Flooring Compared

Rigid core vinyl · manufacturer declarations, normalized and cited

Karndean Korlok Select 5.87x23.46

installation constraints 9/9 specification claims 4/6

Karndean’s Korlok Select is a rigid polymeric (SPC or WPC not stated) rigid core plank measuring 5.87 by 23.46 inches at 6.5 mm overall. Everything on this page is Karndean’s own declaration about it, read from documents Karndean publishes, and reproduced next to the document each figure came from.

The row is the product line, not a color. Karndean publishes one specification per line and per plank size, and the color underneath changes none of the figures below, so this page covers every color offered at 5.87 × 23.46 in.

Every cell in the tables below is one of four things. A figure means the manufacturer declares it, and the document it was read from is named beside it. A cell reading no declaration means the manufacturer publishes nothing for that field, which is a finding about the product rather than a gap in this table. A cell reading held pending resolution means two independent readings of the same document disagreed, and nothing is published until a person settles it. A cell reading not collected means no document has been read for that field yet, and that shortfall is ours rather than the maker's.

The six fields this reference argues are worth reading first. Each appears again, in full, in its own section below.
FieldDeclared
Wear layer 20 mil (0.508 mm)“Wear layer ASTM F410 20 mil (0.50 mm)”“Wear layer ASTM F410 20 mil (0.50 mm)” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Wear layer finish K-Guard+ PU coating“Surface treatment K-Guard+® PU coating”“Surface treatment K-Guard+® PU coating” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Locking system Valinge 5G Fold Down (5G short edge, 2G long edge)“5G® Fold Down installation system”“5G® along short edge; 2G™ long edge. 5G® is a patented technology invented by Välinge Innovation AB”“5G® Fold Down installation system” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Attached pad No · single sourceThis reference’s note: no attached backing appears in the datasheet; a separate underlay is not normally recommendedKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Pad material no declaration · single sourceThis reference’s note: no attached pad is declared; QuietChoice is a separate underlayment productKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Residential warranty Lifetime“Product warranty Residential Lifetime”“Korlok Select Residential Warranty: Lifetime” — Karndean Designflooring Product WarrantiesKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
What this row is, as the maker identifies it.
FieldDeclared
Brand KarndeanKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Collection Korlok SelectKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Product line Korlok Select 5.87x23.46Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Core rigid polymeric (SPC or WPC not stated) · single source“Standards ASTM F3261 Pass: Resilient flooring with Rigid Polymeric Core”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Plank size 5.87 × 23.46 in · single source“Plank 23.46" x 5.87" ”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Sq ft per carton 21.03 · single source“Box qty 21.03 ft2”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read

This manufacturer's own terms do not permit their photograph to be reproduced here, so none was selected and none was looked for.

Durability

The wear layer is 20 mil, or 0.508 mm. That is the clear film above the printed layer, and not the thickness figure: this plank is 6.5 mm overall.

The wear layer is reinforced, and the maker names the treatment: K-Guard+ PU coating. What the coating consists of is not published, so the name stands as a claim and not as a measured property.

Declared durability figures, each with the document it was read from.
FieldDeclared
Wear layer 20 mil (0.508 mm)“Wear layer ASTM F410 20 mil (0.50 mm)”“Wear layer ASTM F410 20 mil (0.50 mm)” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Wear layer finish K-Guard+ PU coating“Surface treatment K-Guard+® PU coating”“Surface treatment K-Guard+® PU coating” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Total thickness 6.5 mm“Thickness ASTM F387 6.5 mm”“Thickness ASTM F386 6.5 mm” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Core thickness no declaration · single sourceThis reference’s note: only the overall thickness is declaredKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Abrasion cycles 36,000 cycles · single source“Abrasion resistance ASTM D4060 Pass (36,000 Cycles)”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read

Joint and pad

The locking system is declared as Valinge 5G Fold Down (5G short edge, 2G long edge), which is the field most consumer tables omit entirely and the one installers ask about first. It decides how the last row goes in, whether a damaged plank can be lifted and replaced, and how the floor behaves when it is walked before it has settled.

