Room Scene is  Calais

 

Three waterproof flooring technologies. Three different approaches to performance.

Waterproof flooring has changed dramatically over the past two decades. WPC brought greater comfort and water resistance to luxury vinyl flooring. SPC followed with a denser, more rigid mineral-based core designed to improve stability and durability.

Both technologies have become enormously successful.

But both largely approached the same challenge from the core of the plank.

Quartz PC takes a different approach.

Rather than relying on a traditional vinyl wear layer as the primary performance surface, Quartz PC uses a quartz-infused urethane surface with a ceramic-bead UV finish over a waterproof hybrid mineral core.

Why does that matter?

Because while the core of a floor is important, most of what happens to a floor during everyday life happens at the surface.

Shoes. Pets. Furniture. Office chairs. Rolling equipment. Spills. Sunlight. Dirt. Grit. Repeated foot traffic.

So how does Quartz PC compare with traditional SPC and WPC luxury vinyl flooring?

Let’s look beyond marketing claims and examine the performance.

 

QUARTZ PC BY THE NUMBERS

 

7,000	25,000	176°F	0.02 mm	6.9 / 7.5
Abrasion Cycles	Castor Chair Cycles	Heat Exposure	Residual Indentation	kN/m Lock Strength
EN 13329	Class 34	6 Hours	Class 34	Long / Short Side

The Quick Answer

All three flooring technologies can provide excellent waterproof performance, but they are constructed differently and have different strengths.

It is also important to recognize the enormous range of quality within the SPC and WPC categories. Products that may appear nearly identical can differ substantially in core density, overall thickness, wear-layer construction, locking systems, surface finishes and manufacturing quality.

For this comparison, we are evaluating Quartz PC against quality, higher-performance SPC and WPC flooring—not entry-level products—with conventional wear layers generally ranging from approximately 22 to 30 mils.

Performance Area	Quartz PC	SPC	WPC
Waterproof Construction	Exceptional	Excellent	Excellent
Surface Wear Resistance	Exceptional	Good–Excellent*	Good–Excellent*
Dimensional Stability	Exceptional	Excellent	Good–Excellent
Residual Indentation	Exceptional	Excellent	Good–Excellent
Castor/Rolling Chair Performance	Excellent	Varies*	Excellent*
Impact Resistance	Excellent	Excellent*	Excellent*
Stain Resistance	Exceptional	Excellent*	Excellent*
Comfort Underfoot	Good	Firm	Excellent
Locking-System Performance	Exceptional tested result	Varies	Varies
Traditional Vinyl Wear Layer	No	Yes	Yes

 

*SPC and WPC performance varies considerably by manufacturer, construction and product specification. Published premium products can perform very well.

The biggest difference isn’t simply the core. It’s the surface.

First, What Are SPC and WPC?

Before comparing performance, it helps to understand what you’re actually walking on.

What Is SPC Flooring?

SPC generally stands for Stone Plastic Composite or Stone Polymer Composite.

A typical SPC plank contains several layers:

UV coating → Vinyl wear layer → Decorative film → Rigid SPC core → Attached pad

The dense mineral-filled core is what gives SPC its signature rigidity and dimensional stability.

SPC became extremely popular because it combines waterproof construction, relatively easy floating installation, good durability and competitive pricing.

Quality SPC can be an excellent flooring product.

However, the rigid core isn’t normally the surface you’re walking on. The decorative layer and conventional vinyl wear layer sit above it.

That distinction becomes important when evaluating long-term surface performance.

What Is WPC Flooring?

WPC generally stands for Wood Plastic Composite or Wood Polymer Composite flooring.

Like SPC, WPC typically uses a vinyl wear surface above a printed decorative layer, but its core is generally lower-density and more resilient.

That creates one of WPC’s greatest advantages:

Comfort.

WPC tends to feel warmer and more forgiving underfoot than dense rigid-core flooring.

Its thicker, more cushioned construction can also provide desirable acoustic characteristics.

The trade-off is that a softer core makes indentation, concentrated loads and dimensional performance especially important specifications to evaluate.

Published WPC performance varies substantially between products, so the word “WPC” alone tells you surprisingly little about how a particular floor will perform.

What Makes Quartz PC Different?

Quartz PC wasn’t developed simply to create another rigid-core floor.

It was developed to rethink the performance surface itself.

Instead of depending on a conventional vinyl wear layer, Quartz PC utilizes a proprietary quartz-infused urethane surface, protected by a ceramic-bead UV finish.

Underneath that surface is a waterproof hybrid core engineered with minerals, quartz, fiberglass and polymer components.

The result is a floor designed around a simple principle:

The surface is where life happens.

That means surface durability deserves just as much attention as what’s inside the plank.

1. Abrasion & Wear Resistance

When shopping for luxury vinyl flooring, consumers are often taught to look at one number:

Wear-layer thickness.

12 mil.

20 mil.

22 mil.

28 mil.

But thickness alone doesn’t tell you how resistant a surface is to abrasion.

Material composition matters.

Quartz PC was independently tested by Intertek using EN 13329:2016+A1:2017 Annex E abrasion testing.

