Frequently Asked Questions

Vinyl plank can come in a range of textures, from flat to heavily brushed. These textures help the product look more realistic, and help give depth to the print film. Different manufacturers use different plates for their texture, and some are certainly nicer than others. The most desirable embossing pattern is called EIR (Embossed in Register). This means the pattern of the print film and the embossing matches, creating a more realistic look.

With wood floors, bevels are the grooves found between planks. These provide nice detail on vinyl and also help visually separate the planks. With some patterns, the planks can disappear into each other, and give the impression of a single homogenous surface. The bevels help break this up. Bevels can come in different depths. The deeper, more pronounced bevels most closely mimic higher-end wood flooring.

The urethane coating applied to the wear layer can come in different sheen levels. Although mostly an aesthetic factor, there is one practical consideration with sheen. The higher the gloss level on your floor, the more scratches and wear will show. Considering that a shiny vinyl floor accentuates the “plastic” look of the vinyl, we think a low sheen is both more practical and more visually appealing.