What does WPC mean?
WPC: Wood Polymer Composite Material Core
A WPC core is a preferred specification when it comes to any luxury vinyl planking. These cores are better to use residentially as they are softer, warmer, and more sound absorbent than an SPC core.
Why Does it matter if I have a WPC over SPC?
You may wonder why Miller’s Wholesale Flooring advocates more for a WPC over and SPC as you may have seen more advertisements for SPC or “Rigid” products. The matter of the fact is…. people make a higher margin on SPC products because they are a cheaper product to make and easier to mark up. We, as a retailer who actually installs the product and generally carry a two year installation warranty on our work, are more worried about protecting your investment rather than a profit margin. Of our 57 years in business, the past 10 focusing mostly luxury vinyl planking, we have.. knock on wood.. not had a claim on a WPC product yet!
Another benefit of a WPC product is the fact that it is much more flexible than your general SPC flooring. If you do not have a perfect subfloor, whether it be concrete or wood, an SPC is far more likely to separate. Even if there is 1/8” dip in the subfloor, if you step on a plank over that area it will put tension on the locking system and you have a higher possibility of it separating. As for wood subfloors, especially on new construction we do not recommend having an SPC installed. When you build a new construction home with wood subfloor, it is inevitable that the floor will settle over time. It is totally normal! However, when using an SPC for this, it will cause the tension mentioned above and likely you will have plank separation overtime. Since a WPC is much less rigid, and more flexible, when you step on one board, even if there is an imperfection in the subfloor, it will flex the board that is connected and have better performance with your subfloor as it starts to settle.
Now you might be asking yourself, “will i feel it move with those imperfections? I don’t want a flooring that I can feel bouncing under foot.” The answer is quite simple. NO. If the proper preparation is done, for both WPC and SPC, you will not feel bouncing. However, an SPC can feel more “hollow” than a WPC as they are generally 4mm-6mm thick with a Stone Polymer Core. This can make the room sound like it has an echo, or even feel a little more frigid under foot. A WPC is typically between 6.5mm thick to 8mm thick with certain styles coming all the way up to 15 mm thick! This could end up getting confusing as some believe a thicker floor is better. A thicker flooring does have its perks, but it is certainly a preference! Most people are used to a laminate which is generally 10mm and thicker. A laminate needs this thickness to have any integrity as its core is a fiberboard, so it needs the thickness to have any stability. Since a luxury vinyl plank has a compressed core, you have the comfort and stability without having to have that thick of a plank. Typically the thicker specifications are preferred when there are several imperfections in the subfloor that will still be there even when self-leveled, or they prefer the flooring to feel like a hardwood under foot.
A WPC product does not only offer flexibility and stability, but also warmth. Whether you have concrete or a crawl space, The material that the WPC is made up of is able to absorb some of the colder temperatures, allowing it to be a warmer product to walk on than your general SPC or ceramic tile. We find that the 8mm products offer a greater warmth than a 6.5mm product, with the higher the MM the more it will absorb. If you have a concrete slab, and want to have optimum warmth with your LVP during the winter we recommend anything between a 8mm to 15mm thick product as it will absorb more of those frigid temperatures than the thinner WPC products. You can guarantee an SPC product to be cold no matter what the thickness as the core absorbs the temperature and you can certainly feel it.. It would be like if you touched a rock outside when it is cold.
On top of the temperature absorption of a WPC, you also have sound absorption! If you are in a cinder block basement on a concrete subfloor, the last thing you want to hear is your foot steps or voice echoing. The WPC products will be more acoustically sound with up to 70%-90% of absorption. Now don’t get us wrong here! If you are doing some kind of space for music, or a church, or somewhere there will be loud noises, carpet and a quiet sound pad are going to be your best options, however, when looking for a durable, easy to clean, waterproof product that you don’t want to sound “echo-y,” you certainly want to go with a WPC product.
choosing flooring is an investment you don’t want to have to make on the regular!
We like to think the general rule of thumb is that an SPC product is going to be more of your 5-8 year product (depending how well the area is prepped and the maintenance after installation) and a WPC product a 10+year to lifetime product. The better the floor preparation and regular maintenance the longer life you will get from your investment. Always pay attention to your flooring specifications and user guides when choosing your flooring, and for the love of all things Holy……… Do NOT set cabinets on any floating floor at any cost! Setting cabinets on a floating floor, whether it be SPC or WPC, or possibly even a laminate, IT WILL VOID YOUR MANUFACTURING WARRANTY.