Three specimens reached initial wear-through at:

6,800 cycles
7,000 cycles
7,100 cycles

Average Initial Wear Point: 7,000 cycles

Quartz PC Test

That’s particularly important because Quartz PC achieves this performance through its quartz-infused surface technology rather than a conventional vinyl wear layer.

Why does abrasion resistance matter?

Think about microscopic dirt and grit carried into a building on shoes.

Under repeated foot traffic, those particles can behave like extremely fine sandpaper.

One pass means almost nothing.

Thousands and thousands of passes are another story.

That’s why abrasion testing gives us information that simply knowing the thickness of a wear layer cannot.

PERFORMANCE NOTE

A thicker wear layer does not automatically mean a more abrasion-resistant surface. The chemistry and composition of the surface are critical parts of the equation.

2. Scratch & Micro-Scratch Resistance

“Scratch resistant” is one of the most overused phrases in flooring.

No practical flooring surface should be described as scratch-proof.

The better question is:

How does the surface respond to repeated fine scratching and abrasion?

Quartz PC was independently evaluated under EN 16094:2012, a standardized method for measuring micro-scratch resistance.

Under Procedure A, Quartz PC received an MSR-A2 classification, with an average measured gloss change of 13%. 

Quartz PC Test Result Pages 

Premium SPC and WPC products can also achieve strong micro-scratch results, so this isn’t a category where every Quartz PC product should simply be declared superior to every vinyl floor.

Instead, it demonstrates something important:

Quartz PC’s surface performance is measurable.

We’re not asking customers to accept “scratch resistant” because it’s printed on a carton.

We test it.

3. Rolling Chairs & Repeated Rolling Loads

This may be one of the most overlooked flooring tests.

Think about the punishment caused by:

• office chairs
• wheelchairs
• walkers
• rolling carts
• medical equipment
• desk chairs
• other wheeled equipment

Unlike normal foot traffic, a rolling wheel repeatedly concentrates force into a relatively small area.

Quartz PC underwent 25,000 castor-chair cycles and achieved the applicable Class 34 performance classification. 

Quartz PC Result Pages

That’s significant for residential environments, but it’s especially relevant for commercial applications.

Quality WPC and SPC products can also perform extremely well in castor-chair testing. For example, published specifications for both WPC and SPC products report no visible damage following 25,000-cycle testing. 

So this isn’t about claiming other flooring can’t survive a rolling chair.

It’s about demonstrating that Quartz PC was engineered and tested for demanding repetitive use.

4. Residual Indentation

Imagine a heavy piece of furniture sitting on your floor.

After the furniture is removed, how much permanent deformation remains?

That’s essentially what residual-indentation testing helps evaluate.

And this is an area where Quartz PC produced an impressive result.

Quartz PC Residual Indentation: 0.02 mm

The result qualified for Class 34 under the tested classification requirements. 

Quartz PC Result Pages

For context, published technical specifications vary among conventional resilient floors. One current SPC specification lists residual indentation of ≤0.10 mm, while a published WPC specification lists <0.10 mm. 

These aren’t universal SPC or WPC results, and differences in test standards and product construction have to be considered.

What we can confidently say is:

Quartz PC demonstrated extremely low permanent indentation in independent testing.

That matters anywhere a floor encounters concentrated loads.

5. Dimensional Stability & Heat

Waterproof flooring doesn’t live in a laboratory.

It lives beside windows.

Sliding glass doors.

Storefronts.

Sunrooms.

Commercial entrances.

And environments where surface temperatures can change dramatically throughout the day.

Temperature changes can cause flooring materials to expand, contract or curl.

That’s why dimensional stability is one of the most important—and least understood—performance characteristics of a floating floor.

Quartz PC underwent ISO 23999 dimensional stability and curling testing.

The specimens were exposed to:

80°C / 176°F for six hours.

After reconditioning, measured dimensional changes remained extremely small.

Maximum recorded dimensional change among the specimens was:

Length direction: 0.04%
Width direction: 0.02%

Maximum recorded curling was:

0.61 mm

Quartz PC Result Page 

For comparison, a currently published SPC specification lists dimensional stability of ≤0.12% and curling ≤1.0 mm under its stated ISO 23999 specification. 

A published WPC specification reports 0.05% in one direction and 0.015% in the other under its stated heat-exposure testing, with curling <0.2 mm. 

Those figures should not be treated as a direct laboratory shootout because testing conditions and constructions can differ.

They do, however, demonstrate why buyers should look beyond words such as “waterproof” and ask for actual dimensional-stability data.

Quartz PC’s takeaway is simple:

It demonstrated very low dimensional movement even after severe heat exposure.

6. Water Resistance & Swelling

SPC, WPC and Quartz PC can all be sold as waterproof flooring.

And we think that’s worth saying plainly.

Waterproof isn’t a Quartz PC-exclusive advantage.

The more interesting question is what happens to the plank itself when exposed to water.

Quartz PC underwent ISO 24336 testing in which specimens were partially immersed 50 mm into water at 20°C for 24 hours. 

Quartz PC Result Pages 

The resulting thickness-swelling measurements were extremely small.

