Luxury vinyl · West Chester, PA
Boyle’s Floor & Window Designs sells and installs waterproof luxury vinyl plank and tile from COREtec, Shaw Floorté, and Mohawk SolidTech at 705 East Gay Street in West Chester, PA. It is the floor we recommend most for kitchens, basements, and homes with kids or pets, and a typical kitchen or basement is installed by our own crews in a day.
Updated October 2026
Luxury vinyl since it arrived
Luxury vinyl is the most-asked-about floor in our showroom, and it earns the attention. A good luxury vinyl plank looks like oak from standing height, feels solid underfoot, and does not care if the dishwasher leaks or the dog comes in wet. For kitchens, basements, mudrooms, laundry rooms, and any home with young kids or pets, it has become the default recommendation from people who install floors for a living.
Construction
Luxury vinyl is a layered floor. A clear wear layer on top takes the scratches. Beneath it a printed design layer carries the wood or stone image. The core beneath that is either a rigid stone-polymer composite, called SPC, or a slightly softer wood-polymer composite, called WPC. Both are waterproof. Many planks have an attached pad for warmth and sound.
Durability
The wear layer is measured in mils, thousandths of an inch. Thicker wear layers last longer under traffic and pets.
| Wear layer | What it suits |
|---|---|
| 12 mil | Most homes |
| 20 mil | Busy households, large dogs, and commercial-rated use |
| 30 mil | Heavy commercial traffic |
Karndean, one of the large vinyl makers, rates 20 mil as its standard for most commercial spaces, which is why we steer households with big dogs or heavy traffic toward it.
Side by side
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Luxury vinyl | Laminate | Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Waterproof | Water-resistant; vulnerable at seams | Not for wet rooms |
| Dents and scratches | Wear layer resists scratches; softer core can dent | Harder surface; resists dents | Dents and scratches, but can be refinished |
| Can be refinished | No | No | Yes |
| Feel underfoot | Quiet and warm | Firm, more like wood | Real wood |
| Best rooms | Kitchens, basements, baths, mudrooms | Bedrooms, offices, halls | Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms |
Choosing a product
Luxury vinyl plank comes in long boards that mimic wood. Luxury vinyl tile comes in squares or rectangles that mimic stone or ceramic, and can be installed with grout for a more convincing tile look. The material is the same; the format follows the look you want. Most Chester County kitchens and basements go plank; bathrooms and laundry rooms split between the two.
Rigid-core products stay dimensionally stable, hide small subfloor imperfections, and click together for a floating installation. Flexible glue-down vinyl conforms more closely to the subfloor and is common in commercial work. For homes, rigid core is our usual recommendation.
The right rooms
It belongs in kitchens, basements, bathrooms, mudrooms, laundry rooms, rentals, and whole-house installations for families who want one continuous, worry-free surface. It is the right answer over a concrete slab. It handles radiant heat within manufacturer limits.
It does not belong where you want the feel and refinishing potential of real wood in a formal living room, or in rooms with intense direct sun without UV-rated product, since heat and light can affect some cores over time. We will tell you if your room is one of those.
The lines we carry
COREtec created the rigid-core category. It introduced the original waterproof WPC-core plank in 2012 and 2013, and its planks remain a reference for stability and realistic visuals. COREtec now makes stone-polymer lines as well.
Floorté is Shaw’s waterproof line, offered in both hardwood-look vinyl and waterproof engineered hardwood.
SolidTech is Mohawk’s waterproof rigid-core line.
We carry all three because they solve slightly different problems and because we have installed enough of each to know how they wear.
Installation
We check the subfloor for flatness and moisture; vinyl telegraphs bumps, so leveling matters.
The floor acclimates in your home for a day or two.
Rigid-core luxury vinyl floats over the subfloor, clicking plank to plank without glue or nails. The crew lays the floor with the right expansion gap at the walls, works around cabinets and doorways, and installs transitions and trim.
A typical kitchen or basement is finished in a day, and you can walk on it immediately.
Care
Sweep or vacuum with a hard-floor setting to keep grit from scratching the wear layer. Damp-mop with a pH-neutral cleaner made for vinyl; skip vinegar, ammonia, abrasive powders, and steam mops, all of which dull or damage the finish over time. Use felt pads under furniture and a non-rubber-backed mat at entries, since some rubber backings discolor vinyl. Wipe spills when you see them, though the floor will forgive you if you do not.
Questions
The planks themselves are waterproof. Water that sits for a long time can still reach the subfloor through seams and edges, so wipe up standing water and address leaks.
For most rooms in most homes, yes. It is durable, waterproof, comfortable, and realistic. It will not be refinished like hardwood, and lower-grade product can look flat, which is why the wear layer and visual quality matter.
Sweep, then damp-mop with a pH-neutral vinyl cleaner. No vinegar, no steam, no wax.
Best not. It is mildly acidic and dulls the finish over time. Use the manufacturer's recommended cleaner instead.
12 mil suits most homes. Step up to 20 mil for large dogs, heavy traffic, or a rental.
Fifteen to twenty-five years in a typical home, depending on wear layer thickness and traffic. Thicker wear layers last longer.
Luxury vinyl is waterproof and quieter; laminate is harder and often cheaper. For any room that sees water, choose vinyl. Compare laminate.
Brands
Free in-home visit
The difference between a convincing luxury vinyl and a flat one is easiest to see next to your cabinets in your light. Ask us to bring COREtec, Floorté, and SolidTech samples to your house, or stop by East Gay Street and walk on them. Call (610) 429-9773 or schedule a free in-home visit. Financing is available.
Keep exploring
Flooring guide · Laminate · Hardwood · Luxury vinyl gallery · How shop at home works · Financing
