The full comparison
The table below is the catalogue as printed — type, thickness, wear rating, rate, water behaviour and a plain verdict for a Mumbai flat.
| Type | Thickness | Wear rating | Rate per sq ft | Water behaviour | Verdict for Mumbai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPC rigid core | 4 mm | AC4 | Rs 110–160 | Fully waterproof core | The default choice for bedrooms |
| SPC rigid core | 5.5 mm | AC5 | Rs 150–220 | Fully waterproof | Better underfoot; takes an IXPE pad |
| SPC rigid core | 8 mm | AC5 | Rs 210–300 | Fully waterproof | Quietest SPC; closest to real wood feel |
| WPC | 6 mm | AC4 | Rs 170–250 | Waterproof, softer core | Warmer than SPC, slightly less dent-resistant |
| Laminate, HDF | 8 mm | AC3 | Rs 85–130 | Swells permanently if wet | Only in a bedroom with no attached bath |
| Laminate, HDF | 12 mm | AC4 | Rs 140–210 | Swells if wet | Feels solid; still vulnerable at the joints |
| Laminate, water-resistant | 8 mm | AC4 | Rs 150–230 | Resists 24 hours of surface water | Acceptable; not equal to SPC |
| Engineered oak | 14 mm, 3 mm wear | — | Rs 340–520 | Damaged by standing water | Beautiful, and a real risk in a ground-floor flat |
| Engineered oak, wide plank | 15 mm, 4 mm wear | — | Rs 480–780 | Damaged by standing water | Can be sanded twice; a 20-year floor if kept dry |
| Engineered teak | 15 mm, 4 mm wear | — | Rs 620–950 | More stable than oak in humidity | The best natural option for Mumbai |
| Solid teak strip | 18 mm | — | Rs 750–1,400 | Moves seasonally | Needs a 12 mm expansion gap and acclimatisation |
| Bamboo, strand woven | 14 mm | — | Rs 380–560 | Harder than oak, less stable | Very hard; can cup in high humidity |
| Vinyl plank, glue-down | 2 mm | — | Rs 75–130 | Fully waterproof | Cheapest genuine option; needs a perfect sub-floor |
| Vinyl plank, click | 5 mm | — | Rs 120–180 | Fully waterproof | Good for rentals; lifts and moves with you |
| Cork | 10 mm | — | Rs 260–420 | Swells if wet | Warm and quiet; rarely available in India |
| Underlay, foam | 2 mm | — | Rs 12–22 | — | Minimum; barely reduces sound |
| Underlay, IXPE with film | 2 mm | — | Rs 25–45 | Moisture barrier included | The one to use over a concrete slab |
| Underlay, rubber acoustic | 3 mm | — | Rs 55–95 | Moisture barrier | Required by many societies above the 5th floor |
How to use the catalogue
- Read the water column first. In a city with a four-month monsoon and attached bathrooms everywhere, water behaviour outranks appearance and price.
- Check your society’s acoustic rule. Many Mumbai buildings require a rubber acoustic underlay above a certain floor, and it is far cheaper to buy the right underlay than to relay a floor after a complaint.
- Match the wear rating to the room. AC3 is a bedroom; AC4 is a living room; AC5 is a corridor or a rented flat. The rating is on the box and worth checking against the quotation.
- Acclimatise before laying. Leave the planks flat in the room for 48 hours. It costs two days and prevents the gapping that shows up in the first dry spell.
Three mistakes this prevents
- HDF laminate in a bedroom with an attached bath. One overflow and the planks swell at the joints permanently; there is no drying it out.
- No expansion gap. The floor buckles in the middle of the room during the first monsoon and the entire installation has to come up.
- Foam underlay over a concrete slab. It gives neither a moisture barrier nor useful acoustic performance; IXPE with film costs marginally more and does both.
Download the catalogue (PDF) →
Estimate with the flooring cost calculator or read how to choose flooring for Mumbai homes.
Frequently asked questions
Is SPC flooring good?+
Yes, and in Mumbai it is usually the right answer. The rigid mineral core is genuinely waterproof, it is dimensionally stable in humidity, it clicks together without adhesive and it costs a third of engineered wood. The 8 mm version is quiet enough to be mistaken for timber underfoot.
Can wooden flooring go in a bathroom?+
No timber-based product should. SPC and glue-down vinyl are technically waterproof and are sometimes used in a dry powder room, but in a wet bathroom the issue is water reaching the sub-floor at the perimeter, which no click floor seals against. Tile or stone is the correct answer.
What is the difference between laminate and SPC?+
The core. Laminate has an HDF wood-fibre core that swells irreversibly when wet; SPC has a stone-polymer core that does not. They can look identical on the surface and behave completely differently after one spill, which is the entire reason SPC has taken over the Indian market.
Does engineered wood work in Mumbai?+
It does, with care. Engineered teak is the most stable option because the species suits the climate; engineered oak is more prone to movement. Both need the humidity kept broadly stable and neither survives standing water. In a ground-floor flat the risk is real enough to reconsider.
How much does laying cost?+
₹25 to ₹60 per sq ft for click systems, more for glue-down and much more for herringbone or any pattern laying. Skirting, beading and threshold profiles are usually quoted separately and add ₹90 to ₹250 per running foot, which people routinely forget to budget.