Waterproof Flooring in Garner and Clayton: SPC, WPC, Waterproof Laminate or Tile?

The four options at a glance

Each of these is a good floor. The point is to match the strengths to the rooms.

• ✓SPC luxury vinyl: a dense stone-plastic core that resists dents and stays stable when the temperature changes. Firm underfoot, and the most common choice for kitchens and whole main levels.
• ✓WPC luxury vinyl: a foamed wood-plastic core that is softer, warmer and quieter to walk on, but dents more easily under heavy furniture and appliances.
• ✓Waterproof laminate: a wood-fiber core with sealed edges and a water-repellent treatment. It has the hardest, most scratch-resistant surface and the most convincing wood look, but its waterproof rating has limits: read how long standing water is covered for.
• ✓Porcelain tile: completely unaffected by water, the longest-lasting option, and the only one of the four that belongs inside a shower. Hard and cold underfoot, and it costs more to install.

Where each one fits best

In practice, most homes south of Raleigh end up with a combination. These are the patterns we see work.

• ✓Kitchens: SPC for most families; it shrugs off dropped dishes better than WPC and is easier on feet than tile.
• ✓Full bathrooms: porcelain tile, especially around tubs and showers. SPC is a sound choice for a powder room.
• ✓Laundry rooms: tile, or SPC with the perimeter sealed. A failed washer hose releases a lot of water, and a leak sensor is worth adding whichever you pick.
• ✓Open living areas and bedrooms: SPC or waterproof laminate. Laminate gives the most realistic wood look; WPC is the quietest and most comfortable.
• ✓Homes with large dogs: SPC with a 20 mil wear layer, or waterproof laminate for its scratch resistance. Our pet-friendly flooring guide covers the details.

Slab or crawlspace changes the plan

Garner has a wide range of ages, from older ranch homes near downtown to newer neighborhoods toward White Oak, and Clayton has grown quickly in communities like Flowers Plantation and Riverwood. Some of these homes sit on a concrete slab and many sit over a crawlspace. Which one you have matters more than which product you prefer.

On a slab, moisture moves up through the concrete all the time. Every floating floor needs a vapor barrier underneath, either built into the attached pad or laid as a separate sheet. For glue-down vinyl, we test the slab's moisture before installation, because adhesives fail when the concrete is too wet. Any cracks in the slab should be addressed first, especially under tile.

Over a crawlspace, the subfloor is plywood or OSB, and the crawlspace itself has to be dry. A torn vapor barrier or poor drainage will affect any floor from below, waterproof or not. Tile over a wood subfloor also needs the floor to be stiff enough, or the grout will crack.

Floating or glue-down?

Most SPC, WPC and laminate is installed as a floating floor: the planks click together and rest on the subfloor. It is fast, it can go over many existing hard floors, and it is easy to repair a section. The trade-offs are a slightly hollow sound if the underlayment is poor, a required expansion gap around the edges, and, on some products, a required break at doorways or along very long runs.

Glue-down vinyl is bonded directly to the subfloor. It sounds and feels more solid, needs no transition strips across a large open area, and can go under kitchen islands and built-ins. It needs a flatter, drier subfloor and costs more to remove later. In large open floor plans, which are common in newer Clayton and Garner homes, it is often the cleaner result.

What "waterproof" covers, and what it does not

The plank, not the floor. A waterproof core will not swell when wet, but water can still travel through the seams and perimeter gap of any floating floor and sit on the subfloor beneath. That is why we seal the perimeter in bathrooms and laundry rooms, and why tile over a waterproofing membrane remains the only right answer for a shower.

With waterproof laminate, read the warranty language closely. Most cover topical spills and standing water for a stated number of hours, provided the water is cleaned up. That is plenty for a kitchen and not the same promise as vinyl or tile. Our post on what the waterproof label actually promises explains this in more detail.

Brands and product lines

Every major manufacturer now has a waterproof line, and the differences between brands are smaller than the differences between grades within a brand. We carry Shaw, Mohawk, Armstrong and others, including Mohawk's waterproof luxury vinyl and laminate. When comparing, look at the wear layer, the core type, whether a pad is attached and what the warranty covers for water, rather than the brand name alone. Our Mohawk flooring guide compares that brand's lines.

Waterproof flooring in Garner and Clayton

Garner is about 28 minutes from our Angier showroom and Clayton about 30, so it is easy to see all four types in person, or we can bring samples to your home. At the estimate we check whether the house is on a slab or crawlspace, test for moisture where it matters, and give you a room-by-room recommendation in writing.

APW has served central North Carolina since 1973 with our own background-checked, trained installation professionals, and every job carries our 100% product and labor guarantee. See waterproof flooring in Garner, waterproof flooring in Clayton, luxury vinyl plank in Garner, luxury vinyl plank in Clayton and tile flooring in Garner, or book a free estimate.