Vinyl plank has real weak spots, and most of them only show up after the boxes are open: seams that open a little in a cold snap, a dent where a heavy dresser sat, a sun-baked strip in front of the patio door, or a patch that sounds hollow when you cross the room. None of these rules the floor out, but each one has a cause you can check before you buy. Below we take the downsides one at a time and set them against the specs and live prices of three Riche SPC planks from our vinyl flooring collection, from a 6mm board with a 12 mil wear layer up to a 10mm board with a 20 mil one.
This page is about trade-offs, not a definition of vinyl plank or a ranking of brands. Prices come from our current catalogue, and every installation rule we mention is quoted from a published manufacturer guide.
Quick answer: where vinyl plank falls short, and where it holds up
Read any list of vinyl plank flooring pros and cons and the same five complaints appear. For four of them, the cause sits in the room or the installation rather than in the price of the plank. Here they are, each with the likely cause and the thing to check.
| Downside | Likely cause | What to check before you buy |
|---|---|---|
| Gaps or separation at the seams | A floating floor pinned in place so it cannot expand and contract, or planks that did not lock properly | Expansion space at every wall and fixed object, and trim fastened to the wall |
| Dents | Heavy furniture resting on small feet | Wide furniture cups or pads before the furniture goes back in |
| Heat or sun damage | Long hours of direct sun through glass, or a heat source close to the floor | Shade for sunny spots and a wider expansion gap in those rooms |
| Hollow sound | A floating floor laid over a subfloor that is not flat enough | Subfloor flatness against the installation guide |
| Resale doubts | Buyer taste, which no spec controls | A plank that suits the room and a look that will not date quickly |
On the plus side, the three planks in this comparison are all listed as waterproof in our catalogue, all install as click-lock floating floors, and all come with a factory-attached pad. They range from $2.66 to $4.99 per sq ft in material.
Three Riche SPC planks, three spec rungs
Here is the ladder we will refer back to. Thickness includes the attached pad, which the product pages split into rigid core plus pad.
| Plank | Total thickness (core + pad) | Wear layer and our class | Width | Box price / coverage | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Blonde Sand Oak SPC | 6mm (4.5mm SPC + 1.5mm IXPE) | 12 mil, residential | 7.09" | $62.93 / 23.64 sq ft | $2.66 |
| Riche Heavy-Duty Driftwood Mist | 8mm (6mm SPC core + 2mm EVA) | 20 mil, commercial / heavy duty | 7.09" | $59.00 / 16.55 sq ft | $3.56 |
| Riche Ultra-Thick Greige Mist | 10mm (8mm SPC core + 2mm EVA pad) | 20 mil, commercial grade | 7.09" | $59.00 / 11.82 sq ft | $4.99 |
Prices checked October 6, 2026. Per-square-foot figures are the box price divided by the square feet in each box, before HST.
What the price steps buy you
Moving from the 6mm plank to the 8mm plank adds $0.90 per sq ft. For that you get a 20 mil wear layer instead of 12 mil and a thicker rigid core. The jump from 8mm to 10mm adds a further $1.43 per sq ft, and here the wear layer stays at 20 mil: the extra money goes into the core. End to end, the top rung costs $2.33 more per sq ft than the entry rung. Only some of the downsides below are solved by spending more.
Gaps and separation: why a floating floor moves
To understand gaps, start with how these floors are laid. SPC planks click together and float over the subfloor instead of being glued or nailed. The Karndean rigid core installation guide puts it plainly: adhering rigid core to the substrate is not usually permitted because it stops the material from expanding and contracting. The Kraus SPC guide adds that its flooring will warp with excessive heat and shrink with excessive cold.
So the floor moves, and it needs room to do it. Trouble starts when something pins it in place: baseboard nailed down through the planks, a kitchen island set on top of a floating floor, or planks jammed tight against a door frame. Karndean warns that in rooms with big temperature swings, incorrect use of expansion gaps can cause damage. Kraus also points out that voids or humps in the subfloor might prevent the planks from locking properly (more on flatness below).
What two published SPC guides say about expansion space
- Karndean rigid core: a minimum expansion gap of 3/16 inch (5 mm) around the room and every fixed object, pipes included, with skirting or baseboard fixed to the wall and not to the floor.
- Kraus SPC: a 3/8 inch (10 mm) expansion gap around the perimeter and at all vertical obstructions.
The two numbers differ, so follow the instructions for the plank you actually buy. Riche, Karndean and Kraus are separate products; these figures show what manufacturers ask for, not the spec for our planks. Before installation day, ask how big the perimeter gap will be, what trim will cover it, and whether cabinets or islands go in before or after the floor.
If your floor is already peaking or lifting, our article on why vinyl floors lift and how they are fixed goes through the repair side in detail.
Dents, scratches and the 12 mil vs 20 mil choice
A rigid core does not make a plank immune to dents. Karndean's maintenance notes call for large castor cups against indentation from heavy furniture, and protector pads instead of sliding or dragging furniture, so plan for both with any SPC plank.
Scratches are where the wear layer comes in. Our catalogue classes the 12 mil layer on the Blonde Sand Oak plank as residential and the 20 mil layer on the two thicker planks as commercial or heavy duty. In metric, the product pages give 0.3mm for the 12 mil layer and 0.5mm for the 20 mil layer. The Driftwood Mist page describes its thicker layer as a protective surface against scratches, scuffs and stains.
- Sweep often. Karndean notes that loose dirt and grit can cause fine scratches.
- Thickness and wear layer are separate choices. The 8mm and 10mm planks share the same 20 mil layer, so if scratches from pets or kids are the worry, the 8mm rung gets you there at $3.56 per sq ft.
