Buying Guides · 7 min read

LVT Thickness and Wear Layers Explained: How Thick Should Your Floor Be?

Published 6 November 2026

Reviewed by our team, led by Adam Williams, Managing Director

Most glue-down LVT is 2mm to 3mm thick. Rigid-core click LVT is usually 4mm to 6.5mm. A few premium click floors reach 8mm or more. Total thickness tells you how a floor is built and fitted, not how long it will last. The figure that decides durability is the wear layer: the clear protective film on top, which ranges from 0.3mm on entry-level floors to 1.0mm on the toughest residential ranges. This guide explains both numbers, lists the thickness of the main brands we sell and shows how to pick the right specification for each room.

In this article

Two Numbers on Every LVT Specification
How Thick Is LVT? Typical Figures by Type
Wear Layer Grades and Where They Belong
Thickness of the Main LVT Brands
Is Thicker LVT Better?
Thickness, Door Heights and Neighbouring Floors
Thickness and Underfloor Heating
How to Choose the Right Specification
GF LVT: Thickness and Wear Layers at a Glance
Feel the Difference in Person
Frequently Asked Questions

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LVT Thickness and Wear Layers Explained: How Thick Should Your Floor Be? – Grosvenor Flooring

Key Takeaways

Glue-down LVT is thin on purpose. It is bonded to a smooth subfloor, which does the structural work.

Rigid-core click LVT is thicker because it carries a stiff core and often a built-in underlay.

The wear layer, not the overall thickness, decides how well a floor resists scuffs and scratches.

0.55mm is the sensible wear layer for most family homes. Choose 0.7mm or more for the busiest rooms.

Our own GF LVT covers 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.55mm and 0.7mm, so there is a GF floor for every level of traffic.

Two Numbers on Every LVT Specification

Every LVT product lists two measurements. They are easy to confuse.

Total thickness is the full depth of the plank or tile, from the backing to the surface. It reflects the construction: a flexible vinyl body for glue-down floors, a limestone-and-PVC core for rigid-core click floors.
Wear layer is the transparent layer that protects the printed design. It is measured in millimetres, or sometimes in microns, where 0.55mm is the same as 550 microns. When it wears through, the pattern underneath starts to fade.

Two floors can share the same total thickness but have very different wear layers, which is why we always look at the wear layer first when comparing floors for a customer.

How Thick Is LVT? Typical Figures by Type

The thickest LVT we currently stock is the COREtec Naturals collection at 8.8mm. You can also browse every floor by size, from 2mm and 2.5mm glue-down to 6.5mm rigid core.

Type	Total thickness	Typical wear layer	How it is fitted	Example
Glue-down LVT	2mm to 3mm	0.3mm to 1.0mm	Bonded to a smoothed subfloor	GF Glue-Down LVT
Rigid-core click (SPC)	4mm to 6.5mm	0.3mm to 0.55mm	Clicks together and floats	GF Click SPC
Premium thick click	8mm to 8.8mm	0.55mm	Clicks together and floats	COREtec
Loose-lay LVT	Around 5mm	0.55mm	Heavy planks held by weight and grip	Loose-lay range

Wear Layer Grades and Where They Belong

Our category pages group every floor by wear layer: 0.3mm, 0.55mm, 0.7mm and 1.0mm.

Wear layer	Rooms it suits	Household	Example ranges	GF option
0.3mm	Bedrooms, dining rooms, studies	Adults, light traffic	Amtico First, Karndean Knight Tile, Invictus Primus	GF by AW click
0.5mm to 0.55mm	Kitchens, hallways, family rooms	Most family homes	Amtico Spacia, Karndean Van Gogh, Invictus Maximus, Textures	GF Glue-Down 0.55mm, GF by AW, GF Click SPC
0.7mm	Busy kitchens, open-plan spaces, hallways	Large dogs, young children, constant traffic	Amtico Form, Karndean Art Select, Invictus Ultimus, Elements	GF Glue-Down 0.7mm
1.0mm	Any room in the home	The heaviest residential wear	Amtico Signature	None at this level

Thickness of the Main LVT Brands

These are the figures for the ranges we supply, taken from our product data.

Notice that Amtico Signature is no thicker overall than Spacia. The extra durability comes entirely from its 1.0mm wear layer. For a range-by-range comparison of the two biggest brands, read Amtico vs Karndean. If you would like to see them, we are an Amtico and Karndean Retail Partner. Our pages on buying Amtico in Altrincham and buying Karndean in Altrincham explain how it works.

Range	Fitting	Total thickness	Wear layer	Closest GF level
Amtico First	Glue-down	2mm	0.3mm	GF Glue-Down 0.55mm (a step up)
Amtico Spacia	Glue-down	2.5mm	0.55mm	GF Glue-Down 0.55mm or GF by AW
Amtico Form	Glue-down	2.5mm	0.7mm	GF Glue-Down 0.7mm
Amtico Signature	Glue-down	2.5mm	1.0mm	GF Glue-Down 0.7mm (the toughest GF)
Amtico Click Smart	Click	6mm	0.55mm	GF Click SPC
Karndean Knight Tile	Glue-down	2mm	0.3mm	GF Glue-Down 0.55mm (a step up)
Karndean Van Gogh	Glue-down	3mm	0.55mm	GF Glue-Down 0.55mm or GF by AW
Karndean Art Select	Glue-down	3mm	0.7mm	GF Glue-Down 0.7mm
Karndean Knight Tile Rigid Core	Click	4.5mm	0.3mm	GF by AW click or GF Click SPC
Karndean Van Gogh Rigid Core	Click	6.5mm	0.55mm	GF Click SPC
Invictus Primus	Glue-down	2mm	0.3mm	GF by AW or GF Glue-Down 0.55mm
Invictus Maximus	Glue-down	2.5mm	0.55mm	GF Glue-Down 0.55mm
Invictus Ultimus	Glue-down	2.5mm	0.7mm	GF Glue-Down 0.7mm
Invictus Maximus Click	Click	6mm	0.55mm	GF Click SPC

Is Thicker LVT Better?

