Many floors claim to be scratch resistant, but scratch easily once installed. For customers, this can be a source of hesitancy when purchasing new flooring for your home. Whether it's laminate, tile, engineered hardwood, or LVP, it's important to know what about a floor makes it truly scratch resistant before placing it in your home.
In this article, we'll dive in to the different aspects of a floor that create scratch resistance, and ways you can test flooring for yourself along with a few recommendations for our best scratch resistant flooring.
Recommended Options
Becki Owens Stoneform Elite - Weathered
A modern, neutral tone with medium variation that's inspired by timeless white oak. One of our all time best sellers, Weathered is ideal for transitional and modern style homes.
Why it's best for scratch resistance:
- Tough limestone core prevents dents and dings
- 30Mils ceramic bead wear layer prevents surface scratches
- Mid-tone color hides potential marks and scuffs
Angela Rose Stoneform Elite - Sonoma
A warm, bolder hickory inspired look that works across a wide range of design styles—from traditional to dramatic.
Why it's best for scratch resistance:
- 30Mils ceramic bead wear layer prevents surface scratches
- Our most durable composition
- Bold character camouflages scuffs
Premium Stoneform - Vix
Our warmest mid-tone color in our Premium collection, Vix is subtle and smooth creating a calming foundation for a variety of different designs.
Why it's best for scratch resistance:
- Built for long-term performance
- 20Mils ceramic bead wear layer prevents surface scratches
What to Look for in Scratch Resistant Flooring
Floors that are actually scratch resistant will have a few key parts in their anatomy. When looking for scratch resistant flooring, pay attention to a floor's wear layer, the overall finish, and other durability factors.
Wear Layer Matters
Your wear layer is the top element of your floor that keeps dents, scratches, and stains from getting to the core. Most wear layers, like with Stoneform, are made of UV cured urethane that is highly durable. A thick wear layer (20Mils or higher) prevents everyday scratches from dirt, furniture, and pets.
Avoid flooring with a thin (or no) wear layer. These floors will scratch easily from everyday use, leaving visible marks and scuffs.
Keep the Finish in Mind
There are some finishes that hold up to everyday wear and tear better than others. When it comes to scratch resistant flooring, avoid floors with a high gloss finish. These floors are not only difficult to keep looking clean, but show every dent and scrape.
Instead, opt for flooring that has more of a matte finish like a Hewn floor. These floors look more natural, are lower maintenance, and don't show potential scratches as easily.
Scratch Resistance and Overall Durability
Scratch resistance isn't the only thing to keep in mind in terms of durability. SPC and LVP floors can also be waterproof, stain resistant, dent resistant, and easy to clean. Even if a floor is scratch resistant, if it's not also waterproof and durable, it won't hold up to daily life.
How to Test Flooring in Your Own Home
If you want to see how flooring compares in terms of scratch resistance, the best way to do so is by ordering samples. Here are a few tests you can do at home with samples to prove which floor has the level of scratch resistance you need.
Dirt and Gravel Test
Place your sample on the ground and sprinkle a small handful of dirt or gravel on it. Wearing shoes, walk on the sample and see if the gravel scuffs the floor at all. This will imitate muddy shoes or work boots that may come in contact with your floor regularly.
The Kitchen Test
With your sample placed on the floor in your kitchen, act out different accidents that could happen like dropping cans, or spilling food. This will give you an idea of what your flooring will be able to withstand in your most used spaces.
The Furniture Test
Place your sample under the leg of a chair or other piece of furniture. Then, scoot the piece of furniture over your sample to see if it leaves any marks. We recommend using felt pads on the bottoms of all furniture as an added layer of protection.
The Pet Test
Place your sample in a common area where your pet hangs out and encourage them to walk across it, sit on it, etc. You will be able to see if pet nails may be an issue with your flooring.
How Scratch Resistant Flooring Compares to Other Options
Many homeowners start by looking at vinyl plank flooring because of its waterproof properties. That’s a good starting point, but not all options are created equal.
See: Stoneform vs. LVP
Understanding the differences helps you make a more confident decision.