Heat and direct sun near big windows
The Karndean guide states that rigid core and hybrid flooring should be protected from heat and prolonged direct sunlight, as either may damage the floor. For rooms with large temperature swings, which it lists as unheated rooms, sunrooms and conservatories, or direct sun through glass doors, it asks for a minimum 3/8 inch (10 mm) expansion gap. Kraus says long-term direct sunlight can cause expansion damage, and lists sunrooms, solariums and saunas among the places its SPC is not suitable for.
Day to day, Karndean recommends keeping the room between 18°C and 27°C for optimum performance. The risk is the strip of floor in front of a south-facing patio door, a three-season room, or a cottage left unheated for the winter. Three steps help:
- Blinds or curtains on windows and doors that put hours of sun on one patch of floor.
- A wider expansion gap, as the guide asks, where the floor runs up to glass doors.
- Choosing another floor altogether for a room that is not heated or cooled year-round.
Spending more does not change this one: all three planks on our ladder are SPC.
The hollow sound underfoot
Because a floating floor is not fastened down, it rests on whatever is beneath it, and some owners notice a hollow or clicky sound in certain spots. The useful thing to check is subfloor flatness. Both guides set the same limit: no more than 3/16 inch of unevenness over 10 feet. The Kraus guide adds that voids or humps will cause telegraphing, on top of the locking trouble mentioned in the gaps section.
The attached pad is part of the comfort story, but it is not a substitute for a flat base. Our 6mm plank has a 1.5mm IXPE pad bonded to it, and its listing title names the pad, so no separate underlay is needed. The product pages for the 8mm and 10mm planks each list a 2mm EVA pad pre-attached under the core. Neither guide offers a pad as a fix for dips, so if a spot sounds hollow after installation, ask for the subfloor under it to be checked. Levelling and subfloor repair are quoted after we see the floor.
Our guide to choosing 6mm, 8mm or 10mm SPC covers how the three thicknesses compare in use.
Resale, and whether LVP is worth it for your budget
Resale is the hardest downside to pin down. No spec sheet can tell you what the next owner of your home will pay for, and we would rather not guess. What you can control: a plank that suits each room's traffic and moisture, the product name and spec sheet kept for a future listing, and a few leftover planks from the same order in case a board needs replacing.
Whether LVP is worth it is easier to answer with numbers. Here is the material cost for a 400 sq ft room on each rung. We add 5% for cuts and waste (400 × 1.05 = 420 sq ft), divide by the square feet per box, round up to whole boxes, and then add 13% HST.
| Plank | Boxes for 420 sq ft | Material before HST | HST 13% | Material with HST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6mm Blonde Sand Oak (12 mil) | 18 × $62.93 | $1,132.74 | $147.26 | $1,280.00 |
| 8mm Driftwood Mist (20 mil) | 26 × $59.00 | $1,534.00 | $199.42 | $1,733.42 |
| 10mm Greige Mist (20 mil) | 36 × $59.00 | $2,124.00 | $276.12 | $2,400.12 |
In that room, stepping up from 6mm to 8mm costs $401.26 before HST, and going all the way to 10mm costs $991.26 more than the entry plank. Installation and delivery are not included here and are confirmed at quote. If you are still deciding whether vinyl plank suits your home at all, our introduction to vinyl plank flooring is the place to start.
Matching the plank to the room
A few simple rules fall out of all this:
- Bedrooms and quiet rooms with steady temperatures: the 6mm Blonde Sand Oak plank at $2.66 per sq ft covers the basics, and its attached IXPE pad saves buying underlay.
- Kitchens, hallways and homes with pets: the 20 mil layer on the 8mm Driftwood Mist plank is the step worth paying for.
- Open areas where you want the thickest board of the three: the 10mm Greige Mist plank, keeping in mind that its wear layer matches the 8mm plank.
- Rooms beside big glass doors: any of the three, with shade for the sunniest patch and the wider gap the manufacturer guide asks for.
- Uneven or patched subfloors: fix the base first. No plank on this list is a shortcut around flatness.
Want to compare brands as well as specs? Our SPC vinyl plank brands guide walks through the lines we carry.
Vinyl plank flooring pros and cons: questions buyers ask
What are the biggest disadvantages of vinyl flooring?
Movement, dents, sun and sound. A floating SPC floor expands and contracts, so poor expansion space shows up as gaps or peaking. Heavy furniture can leave marks without wide cups, strong sun through glass can damage it, and an uneven base can make it sound hollow.
LVP vs laminate pros and cons: which should I pick?
Start with water exposure: all three vinyl planks here carry a waterproof flag in our catalogue, so check the same point on any laminate you are weighing. For a side-by-side of Riche SPC against Swiss Krono laminate, the comparison in our brands guide sets out the differences.
Why do gaps open up between vinyl planks?
Two likely causes: a floor that has been pinned so it cannot expand and contract, and planks that did not lock properly over voids or humps in the subfloor. Check that trim is nailed to the wall rather than the floor, that nothing heavy and fixed sits on the planks, and that the room stays heated.
Can heavy furniture dent SPC vinyl plank?
Yes. Karndean's rigid core guide recommends castor cups against indentation from heavy furniture. Use wide cups under beds, sofas, pianos and appliances, lift furniture rather than dragging it, and put felt pads on dining chairs.
Do these planks need a separate underlay?
The 6mm Blonde Sand Oak plank does not, since its title lists the attached IXPE pad. The 8mm and 10mm planks have a 2mm EVA pad on the back according to their product pages; confirm the underlay question for your subfloor when you get your quote.
Talk through vinyl plank for your rooms
Send us your room sizes, what is on the floor now and where the big windows are, and we will help you pick a rung from the full vinyl flooring collection. You can request a quote online or reach us through our contact page.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819