Waterproof Vinyl Plank Flooring: Cores, Wear Layers and Which Lines Are Listed Waterproof

Waterproof vinyl flooring is vinyl plank or tile that the maker lists as waterproof, and 22 of our 26 vinyl lines carry that listing on some or all of their colors. The listing describes the plank itself, a vinyl wear layer over a core the maker states is not damaged by water. Below are the lines in our luxury vinyl plank collection that carry a waterproof listing, grouped by how they are built, and the four that do not.

Three specs in one line each

• Waterproof listing: the maker's statement that the plank is not damaged by water. It is printed on each color's product page; Acclima uses the maker's term water-resistant instead.
• Wear layer: the clear top coat over the printed design, measured in mil (a thousandth of an inch). Ours run from 6 to 30 mil.
• Rigid core: a stiff core with locking edges. SPC (stone-plastic composite) and WPC (wood-plastic composite) are two core materials of this kind.

Wear layer and waterproof listing are separate specs, and a line can have one without the other. Every spec is compared line by line in our guide to choosing luxury vinyl plank.

Waterproof vinyl plank lines at a glance

"Every color" means each color's product page uses the word waterproof. Where only some colors of a line say it, the count is shown. Wear layer is in mil, a thousandth of an inch.

Line	Type	Wear layer	Thickness	Size (in)	Waterproof listing
Studio, XL Studio	Click-lock rigid core	30 mil	0.35 in	9 x 48, 9 x 60	Every color
Cyrus 2.0	Click-lock rigid core	20 mil	0.20 in	7 x 48	Every color
Andover	Click-lock rigid core	20 mil	0.20 in	7 x 48	Every color
Prescott, XL Prescott	Click-lock rigid core	20 mil	0.26 in	7 x 48, 9 x 60	72 of 76 colors
Cyrus, XL Cyrus	Click-lock rigid core	12 mil	0.20 in	7 x 48, 9 x 60	63 of 70 colors
Ashton, XL Ashton	Click-lock rigid core	6 mil	0.17 in	7 x 48, 9 x 60	Every color
Smithcliffs	Hybrid rigid core	CrystaLux Ultra	0.39 to 0.40 in	7.7 x 48, 7 x 50	Every color
Shorecliffs	Hybrid rigid core	AC5 rated	0.47 in	9 x 87	Every color
Wayne Parc	Hybrid rigid core (WPC)	22 or 30 mil	0.39 or 0.47 in	9 x 60, 9 x 72	Every color
Kallum	Loose lay	20 mil	0.19 in	9 x 48	Every color
Nove, Nove Plus, Nove Reserve	Glue-down	6 to 22 mil	0.08 to 0.10 in	9 x 48	Every color
Laurel, Laurel Reserve	Click-lock	20 or 22 mil	0.20 or 0.31 in	9 x 48	18 of 31 colors
Trecento, XL Trecento	Click-lock rigid core tile	12 mil	0.19 to 0.20 in	12 x 24, 18 x 36	15 of 21 colors

Three glue-down lines, Glenridge, Katavia and Wilmont, do not say waterproof on their listings, and Acclima is listed as water-resistant. They are covered at the end of this guide.

What makes a vinyl plank waterproof

A vinyl plank is built in layers: a clear wear layer, a printed wood or stone image, a core and, on the rigid core and hybrid lines, a pad or backing attached to the back. Waterproof claims rest on the core. Rigid core planks have a stiff, dense core with locking edges. Hybrid planks use a composite core, which Wayne Parc names as WPC (wood-plastic composite) and Smithcliffs and Shorecliffs name DryLuxe. Loose lay and glue-down planks are thin and flexible all the way through. All three builds appear in the waterproof column above. How the cores differ is explained in our rigid core and SPC vinyl guide.

Waterproof rigid core planks

Rigid core is the largest group, and every color of Studio, XL Studio, Cyrus 2.0, Andover, Ashton and XL Ashton is listed as 100% waterproof. All of them click together and have a pad attached to the back. They are gathered in click-lock vinyl.

1. Studio Lark

Studio shares our thickest wear layer, 30 mil, with Wayne Parc Reserve, on a 9 by 48 inch plank that is 0.35 inches thick, listed with a 7 mm core and a 2 mm attached pad. Lark is a dark blonde with natural knots and grain. The same colors come in 9 by 60 inch planks as XL Studio, all in Studio flooring.

2. Cyrus 2.0 Mezcla

Cyrus 2.0 is the 20 mil version of Cyrus, on the same 7 by 48 inch, 0.20 inch plank. Mezcla combines gray and greige tones, with boards of random sizes printed across each plank. Every one of the 17 Cyrus 2.0 colors is listed as waterproof, while the original 12 mil Cyrus says it on 31 of its 32 colors.

3. Andover Wilton

Andover is a 7 by 48 inch rigid core plank with a 20 mil wear layer and a beveled edge. Wilton mixes several shades of blonde with knots and grain. All 11 Andover colors are listed as waterproof, and their listings name kitchens, bathrooms and basements among the rooms they suit.

Hybrid rigid core: DryLuxe and WPC

The hybrid lines are the thickest planks we carry, from 0.39 to 0.47 inches, and each one names its core. They are in hybrid rigid core vinyl, and Smithcliffs and Shorecliffs are also listed together in rigid core flooring.

