Specifying Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT): Why Commercial Grade Matters

October 31, 2025 | By AHF | Insights from AHF Contract Product Specialists

When designing or specifying flooring for a commercial space, selecting the right luxury vinyl tile (LVT) goes beyond mere appearance. It’s about performance.

Not all LVT is created equal. Commercial and residential products may look similar, but they’re designed for entirely different demands.

Let’s break down what truly separates commercial-grade LVT from its residential counterpart—and the performance benchmarks that matter most.

Commercial vs. Residential LVT: Know the Difference

Commercial-grade flooring refers to materials specifically engineered to perform in high-traffic, high-demand environments. That includes enhanced resistance to impact, indentation, moisture, and wear.

Commercial spaces demand flooring that can withstand rolling carts, heavy foot traffic, dropped tools, and a constant cleaning cycle.

Residential LVT addresses lower-traffic environments. In short, homes with lower durability demands. It may look similar to commercial LVT on the surface, but under the hood, there are differences in:

• Wear layer thickness
• Impact resistance
• Load-bearing performance
• Dimensional stability

“In commercial environments, LVT isn’t just a decorative surface. It’s a performance layer that must meet or exceed industry benchmarks for impact, indent, and wear resistance for a durable product with long-term value.” – Olga Rivas, Sr. Research Scientist, AHF™.

What to Look For in Commercial-Grade LVT

Here’s what defines durable, high-performance commercial LVT—and what to check when you’re specifying a product:

Impact Resistance: Can Your Floor Take a Hit?

Commercial LVT should pass ASTM D5420 with no surface cracking, even under elevated drop heights. This requirement simulates real-world stress, like dropped equipment or tools.

Load Performance: Built to Handle the Pressure

Commercial spaces aren’t just busy with people. They face performance pressures from equipment, carts, and furniture. Your flooring has to withstand it all.

• Static Load (ASTM F970): Look for ≥1000 psi, with 2500+ psi indicating top-tier durability.
• Rolling Load (ASTM F2753): Ensure the floor can handle rolling loads of 1,000+ lbs. without failure—crucial in healthcare and hospitality settings.

Wear Layer & Finish: The First Line of Defense

The finish is your first line of defense. That’s followed closely by the wear layer. It protects against scuffs, scratches, and surface wear. Not all wear layers are created equal.

• 20 mil is standard for commercial use.
• Look for finishes such as commercial-grade urethane with ceramic beads or aluminum oxide for added abrasion resistance.

Some exclusive finishes deliver even better protection. For example, Nod to Nature® LVT from AHF® Contract adds EverNu™ to its flooring. It provides superior resistance to scratches, scuffs, and stains. It also makes cleaning easier.

Resilient Flooring Includes Water-Resistance to Handle Moisture Concerns

In commercial settings, LVT should easily handle everyday moisture, including mopping, spills, and even short-term flooding. While there’s no single test officially labeled as a “water resistance test,” manufacturers rely on several methods to assess performance.

• ASTM F3261 Section 8.8 (Thickness Swell): This test submerges flooring in water and measures any change in thickness or weight. Minimal swelling indicates that the product is more likely to maintain its structural integrity over time.
• ASTM F925: Evaluates chemical resistance, including exposure to water and cleaning agents. A pass means no staining, discoloration, or surface damage.

The takeaway: water shouldn’t be a problem if you’re using well-built, commercial-grade LVT with a waterproof core.

Transitional Flooring: Seamless Flow Between Function and Design

Specifying commercial LVT doesn’t mean compromising design flexibility. In fact, it opens up new possibilities, especially when using transitional flooring.

“Designers want flooring that moves effortlessly from space to space—wood looks that flow into stone visuals, and soft transitions between materials like carpet and tile. That’s where transitional LVT shines.” – Oxana Dallas, Product Designer, AHF.

Today’s commercial interiors are more fluid than ever, often blending multiple flooring types across open, dynamic spaces. That’s where transitional flooring shines.

It helps bridge both visual and functional gaps—whether you’re moving from LVT to carpet in an office corridor, LVT to tile in a restaurant or clinic, or LVT to concrete in a school or retail setting.

But transitions aren’t just about practicality. Done right, they become a design feature that elevates the entire space.

Transitional Flooring Trends

Here are some of the top transitional flooring trends we’re seeing in commercial projects:

• Wayfinding with color and shape variations—especially in schools and healthcare, where geometry and color cues help guide people intuitively.
• Chevron and herringbone patterns at entrances and lobbies to add instant sophistication and visual impact.
• Biophilic transitions that pair natural wood-look visuals with soft neutral tones, creating calm, connected environments that support wellness and focus.

With 4.5 mm commercial-grade LVT, many of these transitions can be installed with minimal use of strips, resulting in a seamless look and a smooth installation.

Gain more insights into transitional flooring to help solve design dilemmas.

Practical Performance Behind the Design

Beyond aesthetics, transitional flooring plays a crucial role in determining how spaces function, particularly in high-traffic environments. Properly designed and installed transitions help reduce wear, prevent damage, and ensure people’s safety.

Here’s what great transitional flooring can do:

• Bridge floor height differences between materials such as carpet and LVT, or tile and concrete.
• Create safe, seamless seams that align with visual flow and prevent flooring from lifting or gapping over time.
• Minimize tripping hazards while improving durability, paramount in healthcare, retail, and public buildings.

4.5 mm LVT – The Ideal Profile for Transitional Flooring

The right commercial LVT, such as 4.5 mm thick profiles, can help achieve all of the above with fewer transition strips, easier installation, and a more unified appearance.

AHF® Contract’s Nod to Nature® 4.5 mm LVT, for example, integrates smoothly with most flooring types, often without the need for transition strips. That makes design continuity easier and cleaner.

Equally important, the flooring features an exclusive EverNu™ finish that provides unparalleled scratch, scuff, and stain resistance.

Bottom Line: Know What You’re Specifying

If your project involves hospitality, healthcare, education, or retail, commercial LVT is better prepared to handle more demanding environments. As a specifier, your reputation is tied to the long-term performance of the materials you recommend.

Here’s a quick spec checklist for commercial-grade LVT:

Commercial Grade LVT – Durability for Challenging Environments

LVT should be more than just beautiful. It must withstand the realities of commercial life. From performance under pressure to seamless design flexibility, commercial-grade LVT is an investment in longevity and aesthetics.

Need help specifying the right commercial LVT?
Our AHF Contract reps are ready to support your next project—from product samples to expert guidance on performance and design. Contact us to get started.

Call 1-866-243-2726 or find a rep near you.