MILAT FLOOR

Reference

Flooring Glossary

Every SPC, LVT and vinyl flooring term you'll meet when buying, specifying or sourcing a floor — explained in plain English.

37 terms that come up when you choose or import SPC, LVT and rigid-core vinyl flooring — from AC ratings and wear layers to Incoterms and certifications.

S
SPC (Stone Plastic Composite)
A rigid-core vinyl flooring built on a dense core of limestone powder and PVC. It is 100% waterproof, dimensionally stable, and the most dent-resistant of the vinyl family. MILAT manufactures SPC flooring.
L
LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile)
A multi-layer vinyl floor with a printed decorative film and a protective wear layer, made to look like wood or stone. LVT covers both flexible and rigid (SPC/WPC) formats.
LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank)
The same product as LVT but in a long, narrow, wood-look plank shape rather than a tile. LVT usually means tile/stone looks; LVP means wood-look planks.
W
WPC (Wood Plastic Composite)
A rigid-core vinyl with a foamed wood-and-plastic core. It is softer, warmer and thicker than SPC, at the cost of some dent resistance and heat stability. Both cores are waterproof.
R
Rigid core vinyl
Vinyl flooring built on a solid, inflexible core (SPC or WPC) that clicks together and floats. It hides minor subfloor flaws that flexible vinyl would telegraph.
E
EIR (Embossed In Register)
A surface-texturing technique where the physical embossing aligns precisely with the printed grain, so the texture you feel matches the design you see. It is what makes vinyl read as genuine wood. Every MILAT floor uses an EIR surface.
W
Wear layer
The clear protective top layer above the printed design that resists scratches, scuffs and abrasion. A thicker wear layer lasts longer; industry wear layers commonly range from about 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm.
A
AC rating
The Abrasion Class rating (AC1–AC5) that grades a floor's resistance to wear. AC5 is the highest common class, rated for heavy commercial traffic. MILAT floors are rated up to AC5.
F
Floating floor
A floor that is not glued or nailed to the subfloor. The planks lock to each other and rest in place, held by their joints and gravity, and need a perimeter expansion gap.
C
Click / click-lock
A glueless jointing system where planks lock to each other along machined edges. It installs tool-free and lets the floor float over the subfloor.
U
Unilin click
The licensed glueless locking system developed by Unilin, the Belgian company that pioneered click flooring. A licensed Unilin click gives tight, reusable joints. MILAT builds on a licensed Unilin click.
T
Tongue and groove
The shape of a plank's edges — a tongue on one side, a groove on the other — that interlock to hold planks together in a click or glued floor.
I
IXPE
A cross-linked polyethylene foam bonded to the back of a plank as an acoustic underlay. It reduces footstep noise; MILAT's IXPE backing offers sound reduction of up to 21 dB.
A
Acoustic underlay
A thin layer between subfloor and planks (or attached to the plank) that dampens footstep sound and adds comfort. IXPE is a common attached type.
2
2X UV coating
A protective UV-cured top coat over the wear layer that filters ultraviolet light and keeps the printed design from fading. MILAT applies a 2X UV coating.
W
Waterproof core
A core that does not absorb water, swell or delaminate. SPC and WPC have 100% waterproof cores, which is why they suit bathrooms, kitchens and basements.
Water-resistant
Resists surface water for a time but is not fully waterproof — water can still cause damage through seams or over long exposure. Flexible LVT and some laminates are water-resistant, not waterproof.
S
Subfloor
The structural surface beneath the finished floor — concrete, plywood or an existing hard floor. It must be clean, dry and flat for a floating floor to perform.
U
Underlayment
A layer laid over the subfloor for acoustic comfort, minor levelling or moisture protection. Rigid vinyl with an attached pad often needs none.
E
Expansion gap
The small gap (usually a few millimetres) left around the perimeter of a floating floor so it can expand and contract without buckling. Skirting or trim hides it.
A
Acclimation
Letting flooring rest in the room before installation so it reaches room temperature, which prevents gaps or peaking after it is laid.
D
Decorative layer
The printed film that carries the wood or stone image on a vinyl plank, sitting beneath the wear layer.
P
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
The plastic that forms the binder in vinyl flooring. It gives vinyl its waterproofing and durability, and is why vinyl is a synthetic rather than natural material.
D
Dimensional stability
How well a floor keeps its shape and size under temperature and humidity changes. Rigid SPC is highly dimensionally stable, so seams stay tight.
B
Bevelled edge
A small chamfer along the edge of a plank that defines each board and gives a floor a more realistic, plank-by-plank look.
F
FloorScore
An indoor air-quality certification, administered by SCS Global Services, that verifies a floor meets strict low-VOC emission limits under the California CDPH Section 01350 method. MILAT flooring is FloorScore certified.
V
VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
Gases a material can release into indoor air. Low-VOC flooring, verified by certifications like FloorScore, matters for occupied spaces such as homes, schools and offices.
C
CE marking
A conformity mark showing a construction product meets EU requirements. Flooring carries CE under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. MILAT provides CE Declarations of Performance.
D
Declaration of Performance (DoP)
The document, required under EU 305/2011, that states a construction product's performance against harmonised standards. It accompanies a CE-marked floor.
I
ISO 9001
The international standard for a quality management system. A supplier certified to ISO 9001 runs an audited process for consistent quality. MILAT holds ISO 9001 among five ISO standards.
S
SHI Product Passport
A product-transparency document that supports traceability of what goes into a floor. MILAT issues an SHI Product Passport.
O
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
A model where you supply the specification and a factory produces the floor under your brand. MILAT offers OEM manufacturing.
ODM (Original Design Manufacturer)
A model where the factory's existing design is sold under your branding. Faster than OEM because the product already exists.
P
Private label
Selling a manufacturer's product under your own brand name and packaging. MILAT produces private-label SPC and LVT flooring.
M
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
The smallest volume a manufacturer will produce or ship for an order, often tied to a container load. MILAT confirms MOQ per order.
I
Incoterms
Standard international trade terms (EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP and others) that define who pays for and handles freight, insurance and customs at each stage of a shipment.
W
Wood look / stone look
The two main design families for vinyl flooring: realistic timber grains and stone or concrete effects, both reproduced by print plus EIR texture.

FAQ

Common flooring terms, answered

What does SPC stand for in flooring?

SPC stands for Stone Plastic Composite — a rigid-core, 100% waterproof vinyl flooring built on a limestone-and-PVC core.

What is the difference between SPC and LVT?

SPC is a rigid-core member of the LVT (luxury vinyl) family. All SPC is LVT, but LVT also includes flexible, non-rigid vinyl.

What does AC5 mean?

AC5 is the highest common Abrasion Class wear rating, suitable for heavy commercial traffic. MILAT floors are rated up to AC5.

What is EIR flooring?

EIR (Embossed In Register) means the surface texture is aligned precisely with the printed grain, so the floor looks and feels like real wood.

Is vinyl flooring waterproof or water-resistant?

Rigid SPC and WPC have 100% waterproof cores; flexible LVT is water-resistant but not fully waterproof. Always check the core type.

Read the guides behind the terms

From “What is SPC flooring?” to sourcing and installation, our knowledge base covers each topic in depth.

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