Amtico or Karndean? Wear layers and warranties, range by range

If you are choosing between Amtico and Karndean, LVT from either brand starts from £70/m² supplied and fitted with us, excluding preparation. The bigger difference is the range you pick within each brand. Wear layers run from 0.3mm to 1mm, and warranties from 15 years to lifetime.

We fit both, so we have no reason to push you towards one name. What follows compares them range by range, using the figures each manufacturer publishes.

At a glance

• LVT starts from £70/m² fitted with us, excluding preparation, for Amtico and Karndean alike
• Amtico Signature and Décor have a 1mm wear layer, the thickest of any range below
• Karndean’s thickest wear layer, in the ranges we checked, is 0.7mm on Art Select
• Amtico’s warranties run from 15 years (First) to lifetime (Signature and Décor)
• Karndean gives every residential floor a 35 year warranty
• Range for range, the wear layers line up at 0.3mm, 0.55mm and 0.7mm
• Preparation is priced at survey, because it depends on what is under your current floor

Amtico vs Karndean at a glance

Price per m², supplied and fitted (2026)

LVT starts from £70/m² fitted with us, excluding preparation. That covers Amtico and Karndean.

Four things move the figure above that starting point:

• The range. Karndean groups its own ranges into entry, mid and premium price tiers. Amtico does not publish tiers
• The laying pattern. Herringbone, parquet and borders are laid piece by piece, so they take longer than straight planks
• The subfloor. Gluedown LVT needs a smooth, flat, dry base, and what that takes depends on the room
• The room. Lots of doorways, pipes and corners mean more cutting

What “supplied and fitted” covers

Our price covers the floor and the fitting by our own team. We survey the subfloor first and price the preparation in the same quotation, so it does not arrive as an extra once the old floor is up. The quotation is fixed, and the only thing that changes it is you changing the scope.

Wear layer and warranty by range

The wear layer is the clear top coat that protects the printed design, measured in millimetres. It is the figure that decides how long a vinyl floor lasts under traffic. Our guide to glue-down or click LVT explains which wear layer suits which kind of use. Below is what each brand’s own ranges carry.

Amtico

Amtico says all its warranties pass to the next owner if you sell the house. Click Smart is a click floor with a built-in underlay, and Amtico says it is not suitable for conservatories.

Karndean

Karndean gives all its residential floors a 35 year warranty and calls it a lifetime warranty. It is transferable, and it applies when the floor is bought through one of Karndean’s retail partners and registered. Karndean also lists Heritage and Kaleidoscope as premium ranges.

Range for range

Set side by side, the two brands’ ranges line up by wear layer:

So at the same wear layer, Karndean’s warranty is the longer one. If you want a 1mm wear layer, Amtico Signature and Décor are the only ranges here that have one.

Which we would choose for a whole house

Start with the busiest room. The kitchen and hall usually take the most wear, so choose the wear layer for those first.

Pros and cons of each

Amtico, the pros

• The only 1mm wear layer here, on Signature and Décor
• A lifetime warranty on its top ranges, which passes to the next owner
• Décor’s patterned tiles are cut from Signature, so pattern floors keep the same wear layer
• Signature is made in Britain, at Amtico’s factory in Coventry

Amtico, the cons

• The warranty shortens as you go down the ranges, to 15 years on First
• Amtico does not publish a price guide, so you only find out the cost from a quotation
• Click Smart is not suitable for conservatories

Karndean, the pros

• A 35 year warranty on every residential floor, including the entry range
• A published entry, mid and premium price tier for each range
• Van Gogh and Knight Tile come in both gluedown and rigid core, so one design can suit different subfloors

Karndean, the cons

• No 1mm wear layer in the ranges we checked. Art Select tops out at 0.7mm
• Knight Tile’s 0.3mm wear layer suits lighter traffic
• The warranty depends on buying through a Karndean retail partner

Both brands share the same honest drawback in gluedown form. The subfloor has to be smooth and flat, because thin bonded vinyl shows every dip underneath it.

Glue-down or click, and the subfloor

Amtico’s click range is Click Smart. Karndean makes Van Gogh and Knight Tile in both gluedown and rigid core, which is its click format, and Art Select in gluedown only. We explain how to choose between the two in our guide to glue-down or click LVT.

Whichever you choose, the subfloor decides how the floor looks in five years. Our guide to whether a subfloor needs levelling shows how to check yours with a straightedge and a torch.

If you are still deciding whether LVT is right at all, our comparison of LVT and laminate covers that first.

Sources

All manufacturer pages read on 15 October 2026.

• Amtico, collection pages for Signature, Décor, Form, Spacia, Click Smart and First (wear layers and warranties): amtico.com/collections/
• Amtico, Warranty information (warranty by collection, transferability, 35 year cap): amtico.com/warranty-information/
• Karndean Designflooring, product pages for Art Select (Tweed Oak RL37), Van Gogh (Auckland Oak VGW52T, Baltic Washed Oak RKP8101) and Knight Tile (Dutch Limed Oak KP154 and SCB-KP154-6): wear layer, thickness, format and price tier, karndean.com/en-gb/floors/products/
• Karndean Designflooring, Our ranges: karndean.com/en-gb/floors/products/our-ranges/
• Karndean Designflooring, Lifetime warranty: karndean.com/en-gb/floors/services/lifetime-warranty/
• Guild Floors published prices, fitted and excluding preparation: guildfloors.co.uk/flooring-services/