The Complete Guide To Karndean Flooring
What Karndean luxury vinyl is made of and how it looks and fits in several of our own properties.
Written by Richard Morgan
Updated
The short answer
Karndean flooring is a luxury vinyl tile and plank floor built from five layers, including a photographic print layer that gives it a realistic wood or stone look. It's waterproof, hard-wearing and easy to clean, but it costs more than standard vinyl and needs a perfectly smooth, dry subfloor and Karndean's own adhesive, so a specialist fitter is the safest route.
We chose Karndean for the floors in several of our properties, going for herringbone in some rooms and straight planks in others. The photos in this guide come from those floors, so you can see how both layouts look once they're down and the skirting is back on.
There's a huge range of designs beyond the two we picked, which is a big part of Karndean's appeal. Having researched it and had it put down in our own home, we've written up what we found, the good and the less good.
What Is Karndean Flooring
Karndean is a luxury vinyl floor, sold as tiles and planks rather than a sheet off a roll. The planks are thin and slightly flexible, as the featured photo at the top of the page shows, and they come boxed in packs.
Each plank is built up from five layers:
- Two PVC backing layers that give the plank its body
- A high-definition photographic layer carrying the wood or stone design
- A clear embossed PVC wear layer that adds texture and takes the daily wear
- A polyurethane top coating to protect the lot
Because the design is a printed photograph, Karndean can offer a huge range of colours and styles. The embossing on top follows the pattern underneath, so a wood-effect plank has a grain you can feel, and Karndean says the planks won't shrink or curl the way some laminate does.
Advantages Of Karndean Flooring
These are the reasons we picked it for our own floors:
- Warranty: Karndean offers a lifetime residential warranty on its floors
- Looks: the wood effect is convincing, with real texture to the grain
- Choice: there's a huge selection of colours, finishes and laying patterns
- Water resistance: it's waterproof, so it suits kitchens and bathrooms
- Family use: it stands up well to pets and children
- Grip: the textured surface gives good slip resistance
- Repairs: a damaged plank can be lifted and replaced on its own
Disadvantages Of Karndean Flooring
There are a few downsides, and they're worth knowing before you order:
- Price: it costs more than other vinyl flooring
- Preparation: the subfloor has to be properly prepared or every bump shows through
- Fitting: it's a job for an experienced Karndean installer rather than a first-time DIYer
- Dirt: the embossed texture holds grit in its grooves, so it needs sweeping more than a smooth floor
How Karndean Flooring Is Fitted
The subfloor makes or breaks a Karndean floor. Because the planks are so thin, any lump, ridge or dip underneath ends up showing on the surface, so the base has to be completely smooth before a smoothing compound or screed goes down. Karndean's UK guidelines say the subfloor must read below 75% relative humidity.
On the ground floor of our property, the concrete was screeded to level it before fitting, and the photo below shows the planks going down over that smooth base. Concrete isn't the only option, and Karndean can be laid over timber floors boarded with plywood and over existing ceramic tiles. If you're levelling a floor yourself first, our guide on using self-levelling compound takes you through it, and anyone adding warmth underneath should read up on installing underfloor heating before the floor goes on.
Next comes the adhesive, and here there's no choice to make. Karndean requires its own brand to keep the guarantee valid, and it comes in several tub sizes. Once the adhesive is mixed, the planks are laid into it, and when the floor is finished it gets rolled to bed every plank down. Karndean says to keep traffic off it for 24 hours after that.
What Affects The Cost Of Karndean Flooring
Two rooms the same size can cost very different amounts to floor in Karndean, so get quotes from more than one fitter. These are the things that move the price:
- Design: herringbone and parquet patterns cost more per square metre to fit than straight planks, as every block is cut and laid individually
- Subfloor prep: screeding, smoothing or boarding the floor adds to the bill
- Adhesive: Karndean's own adhesive is part of the cost
- Room size and shape: awkward rooms with lots of cuts take longer
- Location: labour rates vary across the UK
We'd use an installer who specialises in Karndean. They cost more than a general floor fitter, but on a floor this thin, any imperfection in the prep or the laying stays visible for as long as the floor is down.
