What Is Karndean Flooring?
Understanding Karndean flooring
What is Karndean flooring – and what is it made of?
Karndean flooring is a brand of luxury vinyl flooring that is known for its durability, versatility, and ability to replicate the look and feel of natural materials such as wood and stone. It’s made largely of calcium carbonate, polyvinyl chloride and pigments.
Karndean is available in large wood planks and rectangular tiles, so there’s a format to suit every space.
Where did Karndean flooring come from?
Founded in 1973 by a flooring installer who dreamed of starting a small family-run business, Karndean has since grown to become a leading name in the luxury vinyl flooring sector.
The business now employs more than 300 people and provides its products to Europe, North America and Australasia – and the brand has become synonymous with quality, durability, and ultra-realistic designs, all of which take inspiration from organic materials yet deliver a softer, more contemporary aesthetic that complements almost any domestic or commercial environment.
The benefits of Karndean flooring
Exceptional longevity
By their very nature, luxury vinyl tiles (LVTs) can withstand lots of use, because these synthetic materials have been manufactured to ensure they have exceptional resistance to damage. However, Karndean takes this design concept one step further by constructing its flooring from multiple layers for maximum durability:
- The topmost wear layer is a clear, protective coating that guards against scratches, scuffs, and stains. This layer can withstand significant foot traffic and physical impact.
- The design layer is a high-resolution photographic layer that provides the realistic appearance of wood, stone, or other natural materials.
- The core layer adds stability and strength to the flooring. It ensures that the planks or tiles remain dimensionally stable and do not warp or buckle when faced with changing temperatures and humidity levels.
- The bottom backing layer provides additional stability and prevents moisture from penetrating the flooring from below.
Generally, the thicker the wear layer, the more durable the product. For commercial installations or homes that receive a lot of foot traffic, we recommend choosing a tile or plank with a 0.5mm (20 mil) – but thicknesses of up to 30 mil are also available to deliver a super long-lasting finish.
The manufacturer is so confident in its products’ performance that all Karndean collections come with a lifetime residential warranty, even when supplied by a retail partner. The length of this Karndean Transferable Purchase Guarantee will depend on the product range.
Design versatility
Karndean flooring is uniquely designed to mimic wood and stone. The brand also offers an exciting collection of abstract designs for customers who want to create a more striking look or enhance the period features of their property.
The Art Select category boasts luxury vinyl planks and tiles with superbly realistic detail that has been achieved using innovative embossing techniques. The Van Gogh collection, on the other hand, takes its inspiration from nature, providing surfaces in marble, slate and terracotta finishes with detailed wood grain textures that add tactility to any room. The Knight Tile range offers a range of colours and shades at a more affordable price point, while the Kaleidoscope portfolio uses geometric shapes and patterns to add visual intrigue and deliver a 3D effect that will bring any floor to life.
Easy maintenance
To keep up with the demands of your building’s users, your flooring needs to be simple to clean and even easier to maintain – and Karndean’s products do not disappoint in this respect.
Loose dirt and debris can be gently buffed away with a soft brush or damp mop, and pH neutral cleaners can be used to give the surface extra sparkle. Even stubborn stains can be removed with Karndean’s everyday cleaning solution, or its specialist Karndean Remove alkaline floor polish remover. To protect the integrity of the design, avoid using cleaning products that contain bleach or other household chemicals, and steer clear from rubber backed entrance mats, as these can discolour the floor over time.
Impressive eco credentials
As a company, Karndean is committed to ensuring its practices and products are as sustainable as possible, as outlined in its comprehensive Sustainability Report and Green Claims Policy (which are both available from the website).
Karndean also boasts a range of environmental certifications; for example, most of its luxury vinyl flooring ranges are certified to Ecospecifier Global GreenTag™ standards, which is one of the largest sustainability standards in Australasia – and these products can also help building owners qualify for LEED v4 points in the USA, and keep them on track to achieve their full LEED accreditation.
The three main types of Karndean flooring
Glue-down options
For complete stability and enhanced endurance, opt for Karndean’s glue-down flooring. By physically securing the product to the subfloor with Mega Bond glue, you can rest assured your surface will stay in place, even with constant heavy use.
Each plank or tile will be individually placed, which makes it easier to create trickier borders and more intricate designs – plus, glue-down LVT has a lower profile when compared to floating floors, which can be helpful if you need to transition between different flooring in the same space. Just be aware that installing glue-down floors can be more challenging, so you may require help from professional installers to achieve a quality finish.
Karndean’s Knight Tile and Van Gogh collections offer glue-down products in an impressive array of colours and designs.
Loose lay
Loose lay Karndean flooring uses K-Wave friction grip backing to keep the product in place. It’s much easier to fit than its glue-down counterparts, making it a great DIY option, and because there’s no need to use an adhesive, replacing damaged planks and tiles is a breeze.
Loose lay surfaces are, however, more prone to expanding and contracting in varying temperatures. They are also not suitable for areas with heavy rolling loads or constant heavy footfall.
The Karndean LooseLay Originals range features eight collections of timber-look planks and stone-look tiles, all of which can be laid over most hard floors.
Rigid core
As its name suggests, rigid core flooring is extremely solid. Flooring that comes in a rigid core format is also provided with a click-locking system that makes for a fast and fuss-free installation. The acoustic foam backing on these Karndean flooring products reduces noise transfer, making them ideal for use in upstairs bedrooms, loft conversions, and multi-storey accommodation.
Their downsides? Rigid core tiles and planks are typically thicker than glue-down flooring, meaning you may need to adjust doors and transitions to accommodate them. Additionally, they are often a more expensive option due to their enhanced features and unique material composition.
Karndean’s Korlok range contains examples of LVT, complete with the brand’s K-Core technology and special locking mechanism.
View The Flooring Group’s full catalogue of Karndean flooring and learn more about this manufacturer’s rich heritage.