This supports Quartz PC’s suitability as a waterproof flooring construction.

But there’s another important point consumers should understand:

A waterproof floor does not make a building waterproof.

Water can still travel underneath flooring, enter walls and baseboards, affect substrates or create other moisture-related problems.

“Waterproof flooring” describes the flooring product—not the entire installation environment.

7. Impact Resistance

Dropped objects are another reality of everyday flooring.

Quartz PC underwent large-ball impact testing and achieved:

1,800 mm — Class 34

Quartz PC Result Pages 

Premium SPC and WPC products can also demonstrate strong impact performance.

That’s why we categorize Quartz PC’s result as excellent, rather than suggesting conventional resilient flooring can’t perform well in this area.

8. Locking-System Strength

A beautiful surface isn’t enough.

In a floating installation, every plank becomes part of a much larger interconnected system.

That makes locking-joint strength extremely important.

Quartz PC underwent ISO 24334 locking-strength testing.

Long Side

Specific locking strength: 6.9 kN/m

Short Side

Specific locking strength: 7.5 kN/m

The system also maintained strong measured performance when evaluated at a 0.2 mm joint opening. 

Quartz PC Result Pages

Published WPC and SPC specifications vary significantly by manufacturer and locking technology.

That’s why shoppers shouldn’t evaluate a floor based solely on total thickness or wear-layer thickness.

The locking system matters.

Subfloor flatness, proper expansion space and correct installation matter too.

A floating floor is a system, and every component contributes to its long-term performance.

9. Stains & Everyday Chemicals

Coffee gets spilled.

Markers end up where they shouldn’t.

Cleaning products get used.

Commercial environments encounter substances residential floors may never see.

Quartz PC underwent resistance-to-staining testing under EN 438-2.

The tested substances included:

• Acetone
• Hot coffee
• Sodium hydroxide solution
• Hydrogen peroxide solution
• Carbon-black suspension
• Black oil marker

Quartz PC received a rating of 5 — “No change” — for the tested substances under the specified exposure conditions. 

Quartz PC Result Pages 

Premium SPC and WPC can also provide excellent stain resistance, and published technical specifications demonstrate strong performance in this category. 

The difference is that Quartz PC’s performance isn’t simply a marketing description.

It’s documented.

10. Fire Performance

Flooring can also contribute to the way fire develops across a room.

Quartz PC was independently tested by Intertek according to ASTM E648, which measures critical radiant flux—the radiant heat energy required to sustain flame propagation across a flooring system.

The three Quartz PC specimens each produced:

Critical Radiant Flux: >1.10 W/cm²

with an average result also reported as >1.10 W/cm². 

Critical Radiant Flux ASTM E648-19ae1.pdf

SPC and WPC products are commonly evaluated under fire-performance standards as well, although standards and classifications differ by market.

For that reason, fire ratings using different test methods shouldn’t simply be placed beside each other and declared equivalent.

11. Acoustic Performance

Sound matters—especially in:

• multifamily housing
• condominiums
• hospitality
• senior living
• upper-floor installations

Quartz PC was tested by SGS under ASTM E492 and ASTM E989 in a specified floor/ceiling assembly.

The tested assembly achieved:

IIC 69

IIC Test for Quarts PC(1).pdf

There’s an important distinction here.

IIC is an assembly rating.

The laboratory assembly included the flooring over a 150 mm concrete floor and a specific drop-ceiling construction. 

Therefore, an IIC 69 result shouldn’t be interpreted to mean every Quartz PC installation automatically achieves IIC 69.

Building construction matters.

That’s an important question to ask whenever any flooring manufacturer advertises an IIC number.

So Which Floor Is Better?

There’s no single flooring technology that’s best for every consumer and every application.

WPC may be an excellent choice if:

Comfort and a softer feel underfoot are major priorities.

SPC may be an excellent choice if:

You’re looking for a rigid, waterproof flooring platform with broad availability and a wide range of price points.

Quartz PC may be the better choice if:

You’re prioritizing:

• exceptional tested surface wear performance
• dimensional stability
• low residual indentation
• strong locking-system performance
• rolling-load performance
• commercial durability
• a low-gloss, realistic visual
• and an alternative to the conventional vinyl wear-layer approach.

The Difference Is at the Surface

SPC helped transform resilient flooring by changing the core.

WPC helped transform resilient flooring by combining waterproof performance with greater comfort.

Quartz PC approaches the category differently.

We started with the surface.

Because that’s where pets run.

That’s where chairs roll.

That’s where shoes carry grit.

That’s where furniture sits.

That’s where sunlight hits.

And that’s the part of the floor you’ll see every day for years.

SPC and WPC changed the core of luxury vinyl flooring.

Quartz PC rethought the surface.

That’s the difference.

Tested. Documented. Built for Real Life.

Quartz PC has undergone independent testing covering abrasion, micro-scratch resistance, rolling-chair performance, dimensional stability, indentation, impact, staining, water swelling, locking strength, fire performance and acoustics.

Because when you’re choosing a floor for your home or project, performance should mean more than a claim printed on a box.

It should be measurable.

Shop QuartzPC

VIEW TECHNICAL TESTING