Buying advice

Home Decorators Collection Vinyl Plank vs Riche SPC: 12 Mil Floors With an Attached Pad Compared

Two click-lock vinyl floors with a 12 mil wear layer and a pad built into the plank, and very different cores under the print. We explain which one suits a level subfloor, which one copes with an uneven one, and when the 20 mil step is worth the money.

Riche Blonde Sand Oak SPC vinyl plank flooring, a 6 mm waterproof plank with a 12 mil wear layer and an attached IXPE pad
Riche Blonde Sand Oak SPC vinyl plank flooring, a 6 mm waterproof plank with a 12 mil wear layer and an attached IXPE pad
In this article

Both floors are click-lock vinyl planks with a 12 mil wear layer and a pad bonded to the back, so neither needs a loose underlay roll. Home Depot Canada lists the Home Decorators Collection plank at 5 mm thick with a pre-attached underlayment, $3.28 per sq ft. Our SPC vinyl plank collection carries the same 12 mil wear layer on a 6 mm or 9 mm core from $1.89 to $2.45 per sq ft, and our 20 mil boards are $2.49 and $3.29 per sq ft.

The short answer: choose the Home Decorators Collection plank for one 7.1 inch wide board in a single colour over a level subfloor. Choose Riche SPC for the same 12 mil wear layer at a lower price, a thicker core for an uneven subfloor, or a 20 mil wear layer in a busy home.

The two floors at a glance

Home Decorators Collection Riche SPC, 12 mil Riche SPC, 20 mil
Core 5 mm 6 mm and 9 mm 9 mm and 10 mm
Wear layer 12 mil 12 mil 20 mil
Pad Pre-attached IXPE or EVA, bonded EVA, bonded
Price per sq ft $3.28 $1.89 to $2.45 $2.49 to $3.29
Suits A flat subfloor, one colour Living rooms, bedrooms, basements Dogs, kitchens, rolling chairs

Prices checked October 17, 2026. Home Depot Canada lists the Home Decorators Collection Crescent Spur case at $76.88 for 23.44 sq ft, or $3.28 per sq ft, at its Toronto Stockyards store, and one more colour there, Old French Oak, is $3.48 per sq ft. Home Depot prices can change and can differ by store. Our Riche prices are from the same date.

Is a 12 mil wear layer enough for your home?

The wear layer is the clear film above the printed wood pattern, and it is what takes the traffic. It is measured in mil, or thousandths of an inch. Twelve mil is a normal residential grade, and it is why two boards can look identical in a photo yet age differently. Both floors here are 12 mil, so the wear layer does not separate them. It suits most rooms in a house: living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, kitchens and basements with normal family traffic.

The 20 mil boards earn their price where the floor is worked hard: large dogs, an entryway with wet boots all winter, or office chairs that roll every day. Our 9 mm 20 mil plank is $2.49 per sq ft against $2.39 for the 9 mm 12 mil board, about four percent more per square foot. Our guide to 12 mil versus 20 mil vinyl plank works through that trade-off.

Riche Nordic Breeze Oak 9 mm SPC vinyl plank with a 20 mil wear layer and an EVA pad
Riche Nordic Breeze Oak, 9 mm, 20 mil wear layer and EVA pad, $2.49 per sq ft

Why core thickness matters on an uneven subfloor

The core is the stiff layer under the printed film, and it is what keeps a click-lock plank flat. The Home Decorators Collection plank is 5 mm thick. Our Riche 12 mil planks start at 6 mm and reach 9 mm, and the 20 mil planks are 9 mm or 10 mm.

On a subfloor that is not perfectly level, you can feel the difference. A 5 mm core bends more when it spans a dip or a joint in the plywood, and a plank that bends strains the click joint along its edge. That is where a floating floor shows its first trouble: a seam that opens, a joint that pops underfoot, or a click that loosens near a doorway. A 9 mm or 10 mm core resists that bending and holds the joint tighter through a Toronto heating season.

A thicker core is not a substitute for preparation. Any click floor follows the shape of whatever sits under it, so we still check flatness. The added height counts too: a 10 mm plank with a pad sits higher than a 5 mm one, which changes clearance at doors. Our guide to choosing an SPC core thickness covers these choices room by room.

Riche Blonde Sand Oak 6 mm SPC vinyl plank with a 12 mil wear layer and an attached IXPE pad
Riche Blonde Sand Oak, 6 mm, 12 mil wear layer, IXPE pad, $1.89 per sq ft

Does the attached pad change the choice?

Both floors put the cushioning under the plank rather than under the whole room, which is the version you want for a basement, a condo or a main floor over concrete. The Home Decorators Collection plank arrives with a pre-attached underlayment, the 6 mm Riche planks carry an IXPE pad, and the 9 mm and 10 mm planks carry an EVA pad. A bonded pad cannot slide or bunch the way a loose roll can, and EVA is the firmer of the two while IXPE is the springier one, so the thicker Riche planks feel more solid underfoot.

One case needs a second look. A building that asks for extra separation between floors, common in Toronto condos, may push you toward another cushion layer, and that changes how the click joint behaves. Talk to us before adding one. Our guides to underlayment for SPC vinyl and to core thickness and pad types cover it.

