How to choose the best SPC flooring

SPC flooring has emerged as the top flooring choice in both commercial and residential usage.

This is due to the fact that…… It offers great advantages for home improvement and most crucially, SPC flooring is very affordable.

Do you know?

SPC flooring offers wide range of selection not just on the pattern and design but also various functionality and ways of installation.

Depending on your concern, SPC flooring can be categorized in various way… and yes, sometimes it’s quite confusing.

Not sure of which best fit your needs?

Here are some information on different forms of SPC flooring in today’s market which you might not want to miss.

3 Major Forms of SPC Flooring

1. SPC Tile Flooring

I bet you can surely guess it’s shape upon seeing the word ‘tile’ …

Yes. This type of flooring comes in squarish shape, similar to ceramic or stone tiles. The only difference is, it’s a PVC tile.

Here are some common designs and style for SPC tile: Granite inspired look/ Realism of natural hardwood/Luxury marble

How does the fitting go?

It is quite common to find fitting using loose-lay or glue down method. Check out this SPC tile flooring installation guide for details on fitting your SPC tile flooring.

So, what about Luxury SPC Tile (LVT)?

Luxury SPC tile (LVT) is a high end resilient flooring that can be use for both residential and commercial purposes.

Luxury SPC tile is usually thicker, which is up to 5mm thick and wear layer can be up to 0.5mm. This is also the reason LVT has better durability compared to regular SPC tile flooring.

Take a look at these fascinating depth and texture of LVT:

For luxury SPC tile (LVT), click-on system can be used. It is a glueless SPC tile flooring installation… which means, faster installation process and hassle-free.

Installing Luxury SPC tile is simple and easy and you can actually diy your fitting using this installation guide.

Did I mention the best part yet?

You can install your SPC tile right on top of your existing flooring as long as the surface condition is dry, smooth and flat! In other word, you do not need to spend more time and money to remove your previous flooring before your SPC tile installation! Isn’t it awesome?

2. SPC Sheet Flooring

This type of flooring comes in wide piece of roll that give you flexibility in dimension. You can customize the size according to your space area by cutting it when you install.

Despite that it’s in sheet form, it does not affect the realistic visual of the entire flooring. Check out the various style and textures available in SPC sheet: Exotic wood look/Mimic of natural stones/Ceramic

Similarly to SPC tile flooring, SPC sheet can be installed over your existing floor. Bear in mind that your existing floor surface must be flat, smooth, dust-free and in dry condition before installing SPC sheet flooring.

It is important to make sure any cracks or uneven surface of existing flooring are repaired before SPC sheet installation.

3. SPC Plank Flooring

SPC plank flooring is considered common among different type of SPC flooring. It is available in different width, thickness, fitting system and designs.

SPC Plank with narrow width less than 3 inches, is also known as strip. Wide plank will normally comes with width of 5 to 7 inches. Wider plank will tend to give a visual effect of larger and wider space.

How many installation methods available for this type of SPC flooring?

glued down/loose lay/click-lock/self adhesive

SPC plank with self adhesive system are normally coated with pressure sensitive glue. Guess what’s the best part of this installation method? It is so convenient that you can simply pull off the layer of separator and the planks are ready for install.

SPC plank that comes with click-lock fitting system are specially made to interlock with the neighboring plank without the application of glue or underlay. The fabulous part about this click-lock fitting system is it takes only half the time required for traditional adhesive SPC installation.

Loose lay fitting system is another innovative way of installing your SPC plank flooring. Without the usage of glue during installation, both click-lock and loose lay system are definitely more eco-friendly, hassle-free, less harm to health and odorless.

This simple installation method definitely will not have you worry about the volatile organic chemical (VOC) that comes with the glue after installation.

If you are keen on diy and can’t wait to start working on your flooring, just hold in for another second.

Here’s what you may want to take a look before you start!Our step-by-step installation guide for different type of fitting system.

4. Luxury SPC Plank (LVP) Flooring

Similarly to SPC plank flooring, LVP can be found in different thickness and width. It’s durability and water impermeable features make it suitable for kitchen and even laundry areas.

Here are some attractive designs and styles for luxury SPC plank flooring:

Luxury SPC plank flooring is available in click-on and loose-lay fitting system. I bet you know these fitting system well. They are both time effective and user friendly. If you are considering diy, loose-lay is the much easier way to install your SPC plank flooring.

SPC Flooring Based on Grade

Generally, SPC flooring can be categorized into 2 major grade, which are the commercial grade and residential grade. Both grade serves two different applications.