4. Smithcliffs Driftway

Smithcliffs is listed with DryLuxe waterproof technology and a CrystaLux Ultra protective layer, on a plank about 0.40 inches thick with a 2 mm closed-cell pad for sound and comfort underfoot. Nine of the 11 colors are 7.7 by 48 inches; Cloudland and Sunnyvale are 7 by 50. Driftway combines creamy beige and soft gray with subtle knots.

5. Shorecliffs Sunny Shake

Shorecliffs has the longest plank in our vinyl range, 9 by 87 inches, at 0.47 inches thick. Its listing names a 100% waterproof DryLuxe core, an AC5 rated wear layer and an integrated comfort pad. Sunny Shake is a sun-washed blonde with long grain. At 87 inches, each plank is more than seven feet long. Other long formats are in wide plank flooring.

Wayne Parc, the third hybrid line, has a waterproof WPC core and a natural cork backing, in 9 by 60 and 9 by 72 inch planks. It is compared with the other lines in our guide to choosing luxury vinyl plank.

Flexible waterproof planks: loose lay and glue-down

Waterproof is not only a rigid core feature. Two thin, flexible lines carry the same listing.

6. Kallum Walnut Waves

Kallum is our loose lay line: 9 by 48 inch planks, 0.19 inches thick, that lie flat on the floor without clicking together. Its listing calls it 100% waterproof and describes a fiber-reinforced construction. Walnut Waves is a rich brown with natural knots and grain. All 12 colors are in loose lay luxury vinyl.

7. Nove Reserve Bayhill Blonde

Nove Reserve is a glue-down plank only 0.10 inches thick with a 22 mil wear layer, and its listing calls it 100% waterproof and approved for all grade levels. Bayhill Blonde layers cashew blonde tones with natural knots, in a 9 by 48 inch plank. Nove and Nove Plus, at 0.08 inches, carry the same waterproof listing, and all three are in glue-down vinyl. How glue-down and click-lock floors differ in height and feel is in our click lock vs glue down guide.

Where waterproof vinyl is listed for use

Listings for Andover, Cyrus 2.0 and Smithcliffs name the kitchen, living area, bathroom and basement among the rooms they suit. Glenridge, Katavia, Acclima and the Nove lines say every color suits all grade levels, meaning above, on and below ground level, which includes basements. Each room has its own guide: vinyl flooring for kitchens, vinyl plank flooring for bathrooms and luxury vinyl plank for basements.

Lines without a waterproof listing

Four glue-down lines carry a different listing:

Line	Thickness	Wear layer	What the listing says
Glenridge	0.08 in	12 mil	All grade levels, including the basement
Katavia	0.08 in	6 mil	All grade levels, including basements
Wilmont	0.10 in	20 mil	Residential and commercial; all grade levels on 3 of 7 colors
Acclima	0.08 in	12 mil	Water-resistant; all floor levels, including basements

Wilmont shows that the two specs are separate: it has a 20 mil wear layer and no waterproof listing. All four lines are in glue-down vinyl alongside the Nove lines.

Matching trim

Of our 341 vinyl colors, 290 list matching stair noses, reducers, T-moldings or end caps on the product page, collected in vinyl stair nose and vinyl transitions. Each piece is explained in our vinyl stair nose and trim guide.

Waterproof Vinyl Flooring FAQ

Is all luxury vinyl plank waterproof?

No. In our range, 22 of 26 vinyl lines carry a waterproof listing on some or all colors. Every click-lock and hybrid line has it on some or all colors, from every color of Studio and Andover to 72 of 76 Prescott and 63 of 70 Cyrus colors, along with the loose lay Kallum. Only three of the seven glue-down lines carry it: Nove, Nove Plus and Nove Reserve.

What is the difference between waterproof and water-resistant vinyl?

They are two different listings. Waterproof is the maker's statement that the plank itself is not damaged by water. Water-resistant is the maker's term on Acclima, the one line in our range that uses it, and the listing does not define it further. Acclima's listing names kitchens, living areas, bathrooms and basements among the rooms it suits.

Is waterproof vinyl the same as SPC?

No. SPC is a core material and waterproof is a listing. Our waterproof lines come in four builds: rigid core lines whose listings do not name the core, such as Studio and Andover; hybrid lines, Wayne Parc with a WPC core and Smithcliffs and Shorecliffs with a DryLuxe core; the loose lay Kallum; and the glue-down Nove lines. The core types are compared in our rigid core and SPC guide.

What is the thickest waterproof vinyl plank?

Shorecliffs and the 9 by 72 inch Wayne Parc Reserve, both at 0.47 inches. The thinnest waterproof planks are Nove and Nove Plus at 0.08 inches, so the waterproof listing spans the full thickness range we carry, 0.08 to 0.47 inches, from glue-down to the thickest hybrid planks.

Why do only some Laurel and Trecento colors say waterproof?

Because the wording sits in each color's own description, and some descriptions in these lines leave it out. Laurel says waterproof on 9 of 13 colors, Laurel Reserve on 9 of 18, Trecento on 7 of 11 and XL Trecento on 8 of 10. The product page of the exact color is the one to read.