Frequently asked questions

Karndean flooring is a brand of luxury vinyl flooring known for replicating the look and feel of natural materials like wood and stone. Our products are suitable for a range of sectors including hospitality, retail, healthcare, education and multifamily.

Karndean is a vinyl flooring product structured with five layers: two PVC backing layers, one high definition photographic layer, one clear PVC embossed wear layer and a top polyurethane (PU) protective coating. All Karndean floors benefit from our K-Guard+ surface protection system. 

For more detailed information, you can view our Environmental Product Declarations.

Gluedown flooring is fixed to the subfloor with adhesive. Individual planks and tiles can be cut and laid in patterns, allowing you to create custom looks or zoning to create a sense of direction or separate areas within a space. The possibilities are endless. View the benefits of Gluedown.

Loose lay luxury vinyl combines the best features of our gluedown and rigid core formats – the ability to create custom designs, like gluedown, with fast, easy installation of a floating floor. K-Wave® friction-grip backing eliminates the need for full-spread adhesive and minimises subfloor preparation while reducing noise to lower floors and adding cushion for comfort. View the benefits of Loose lay.

Rigid core is an easy-to-install “floating floor,” which means adhesive is not required. The combination of the thicker core and foam backing allow for imperfections in the subfloor and reduce noise transfer to rooms below. It also allows for installation times to be reduced with its popular click locking format. View the benefits of Rigid core.

We have six main ranges available across gluedown, rigid core and loose lay installation formats. View our full list of ranges.

All Karndean ranges offer a variety of colours, patterns and textures to suit different design preferences and applications. Product thickness, wear layer and price differ per range. See our range overview for more information.

The number of planks or tiles in a box varies by product. You can find this information on the product details page under the heading "Product specification".

K-Wave is our unique friction grip backing that holds our loose lay products in place. It creates a strong bond to the subfloor using a combination of weight and friction. Explore the benefts of our loose lay products.

There are several main differences between Karndean strips: Design strips are strips cut from another tile or wood plank. They come in 3mm, 5mm, 10mm, 30mm and 76mm. Added between tiles and wood planks, strips can give the impression of grouting for a natural effect, and a contemporary look and feel to your space. You can find more product specific information on the product details page under the heading "Design components".

Decorative border – a patterned border designed to complement tile and wood plank floors. Karndean has selected an assortment of decorative border options to accompany all of our ranges.

Tramline border – a simple and affordable way of creating decorative edging. They can be used in combination with feature strips and design strips for a range of effects.

Keyline border – single strips that can be added to the edge of your floor. Keyline borders are available in 3mm and 10mm and can be used with design strips.

If you are not currently a Karndean customer, you can book an appointment with one of our Commercial Business Managers by filling in this form.

You can order free samples via our products listing section.

Yes, to order a brochure visit our brochures page.

For pricing information, please speak to your Commercial Specification Manager or contact us.

We are careful to make sure our images are accurate in all printed literature and on our website, but cannot always create a perfect representation of our products. For this reason we strongly recommend that you look at a sample of any product you are considering before placing your order. All of our products are inspired by things we have seen in the natural world and just like variation in colour and detail is part of the beauty of nature, is also a feature of some of our designs. This means that with some of our products you will see natural variation when your floor is installed. If in doubt, ask your commercial specification manager to show you a larger sample of the product.

We carry more than 95% of all main line products in stock to enable a rapid turnaround for your project needs.

Yes, to order a brochure visit our downloads page. 

Karndean can be installed in a wide range of sectors, from Healthcare and Hospitality (hotels, restaurants and bars) to Education and Corporate Office environments. All ranges are suitable for commercial use, rated from heavy duty commercial to domestic. Check with your Commercial Specification Manager for the correct specification for your requirement.

Karndean Designflooring is designed as a floor covering and is therefore not recommended for use on walls or ceilings.

No. Karndean is not suitable for outside use.

Yes it can. The front edge of each step will need to be finished off with a compatible stair nosing - your  retailer and/or specialist fitter will be able to give you all the information and advice you need.

Yes, for more advice please consult your specialist fitter or Commercial Specification Manager.

No. Karndean is not suitable for wet rooms.

Yes, not a problem!

For our Karndean LooseLay range, the subfloor should be solid with minimal flexibility. Any loose boards must be firmly fastened, gaps filled and undulations removed, and where necessary, overlay floorboards with flooring grade plywood or similar. For more information, please refer to the full Karndean LooseLay installation guidelines.