Plank width: 7.1 inch or a narrower face?

The Home Decorators Collection board is 7.1 in wide and 47.6 in long, which covers a room in fewer rows and shows more grain in each plank. Width is mostly a look and a labour decision: a wide board means fewer seams and fewer cuts along the walls, a narrower one gives a busier, more traditional floor. Our Riche colours include more than one face width, so if width matters in a tight space, ask us for the width of the colour you like before you order. Our comparison of wide and narrow SPC planks shows what each size does in a room.

Riche Reclaimed Barnwood 9 mm SPC vinyl plank with a 12 mil wear layer and an EVA pad
Riche Reclaimed Barnwood, 9 mm, 12 mil wear layer, EVA pad, $2.39 per sq ft

What a 300 sq ft room costs in boxes

Price per square foot sets the rate; the case count sets the bill, because cases hold different amounts of floor. These figures use a 300 sq ft room, add five percent for cuts and waste to reach 315 sq ft, then round up to whole cases.

Floor Coverage per case Case price Cases for 300 sq ft Material cost
Home Decorators Collection, 5 mm, 12 mil 23.44 sq ft $76.88 14 $1,076.32
Riche 6 mm, 12 mil, IXPE pad 23.64 sq ft $44.68 14 $625.52
Riche 9 mm, 12 mil, EVA pad 13.79 sq ft $32.96 23 $758.08
Riche 9 mm, 20 mil, EVA pad 14.18 sq ft $35.31 23 $812.13
Riche 10 mm, 20 mil, EVA pad 11.82 sq ft $38.89 27 $1,050.03

The 6 mm Riche plank comes in $450.80 under the Home Decorators Collection case, the 9 mm 12 mil board $318.24 under, and the 9 mm 20 mil board $264.19 under. The 10 mm plank is the closest match to the big box price, with twice the core thickness and a 20 mil wear layer. These are material figures only: installation, removal of the old floor, trim and delivery sit outside them and are priced after we see the room.

Which of these two floors should you choose?

  • Choose the Home Decorators Collection plank for one 7.1 inch wide colour at $3.28 per sq ft if your subfloor is flat and you would rather pick the case up yourself.
  • Choose the Riche 6 mm plank if the material budget matters most. At $1.89 per sq ft it is the least expensive floor compared here, and it is a wide board with an IXPE pad on the back.
  • Choose the Riche 9 mm 12 mil plank if your subfloor has dips, or you are flooring a condo or basement and want more stiffness in the core, for $2.39 per sq ft.
  • Choose the Riche 9 mm 20 mil plank if you have dogs, rolling chairs, or a kitchen and entryway that take a beating all year.
  • Choose the Riche 10 mm 20 mil plank if you want the thickest board here, a 20 mil wear layer and a narrower face, at $3.29 per sq ft.

None of these is a bad floor. The 12 mil boards share the same wear layer, so the choice comes down to core thickness, the pad, plank size and price. If you are weighing the wider store brand range, our guide to Home Depot vinyl plank alternatives covers the tiers above this one.

Riche Frost White Oak 10 mm SPC vinyl plank with a 20 mil wear layer and an EVA pad
Riche Frost White Oak, 10 mm, 20 mil wear layer, EVA pad, $3.29 per sq ft

Frequently asked questions

Is a 5 mm vinyl plank thick enough for a living room?

It can be. The Home Decorators Collection board is 5 mm with a 12 mil wear layer and a pre-attached underlayment, a normal combination for a residential room. The limit is stiffness rather than wear. If your subfloor is flat, the thinner plank is fine; if it is wavy, a 9 mm or 10 mm Riche plank is safer.

Do both of these floors come with the pad attached?

Yes. The Home Decorators Collection plank has a pre-attached underlayment, and our Riche planks come with an IXPE or EVA pad bonded to the back. For the 9 mm colours at $2.45 per sq ft, ask us about the pad before you order.

Which one costs less per square foot?

The Riche 12 mil planks run from $1.89 to $2.45 per sq ft and the 20 mil planks from $2.49 to $3.29, against $3.28 per sq ft for the Home Decorators Collection board on the day we checked. Over 300 sq ft that is a $264.19 to $450.80 difference in material before installation.

How many cases do I need for a 300 sq ft room?

Add five percent for cuts and waste to get 315 sq ft, then divide by the coverage per case and round up. The budget table above shows the case count for each floor here.

Can either floor go over the tile or vinyl I already have?

The Home Decorators Collection plank can go over tile, wood, concrete and vinyl. Our Riche planks suit most flat, sound subfloors. We check for uneven spots and doorway clearance first, because a floating floor follows whatever is underneath it.

Is 20 mil worth it for a family with a dog?

It is the version we would suggest. Claws, dropped toys and a water bowl at the door all work on the surface, and 20 mil gives you roughly two thirds more wear layer than 12 mil. In a 300 sq ft room the material comes to $812.13 against $758.08, about seven percent more.

Get a quote for a vinyl plank floor in Toronto and the GTA

Send us your room sizes and we will run the same box maths on your numbers, then price the installation for your subfloor and building type. You can request a quote here, or bring a photo of your subfloor and we will tell you whether a 6 mm or a 9 mm core suits it.

Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819

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