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When it comes to modern options for your flooring, three materials tend to dominate the residential and commercial market – Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), Laminate Flooring, and Engineered Wood Flooring.
Each of these products is manufactured using distinct processes that determine their durability, suitability for different spaces, and overall cost. By understanding how these floors are manufactured, not only makes your purchasing decision easier, but it also highlights the engineering advancements behind our homely finishes. We all want to know that we’ve got the best of the best, and this information will help you feel content with what’s beneath you feet.
How Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Flooring is made
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) has rapidly grown in popularity due to its durability, waterproof qualities, and the ability to mimic natural materials such as stone, wood, or ceramic. The manufacturing process involves several engineered layers, each contributing to the product’s excellent performance.
First is the vinyl Core Layer. This is the heart of LVT as we know it. Usually crafted from Polyvinyl Chloride resins, stabilisers and plasticisers, the raw PVC is blended with calcium carbonate fillers, heat stabilisers, and pigments. This cocktail is then extruded or calendared into thin sheets. Sounds complicated, but that recipe provides dimensional stability, flexibility, and resistance to moisture.
Next comes the decorative layer, effectively a film of bespoke printed design. This is where you’ll find the visual appeal of LVT, created using high-resolution digital imaging or rotogravure printing, which can reproduce wood grains, marble veining, or abstract patterns with remarkable accuracy.
Advanced printing technology allows for ‘texture synchronisation’, where the printed pattern aligns with surface embossing for a realistic tactile effect. This is 3D printing, yet far more effective, and proven with timely results since the 1990s.
On top of the decorative film sits a transparent wear layer, typically made from clear PVC combined with protective additives. The thickness of this wear layer, measured in millimeters, determines the product’s resistance to scratches, dents, and stains.
Commercial-grade LVT often features thicker wear layers for heavy foot traffic environments, but that doesn’t mean domestic LVT can’t handle daily home life. Pets, children and abusive heels are no match for quality Luxury Vinyl Tile.
The final stage involves applying a urethane or ceramic bead coating to enhance surface strength and provide additional resistance to scuffs, UV fading, and chemical exposure. Some LVT products also incorporate antimicrobial treatments for added hygiene.
Depending on the product line, LVT is manufactured in either glue-down planks and tiles or rigid click-lock systems. Rigid-core LVT often incorporates a stone plastic composite (SPC) or wood plastic composite (WPC) core for increased stability, particularly in floating floor installations.
How Laminate Flooring is made
Laminate flooring, once considered a budget alternative to hardwood, has become a sophisticated product in its own right. The strength of laminate lies in a highly engineered construction of multiple fused layers, manufactured using heat, pressure, and next-generation adhesives.
At the centre of laminate flooring rests the HDF core board, made from compressed wood fibre, sawdust, and resin binders. This dense, stable material is created by breaking down wood chips and combining them with melamine resins, before pressing them under high heat. The result is a dimensionally stable core that resists warping and expansion.
Akin to the process with LVT, the aesthetic surface of laminate flooring is created using a decorative paper film, printed with high-definition images of wood, stone, or tile. This décor paper is treated with melamine resin to enhance durability and prevent fading, arguably making it more resilient than floors 10 times the price. Especially when you take the wear level into consideration.
Above the décor film lies a transparent overlay, made from melamine resin-infused aluminium oxide. This wear layer is critical to laminate’s durability, providing protection against scratches, stains, and abrasions. The higher the AC rating (Abrasion Class), the more resilient the flooring is against wear and tear.
To prevent warping, a backing layer of melamine resin-impregnated paper is added to the underside of the HDF core. This balances internal stresses and provides additional moisture resistance. Once this is all in place, it’s time to press and cure.
The laminate flooring “sandwich” (wear layer, decorative paper, HDF core, and backing layer) is assembled and subjected to direct-pressure laminate (DPL) or high-pressure laminate (HPL) pressing. Under immense heat (up to 200°C) and pressure (over 600 psi), the layers fuse into a single, stable board that will take everything you can throw at it.
Once cured, the large laminated boards are cut into planks or tiles. Precision milling machines then shape the tongue-and-groove or click-lock profiles that allow for seamless installation. Surface embossing may also be applied at this stage, aligning texture with the decorative print for realism.
How Engineered Wood Flooring is made
Engineered wood flooring bridges the gap between natural hardwood and synthetic flooring. Unlike solid wood flooring, engineered wood uses a multi-layer construction that improves stability while retaining the authentic surface of real timber. It’s also considerably more cost-effective.
The hallmark of engineered wood is its’ real hardwood veneer. This is a thin slice of natural timber, typically 2–6 mm thick, sourced from species such as oak, maple, or walnut. The veneer is sawn, sliced, or rotary-cut, then dried and conditioned to prevent warping. The thickness of this layer determines how many times the floor can be sanded and refinished over its lifespan, making for either one of life’s lucrative investments, or a DIY disaster waiting to happen.
Beneath the veneer lies the engineered core, which typically consists of:
Plywood layers: Thin cross-laminated sheets of birch, poplar, or eucalyptus, stacked with alternating grain directions for dimensional stability.
High-Density Fibreboard (HDF): In some engineered floors, a fibreboard core is used for enhanced density and uniformity.
The cross-lamination of plywood or fibreboard cores resists expansion and contraction due to humidity, a major advantage over solid hardwood flooring.
To further balance the structure, a backing layer of softwood, veneer, or plywood is applied to the underside. This stabilises the plank and prevents cupping or bowing.
The veneer, core, and backing layers are assembled with high-performance adhesives, typically urethane or formaldehyde-free glues. These layers are pressed together under controlled heat and pressure to create a single, stable plank.
The hardwood veneer is then sanded and finished with surface treatments that include:
UV-cured oils for a natural matte look
Polyurethane lacquers for a glossy, durable finish
Brushing, distressing, or staining for added texture and color variation
Pre-finished engineered wood flooring undergoes finishing at the factory, ensuring consistent quality and faster installation.
Like laminate, engineered wood flooring is milled with tongue-and-groove or click-lock edges for easy installation. Rigorous quality control tests check moisture resistance, bonding strength, and surface finish before packaging.
Comparing the manufacturing processes
While LVT, laminate, and engineered wood flooring share the goal of providing attractive, durable surfaces, their construction reveals fundamental differences:
- Materials:
- LVT relies on PVC and composites.
- Laminate uses wood fibers and resins.
- Engineered wood incorporates genuine timber veneers with plywood or fiberboard cores.
- Durability:
- LVT excels in waterproofing and resilience to scratches.
- Laminate offers strong abrasion resistance but can be vulnerable to water damage.
- Engineered wood balances natural beauty with structural stability.
- Manufacturing Techniques:
- LVT uses extrusion, digital printing, and surface coatings.
- Laminate depends on high-pressure lamination and resin impregnation.
- Engineered wood requires veneer slicing, multi-layer bonding, and natural finishing.
TL; DR
The flooring industry has developed sophisticated manufacturing processes to produce solutions that cater to diverse needs.
Luxury Vinyl Tile delivers synthetic durability and design flexibility through advanced plastics and coatings.
Laminate flooring leverages wood fiber composites and precision pressing to provide a cost-effective alternative to hardwood.
Engineered wood flooring combines natural veneers with layered cores for the authenticity of timber without the limitations of solid planks.
