fall that cannot be restored. The technique is covered in detail in a separate article.
The upside of this scenario: 2 mm does not raise the level, the doors stay where they are, no threshold appears at the entrance, and the bathroom can be used again after 24 hours.
The kitchen: specific points
The area by the sink and the dishwasher. The wettest spot in a flat. The perimeter here is sealed with particular care, and it is worth putting a leak tray under the dishwasher.
Under the fridge and the cooker. Point loads from appliances — check the residual indentation. Load-spreading pads go under the feet.
Heat from the oven. The covering must not be heated above 60 °C. A built-in oven with proper ventilation causes no problem, but the gap beneath it has to be allowed for.
Grease. PVC resists grease well, but it should be removed at once — dried-on grease has to come off with a degreaser, which does the covering less good than ordinary cleaning. What you can and cannot use is in the article on maintenance.
A single floor across kitchen and living room. Glue-down installation lets you lay a combined space as one field with no thresholds and no transition profiles — floating coverings cannot do that.
Five mistakes in wet rooms
- Not measuring moisture in the subfloor. Six months later: blisters and odour.
- Not sealing the perimeter. Water goes under the covering along the edge.
- Relying on the covering instead of a waterproofing membrane. Vinyl is a finish layer, not a water barrier.
- Not filling the tile joints. The grid of joints telegraphs through within a few months.
- Washing the floor sooner than 72 hours after installation. Water reaches adhesive that has not yet cured.
What to order
For a kitchen and bathroom in a flat — glue-down LVT vinyl planks 2 mm class 32 or 2.5 mm class 33, in a wood or stone decor. For public toilets and commercial kitchens — sheet vinyl with welded seams.
A free sample lets you see the decor under your own lighting — the request form is below.
FAQ
Can vinyl flooring be laid in a bathroom? Yes. The covering is waterproof. What is critical is sealing the perimeter and the junctions with sanitaryware properly, and doing the subfloor waterproofing as a separate operation.
Will the floor come unstuck because of moisture? Not because of humidity in the air. Debonding is caused by moisture rising from the subfloor — which is why measuring it before installation is mandatory.
Is it suitable for a shower area with a floor gully? Only sheet vinyl with welded seams and a coved skirting, keeping the fall to the gully. Plank flooring is not suitable for such areas.
Is wet vinyl flooring slippery? Less so than wet glazed ceramic. For public toilets an R10–R11 covering is chosen.
Can it be laid over tiles in a bathroom? Yes, if the tiles are firmly bonded, there are no signs of leaks, and the joints have been filled. The level rises by only 2 mm.
Which is better for a kitchen — planks or sheet? In a flat, planks: they look better and the water-tightness is sufficient. In a commercial kitchen — sheet only, with welded seams.
"Vinyl is waterproof" — true. "So nothing can go wrong with it in a bathroom" — not true any more. The covering itself really does not mind water, but in wet rooms the trouble does not come through the floor covering; it goes around it.