VINYL FLOORING
A popular choice. Manufactured to provide stylish, damage-resistance, and waterproof properties.

Vinyl flooring is made from 100 percent synthetic material. The foundational element in this type of flooring is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin made from plastic pellets and additives including stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments, and fillers. Our vinyl floors also include antimicrobial elements to prevent the growth of mould and bacteria. This composition gives it superior resistance to moisture. When water sits on vinyl floors, even for extended periods of time, it won’t damage the surface. Vinyl flooring is an excellent choice for rooms that are prone to moisture. For example, kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements.

Wear layer for Vinyl Flooring
This transparent layer is at the top. It provides resistance to scratches and stains, waterproof and is easy to keep clean. The thickness of the wear layer is the true determinant of durability and damage resistance. Wear layers range from 4 mil to 40 mil. So, a 20-mil wear layer is comparable to approximately 20 pages from the telephone book.

VINYL OPTIONS – Sheets, Tiles, and Planks
For sheet vinyl, liquid plastic is dried with hot air onto the backing and it fuses to produce an extremely durable product available in wide rolls that can be cut to size. Vinyl tiles are manufactured similar to vinyl sheets but they are cut in 6”, 9”, or 12-inch squares and often designed with patterns that imitate natural stone. Vinyl planks are crafted into Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVT).

Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring (LVT)
The overall thickness for vinyl flooring ranges from 1.5 mm for sheet vinyl to 5 mm for luxury vinyl 
planks. The making of vinyl floors uses the rotogravure printing technology that prints from an etched cylinder that spins while the vinyl’s core layer passes underneath for printing of various ink dyes, patterns, and texture. As a result of the realistic print layer that emulates wood, the finished product mimics the look and feel of natural hardwood flooring.

LAMINATE FLOORING
A man-made alternative to natural wood. Durability attributes include stain, scratch, and dent resistance.

Laminate is a synthetic floor covering that uses a fiberboard core. Fiberboards are elements made of wood chips or other nonwood fiber materials, joined by synthetic binders. The printed decorative paper layer gives the laminate plank its distinctive appearance. The appearance can resemble wood or even non-traditional designs as leaves or grass. The top overlay layer seals and protects the surface of the laminate from everyday wear and shields the decorative paper layer from harmful ultraviolet rays that could fade the colour. The overall thickness for laminate flooring planks ranges from 6 mm to 12 mm.

Laminate flooring is low maintenance and easy to care for. Simply dust mop or vacuum with a soft brush or wood floor accessory to keep your laminate floor clean from dust, dirt or grit. Laminate flooring must be kept dry at all times and do not let water pool. Accordingly, you should only clean laminate flooring with a soft broom, a dry mop or a slightly damp mop without the use of soap-based detergents, abrasive cleaners, wax or polish.

 
EHW – ENGINEERED HARDWOOD FLOORING
Real Wood Surface. Environmental profile, durability, and restorability.
 
It all starts with beautiful trees that are carefully cut down, loaded, and sent to a factory where the engineering magic begins.  The tree is shaved into slices of real wood known as veneers.  This veneer is what will be featured on the top of your engineered floor giving it the identifiable tree species, such as oak or maple, that you seek. 
 
Beneath the veneer contains multiple layers of strategically placed plywood, stacked on top of each other in opposite direction giving it the benefits over solid hardwood flooring options: dimensionally stable and more resistant to changes in temperature and humidity reducing expansion, shrinking, cupping and warping, as well as reducing the tendency of split wood. 
 
The thickness of engineered hardwood flooring varies from 9.5mm to approximately 19mm. The thickness of the planks is determined by the combination of the top hardwood veneer layer, the core layer (usually made of high-density fiberboard or plywood), and the bottom backing layer.
 
Engineered hardwood is plauded for its high-performance and structural stability which explains why it can last up to 30 years.  A common choice for herringbone (v-shaped) flooring patterns but can also be applied as wall paneling (shiplap).  No matter how you choose to lay your engineered hardwood planks, be prepared for compliments from family and friends.
 
IIC CLASS
 
IIC (impact insulation class) is a sound rating that rates how well a floor assembly blocks vibrations.  The higher the IIC rating, the better the assembly is at blocking impact noises. The International Building Code requires many public structures to have an IIC rating of at least 50. To provide context, IIC ratings in the 80s is considered high. Typically, condominium strata policies require an IIC rating of 70+.
No matter the type of flooring you have, the best way to improve your floor assembly’s IIC rating is by adding a flooring underlayment. A floor underlayment is a rubberized layer of fabric placed between the subfloor and surface layer. Rubber is a dense material that is naturally excellent at absorbing impact noises.
 
STC CLASS
 
STC (sound transmission class) is a rating system that tells us how much sound is blocked from going through a product. The STC rating is important when you are trying to reduce the amount of sound entering or leaving a room. When people are evaluation flooring material for sound reduction, they rely of the STC rating of the product. To provide context, STC ratings at the 60+ level is when good soundproofing begins as neighbours generally are not disturbed by very loud speech from inside. Typically, condominium strata policies require an STC rating of 70+.
 
AC RATING
 
AC (abrasion criteria) is a rating system on laminate and vinyl floor planks (i.e. synthetic floors) for products that have been tested for durability for abrasion and impact resistance.  Most synthetic floors are rated within the common range of AC1 to AC5 (high durability) although there are AC6 products as well. 
 
Typically, we suggest:

• AC 1 / AC2 used for low to moderate residential application

• AC 3 / AC4 used for families with higher traffic levels

• AC 5 / AC6 used for heavy commercial applications

 
CANADA & USA FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS REGULATIONS
 
Formaldehyde is often used as the binding agent in composite wood products. Composite wood is a broad term that covers a wide range of fabricated wood products for example the plywood in the engineered-hardwood planks or laminated products and others.
 
Formaldehyde as a binding agent is effective however emissions higher than 0.1ppm in the are can cause irritations such as burning sensation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, wheezing, skin irritations and nausea. As a result, many countries introduced legislation to restrict emissions from composite wood products. 
 
The US government signed into law the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act. Under the terms of the act, formaldehyde is now restricted in composite wood products to:

• HWPW-CC or HWPW-VC – no more than 0.05 ppm

• PB – no more than 0.09 ppm

• MDF – no more than 0.11 ppm 

• Thin-MDF – no more than 0.13 ppm

• Laminated products – no more than 0.05 ppm

 
The rules are mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whose regulations aligns with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements and have been in effect since 2016. 
 
Following suit, in 2021 the Canadian Government published ‘Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations’ (SOR/2021-148), aligning the country’s standards with the US Toxic Substances Control Act Title VI ‘Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products’ (TSCA Title VI). Canada’s regulations came into force January 2023 (except for requirements for laminated products which do not apply until January 2028).
 
To participate in the North American market, as a manufacturer and supplier, Oscar Pacific has ensured that our products conform to US, Canadian, and when we operate in California, CARB requirements