You might be thinking what is the reason of categorizing SPC flooring for residential and commercial application?

Here’s why… many of times the warranty of flooring materials varies depends on it’s application.

In short, different grade comes with different warranty period.

As application is a direct affecting factor on the flooring’s durability, it is important to choose the correct SPC flooring that are able to sustain the level of traffic after installation. You know… you can’t afford to regret it later.

If you are planning to install SPC flooring on your own, bear in mind that most warranty does not cover installation mistakes as it is the more likely to become a common flooring problems after installation.

Not a risk-taker?

You can consult with our professionals anytime for options available.

SPC Flooring Based on Functionality

1. Non-slip Safety SPC Flooring

Again, if you are wondering why would this feature is specifically classified…Or… you might be questioning: Aren’t all SPC flooring slip resistant? Yes, it’s true that most SPC flooring comes with slip resistant rating. In fact, anti slip rating is normally known as “R” and can be widely ranged!

You will find most SPC flooring consist of an anti slip rating between R9 to R13. The higher number of R rating the better it is in slip resistant. So do look for the R rating for an anti slip feature in your SPC flooring.

So how do you choose the rating? It all depends on where you are installing your SPC flooring. You may want to install a heavy duty and safety focused SPC flooring with high number of R rating in high traffic working environment.

Some of the places worthy for installing higher R rated flooring are like factories, classroom, fitness or dance studio.

Here’s another advantages of installing slip resistant flooring…

Installing high R rated SPC flooring in a company or organization will also help to ensure compliance of occupational health and safety management by reducing the chances of slip and fall.

Other suitable places include elderly care centers, child care homes and nursery.

What about residential application? Slip resistant flooring is not only confined to commercial usage. If you are concern about domestic safety of elderly and kids at home, you may want to consider installing SPC flooring with highly rated R number, especially in high risks areas such as kitchen and dining room.

So now I bet you must be thinking that you will never slip after installing R rated SPC flooring. That’s not completely true!

Here’s the catch…

R rating determines the slip resistance of flooring which is measured under a particular condition. Unfortunately, it does not guarantee effective anti slip properties when the flooring surface is wet or contaminated with liquids.

Generally, R rated SPC flooring is still an ideal choice for slip risks areas.

2. Anti Static SPC Flooring

Have you ever had shock experienced when your hand touches a metal door or other metal object?

If yes, you’ve probably just experienced the zap of static electricity. It is more likely to have static electricity shock when you are in some where dry and cold like air-conditioned room or during winter.

This phenomena seems nothing to us but it is potentially hazardous to critical equipment which are sensitive to static electricity. Static electricity not only cause damages to the equipment but also affects accuracy of the equipment.

I bet you can imagine how detrimental it would be if these equipment are used to diagnose serious medical condition. It’s actually affecting life and death!

As static electricity can be generated by electrical equipment and devices, it is utmost important to ensure that these equipment and devices are stored in a stable protective static-free environment. This is where anti static SPC flooring comes in.

In fact, it is the most popular flooring trends in places prone to electric static discharge like laboratories, hospitals, computer rooms, pharmaceutical manufacturing units, etc.

It is so commonly used in health care industry that sometimes it is also known as Hospital standard SPC flooring. So don’t get confused the next time if you come across this term. It simply implies the SPC flooring with anti static feature.

3. Heavy Duty SPC Flooring

This type of SPC sheet is durable and able to withstand wear and tear… because of that it is incredibly versatile. In fact, such outstanding heavy duty properties is making it a number one choice for both industrial and commercial usage.

Needless to say, it is an ideal choice for a wide array of high traffic applications like basement, stores, garage, gym, trains and subway vehicles, restaurants, factories and many more.

Heavy duty SPC flooring normally can be found in sheet form and it is thicker than normal sheet SPC. It’s hard wearing properties comes from the tough and resilient texture that is able to absorb sudden impact without becoming brittle or damage.

So, which type of method is suitable to use when installing heavy duty flooring?

Fitting or installation method for SPC sheet flooring may be loose lay method, glue down using permanent or temporary adhesive. You may learn more about the fitting system from our step by step installation guide.

Unless you have had previous experience installing this type of flooring, otherwise it is recommended to have your installation done by professionals.

Make The Right Choice

All these basic types and installation methods will help you to make the right decision without any mistakes.

You may get professional advises and assistant in SPC flooring installation from us by sending us an email at. Who knows you may find SPC flooring within your reach.