A field guide to lvt flooring for busy specifiers — featuring Enlio’s heterogeneous floor with Starrism surface

If you've ever tried to balance aesthetics with maintenance budgets (and the odd “can we install it by Friday?” request), you’ll appreciate what Enlio is doing with its Finequin heterogeneous sheet range. It’s technically a sheet vinyl, yes, but the visual registers and acoustics are playing in the same stadium as premium lvt flooring. And to be honest, that’s what a lot of clients actually want: the look, minus the headache.

What’s trending and where this fits

Across healthcare, education, and retail, we’re seeing a steady pivot to resilient surfaces with tougher wear layers, quieter footsteps, and simpler cleaning protocols. Many customers say they want the wood or mineral look of lvt flooring without plank seams collecting grime. That’s where heterogeneous sheet shines: continuous rolls, heat-weldable seams, and surprisingly convincing textures (Enlio’s “Starrism surface” is essentially a UV-cured, micro-embossed PUR that grips well and wears slowly).

Key specifications (real-world, not brochure fluff)

How it’s made and tested (process flow)

• Materials: PVC with plasticizers meeting REACH; glass-fiber scrim; mineral fillers; UV‑cured PUR top layer.
• Methods: multi-layer calendaring → lamination → hot press embossing (Starrism) → UV crosslinking → trimming → roll inspection.
• Testing: indentation ISO 24343‑1; chemical resistance ISO 26987; dimensional stability ISO 23999; slip DIN 51130; fire EN 13501‑1; emissions per FloorScore.
• Service life: ≈ 10–20 years depending on traffic, chair casters, and cleaning regimes (real-world use may vary).
• Origin & QC: #C3, No. 36 Xiangyuan Rd., Baiyun Dist., Guangzhou, China, with batch-by-batch dimensional and visual checks.

Where it works best

Healthcare corridors and wards (heat-weld seams; cove up the wall), schools and libraries (low glare, quiet underfoot), retail and offices (busy entries), and hospitality back-of-house. In many of these, designers previously defaulted to lvt flooring; now they’re swapping to sheet to reduce seam count and speed up cleaning.

How it stacks up (selected brands)

Specs are indicative; check current data sheets. Real-world use may vary by substrate, maintenance, and traffic.

Customization, install, and feedback

• Customization: wood/mineral visuals, colorways for wayfinding, optional cove-formable backing, weld rods to match.
• Install: prep per ASTM F710 or ISO best practices; moisture test; full-spread adhesive; heat-welded seams; optional hot-air flashing at coves.
• Maintenance: neutral cleaner, auto-scrubber; no heavy polish cycles thanks to the Starrism PUR.
• Customer notes: a regional hospital told me chair-caster tracks “basically disappeared after nightly recovery clean.” A school district liked the “less clangy” footfall versus older VCT and even some lvt flooring.

Quick case snapshots

Healthcare corridor: 1,800 m² retrofit; Class 34/43 spec; post-install slip tests at R10; noise complaints dropped, according to facilities. Education: elementary library and commons; ≈17 dB reduction kept the space calmer. Retail: weekend install, heat-welded by Sunday—clean handover Monday. It seems that speed plus cleanability is winning hearts.

Citations

1. ISO 10874: Resilient floor coverings — Classification
2. EN 13501‑1: Fire classification of construction products (Bfl‑s1)
3. ISO 24343‑1: Resilient floor coverings — Indentation
4. FloorScore Certification: Indoor Air Quality (SCS Global Services)
5. DIN 51130: Slip resistance — Ramp test (R ratings)
6. ISO 26987: Chemical resistance of resilient flooring
7. EN 13893: Dynamic coefficient of friction for resilient floorings