Whether laying over ceramic tiles, vinyl or other types of flooring, it is important to install Karndean in accordance with flooring standards and building practices pertaining to the requirements of the country in which the product is to be installed. Ensure that that subfloors are permanently dry, smooth, level, clean and constructed to provide a firm foundation. To learn more about your Karndean installation, contact our Customer Service team or please refer to our installation support section.

OSB or particleboard are not approved underlayments for resilient flooring. The only approved underlayments are APA approved “Underlayment Grade” plywood a minimum of ¼” thick, or any product manufactured as an underlayment material for resilient flooring supported by a recommendation or data sheet from the manufacturer stating the same.

When installing coordinating transitions, please take into consideration the color variation within the Karndean floor for your project. Some floors have higher color variation within the design than others, so making sure that the planks or tiles next to the transitions are of similar color/design will ensure a desirable outcome. Pre-cutting and placing the transitions in place can help determine plank or tile placement as well.

We highly recommend using Karndean's Universal adhesive as this has been designed specifically with Karndean flooring products in mind. For information on Karndean Adhesive, please contact our Customer Service team or refer to our subfloor preparation and adhesive section. Karndean will not be liable for any loss, damage or complaint if the prescribed adhesive system and its instructions are not used or strictly followed.

We have a wide network of commercial contractors who install Karndean commercial flooring. For more information, contact your Commercial Specification Manager or give our team a call on 01386 820 200 (Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm).

Prior to laying Karndean Designflooring, products must be acclimatised to room temperature. Remove material from packaging, spread out and allow to condition in the room where installation is to take place at a constant temperature of 64 - 79 °F for a period of 24 hours prior to installation. This temperature should be maintained during installation and for a 24 hour period after installation.

As with most smooth floor coverings, water and other liquids can make it slippery. Karndean floors are designed to be slip resistant, but it is always best to clean up any spillages straight away, and keep the floor dry.

For our Karndean LooseLay range, the subfloor should be solid with minimal flexibility. Any loose boards must be firmly fastened, gaps filled and undulations removed, and where necessary, overlay floorboards with flooring grade plywood or similar. For more information, please refer to the full Karndean LooseLay installation guidelines.

Yes, for our designflooring ranges, these type of subfloors are suitable only when covered with minimum 6mm flooring grade plywood to eliminate later potential movement in changing climatic conditions.

If you have any concerns regarding the fitting of the floor, please speak first with the contractor who fitted the floor for you, as they should be able to help. Our friendly customer services team are also on hand if you have any further queries or would like to raise a claim directly.

Now that the floor is installed, do not wash it for 24 hours. Then follow our commercial cleaning and maintenance guide.

All Karndean floors benefit from our K-Guard+ surface protection system. Using PU technology, K-Guard+ provides a hygienic and durable finish. Plus, unlike textile floor coverings and grout lines, Karndean flooring doesn’t trap dust and micro-organisms making it easy to clean and maintain. To assist with the care and maintenance, please refer to our cleaning and maintenance guide.

Cleaning and maintenance products can be bought via your Commercial Specification Manager. You can also give us a call on 01386 820 200 (Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm) to order commercial cleaning products.

All hard floors can be slippery when wet. Take extra care when cleaning and ensure the floor area is allowed to dry completely before use. During periods of wet weather, it may be necessary to put down extra matting to prevent water from being brought in from outside.

Most common stains will not affect a Karndean floor. However, there are agents that can stain such as solvent based liquids. The use of Karndean Refresh will provide some protection against this type of damage.

The floor should have been fitted tightly to ensure spillages cannot seep through tile edges or custom cuts. To avoid slippery surfaces, any spills should be cleaned up straight away.

Not yet but we are working with industry in all of our territories to ensure appropriate recycling facilities exist to manage end of life flooring and divert material away from landfill.

Yes. Please speak to your Commercial Specification Manager to arrange return.

Each plank contains up to 50% recycled content in the backing layers. This material comes from pre consumer material generated during the  production process. We are working with the factories that manufacture our products to increase the amount of recycled content in the flooring.

Every product page has the option to download the relevant EPD. Alternatively you can download our EPD's.

Karndean Designflooring is the leading manufacturer of luxury vinyl flooring. To find out more about installation formats, see our formats page.

Yes, view our contact us page to see details of our showroom.