Not automatically. A 2.5mm glue-down floor with a 0.55mm wear layer will outlast a 6mm click floor with a 0.3mm wear layer in a busy kitchen. Extra thickness brings different benefits:

Forgiveness. A rigid core bridges small dips in the subfloor, so a click floor needs less levelling than glue-down. It still needs a flat, sound base.

Feel. Thicker click floors with a built-in underlay feel softer and sound a little quieter underfoot.

Speed. A click floor can often go over a sound existing floor, which saves time on a refit.

Thin glue-down LVT has its own advantages. Fully bonded, it has closed joints that keep spills on the surface. It adds almost no height. It passes heat quickly from underfloor heating. A damaged plank can also be lifted and replaced on its own. Our glue-down vs click LVT guide covers the full comparison.

Thickness, Door Heights and Neighbouring Floors

Floor height matters more than most people expect. Moving from a 2.5mm glue-down floor to a 6.5mm click floor raises the surface by around 4mm, which can catch the bottom of internal doors, dishwashers and integrated appliance kickboards. Where LVT meets carpet, tile or wood, a threshold strip covers the change in level. If you are matching an existing floor in the next room, tell us both thicknesses at the quote stage so the transition can be planned rather than improvised on the day.

Thickness and Underfloor Heating

Thin glue-down LVT is the most efficient vinyl over underfloor heating because there is so little material between the heat and the room. Rigid-core floors work too, but the core and any attached underlay slow the heat a little. Whatever you choose, most makers set a maximum floor surface temperature of 27C. Check the specification of the floor you choose. Our guide to the best flooring for underfloor heating goes into more detail.

How to Choose the Right Specification

Start with the room. Bedrooms can take 0.3mm. Kitchens, hallways and family rooms need 0.55mm. Busy open-plan spaces deserve 0.7mm.
Look at the subfloor. A smooth screed or new ply suits glue-down. An older floor with small undulations may favour a rigid-core click floor.
Check the heights. Measure door clearances and note any floors the LVT will meet.
Then choose the look. Plank, herringbone, chevron or stone effect are all available at most wear-layer levels.

GF LVT: Thickness and Wear Layers at a Glance

Our own brand covers every level most homes need. GF Glue-Down LVT comes as 2.5mm with a 0.55mm wear layer or 3mm with a 0.7mm wear layer, both with a lifetime residential warranty. Popular 0.7mm designs include Borrowdale Grey Oak Herringbone and Patterdale Aged Oak Chevron. At 0.55mm, try Coniston Ash or Rydal Honey Oak. GF by Associated Weavers offers 2mm glue-down planks and parquet at 0.55mm with a 25-year warranty, plus 0.3mm click designs. GF Click SPC is 5mm or 6.5mm with a 0.5mm wear layer and a built-in underlay, in designs such as Kingham Oak. Every GF floor is priced on its product page and GF samples are free.

Feel the Difference in Person

Thickness is much easier to judge underfoot than on a specification sheet. Our 24/7 Altrincham Smart Showroom has glue-down and click floors from GF, Amtico, Karndean and Invictus laid side by side. Request a door code online and visit whenever it suits you.

Who leads our guides

Adam Williams

Managing Director, Grosvenor Flooring

Adam Williams is Managing Director of Grosvenor Flooring in Altrincham. He sets the standards our guides are written to and guides the team that reviews them, so the advice matches the floors we supply, the manufacturers' specifications and the way the fitters we work with install them.

More about Adam →

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Frequently Asked Questions

What thickness is LVT flooring?

Glue-down LVT is usually 2mm to 3mm and rigid-core click LVT is usually 4mm to 6.5mm. A small number of premium click floors are 8mm or thicker.

What is the thickest LVT flooring?

In our range it is COREtec Naturals at 8.8mm. Thickness alone does not make a floor tougher, though. Check the wear layer as well.

Is a 0.3mm wear layer enough?

For bedrooms and other quiet rooms, yes. In a kitchen, hallway or family room it will show wear sooner, so we recommend 0.55mm there.

What does a 0.55mm wear layer mean?

It means the clear protective film over the design is 0.55mm, or 550 microns, deep. It is the level most family homes need and the one used by ranges such as Amtico Spacia, Karndean Van Gogh and GF Glue-Down 0.55mm.

How thick is Amtico or Karndean flooring?

Amtico glue-down ranges are 2mm to 2.5mm and Amtico Click Smart is 6mm. Karndean glue-down ranges are 2mm to 3mm, while Karndean Rigid Core is 4.5mm or 6.5mm.

Does thicker LVT feel warmer?

Slightly. A thick click floor with a built-in underlay feels softer and a little warmer to bare feet. Thin glue-down LVT warms up faster over underfloor heating.