How To Clean Karndean Flooring
Keeping Karndean looking good is simple, and it's one of the reasons we like it in busy rooms. Sweep or vacuum regularly to lift the grit that settles into the textured surface, then mop with a pH-neutral cleaner. Keep bleach well away, as it damages the floor over time.
For a deeper clean, Karndean's own cleaning formula with water and a mop does the job. Never use a steam cleaner on it. Our picks of the best steam cleaners and steam mops are great on tiles, but the heat can damage Karndean's coating and the layers beneath it, even though the floor looks clean straight afterwards.
If you're fitting new skirting at the same time, our comparison of MDF or wood skirting board covers which suits a painted finish like the one above.
Would We Fit Karndean Again
Yes, without hesitation. Our Karndean floors are hard-wearing, they look good in both the herringbone and plank layouts, and visitors to our house comment on them.
The one thing we'd stress is the fitting. Pay for a specialist Karndean installer and make sure the subfloor is properly prepared, because a thin vinyl floor shows every flaw underneath it.
Your Questions Answered
Is Karndean flooring waterproof?
Yes, Karndean flooring is waterproof, which makes it a good fit for kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. The planks are made from PVC layers with a polyurethane top coating, so spills and splashes sit on the surface. Wipe up standing water promptly and make sure the subfloor underneath is dry before fitting, as moisture coming up from below is a different problem.
Can you lay Karndean flooring yourself?
You can, but we'd recommend a specialist Karndean installer. Karndean is glued down with the brand's own adhesive onto a perfectly smooth subfloor, and because the planks are thin, any bump or poor joint shows through. A DIY job that goes wrong can also affect the guarantee, so the fitter's cost is money well spent on a floor this visible.
Can you steam clean Karndean floors?
No, you shouldn't use a steam cleaner or steam mop on Karndean floors. The heat and moisture can damage the protective coating and the layers underneath, even if the floor looks clean afterwards. Sweep or vacuum regularly, then mop with a pH-neutral cleaner or Karndean's own cleaning formula and water, and avoid bleach altogether.
Is Karndean better than laminate flooring?
Karndean is better than laminate for wet rooms and busy family spaces, because it's waterproof and Karndean says it won't shrink or curl. It also has a textured grain that feels closer to real wood. Laminate is cheaper and easier to click together yourself, so it suits a tighter budget in dry rooms such as bedrooms.
Would you fit Karndean again?
Yes. We've got Karndean down in several of our properties, in herringbone and straight planks, and it's hard-wearing and draws comments from visitors. What we'd do the same way next time is budget for a specialist installer and proper subfloor prep, since a vinyl floor this thin shows every flaw beneath it.
Is herringbone Karndean worth the extra cost over straight planks?
Herringbone costs more per square metre to fit than straight planks, because every block is cut and laid individually. We chose herringbone in some rooms and straight planks in others, and both look good once the skirting is back on. Get quotes from more than one fitter so you can see what the pattern adds to your bill.
What does the subfloor need before Karndean goes down?
The subfloor has to be completely smooth, because any lump, ridge or dip shows through the thin planks. Karndean says it should only go onto subfloors with a moisture reading below 75%. On our ground floor the concrete was screeded to level it first. Timber floors need boarding with plywood, and existing ceramic tiles can be covered.
Does the textured surface hold dirt?
Yes, a little. The embossed grain that makes Karndean feel like real wood also traps grit in its grooves, so it needs sweeping more than a smooth floor does. A quick vacuum followed by a mop with a pH-neutral cleaner keeps on top of it. Leave the bleach and the steam cleaner out of it, as both damage the coating over time.
Richard has spent years renovating properties and turning them into rentals and Airbnbs. Like a lot of people he started out as a beginner, and these days there isn't much DIY he won't take on.