How the planks join, and whether anything is bonded underneath them.
FieldDeclared
Locking system Valinge 5G Fold Down (5G short edge, 2G long edge)“5G® Fold Down installation system”“5G® along short edge; 2G™ long edge. 5G® is a patented technology invented by Välinge Innovation AB”“5G® Fold Down installation system” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Edge profile micro bevel“Beveled edge Micro”“Beveled Edge Micro” — Korlok Select Technical Data SheetKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Attached pad No · single sourceThis reference’s note: no attached backing appears in the datasheet; a separate underlay is not normally recommendedKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Pad material no declaration · single sourceThis reference’s note: no attached pad is declared; QuietChoice is a separate underlayment productKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Pad thickness no declaration · single sourceKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Unique planks no declaration · single sourceKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read

Warranty: what it does not cover

The residential term is published as a word, not a number: a lifetime warranty. No document read for it turns that into a number.

The commercial term is conditional: 15 years applies to light commercial use only. A period that depends on a purchasing decision made at installation is not the same as a period that runs from the sale, and a floor laid with someone else's adhesive is not covered for the term printed in the table.

Labor is not covered. The remedy is replacement material or a refund of the purchase price, which is the smaller half of the bill on a floor that has to come up. See lifetime warranties and labor.

The remedy does not decline over the term; it is replacement or refund throughout, at the maker's option.

5 exclusions are named in the warranty, and they are listed in full below, not summarized. None of them names an everyday hazard: no mats, no sunlight, no castors, no heels, no pets, no area rugs. That is not the same as a floor excluding less. This list is shorter and written more generally, and a general exclusion can be read to cover more than a specific one.

Warranty terms as published. The named exclusions are quoted below the table.
FieldDeclared
Residential warranty Lifetime“Product warranty Residential Lifetime”“Korlok Select Residential Warranty: Lifetime” — Karndean Designflooring Product WarrantiesKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Light commercial warranty not collected
Commercial warranty 15 years“Product warranty Commercial 15 Years”“Commercial Warranty: 15 years” — Karndean Designflooring Product Warranties“*Subject to terms. Commercial warranty covers light commercial use only” — Karndean Designflooring Product WarrantiesKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Prorated No · single source“Karndean Designflooring will repair or provide replacement materials only”Karndean Designflooring Product Warranties · read
Labor covered No · single source“will repair or provide replacement materials only ... accepts no responsibility for faulty installation or incorrect maintenance”Karndean Designflooring Product Warranties · read
Sunlight clause Rigid core/hybrid flooring should be protected from heat and/or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight as this may cause damage to your floor.“NOTE: Rigid core/hybrid flooring should be protected from heat and/or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight as this may cause damage to your floor.”“The floor must be protected from excessive heat and/or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight as this may cause damage to your floor.”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read

Named exclusions, from the maker’s own warranty document:

Five entries are published here; how many the document lists was not recorded.

“Karndean Designflooring accepts no responsibility for faulty installation or incorrect maintenance. This HoldFast Warranty does not include the following: 1. Damage due to: improper shipping, handling or storage of material, installation methods other than those from the Karndean Designflooring Installation Guidelines, or abuse.” — Karndean Designflooring Product Warranties · read

This reference’s note: the quotation is the lead-in and the first of the numbered items

Installation constraints

9 of 9 declared

The floor may run 50 linear feet before a transition is required. Converted for comparison against makers who declare the limit the other way round, that is about 2,500 square feet, but only if the field is square. A long narrow room reaches the linear bound first. See how far a floor runs before a transition.

A 0.1875 in gap is required, and the reading recorded for this cell names what it is measured to: fixed objects and pipes.

The subfloor limit is declared as 95% relative humidity, and the test named for it is ASTM F2170. A calcium chloride limit of 8 lb is also declared, under ASTM F1869; the two are separate tests of different volumes of the slab and neither substitutes for the other.

The material must sit in the room for 48 hours before it is laid.

Over radiant heat the floor surface may not exceed 85 °F (29.4 °C). That is a surface temperature, not a thermostat setting. What the figure does not carry is a consequence: radiant heat is not among the warranty exclusions read for this product, so it stands as an installation requirement, not as a stated ground for refusing a claim.

The reading gives a service temperature band of 65 to 85 °F. It is the clause that catches holiday homes and unheated rooms. Whether leaving the band costs the cover is a separate question, and the exclusions are below. A three-season room is permitted; the permission is stated without a separate band of its own.

What the maker requires of the room, normalized where a conversion is defensible.
ConstraintDeclared
Acclimation 48 h“For commercial installations make sure flooring materials are removed from packaging at least 48 hours prior to installation ... For residential installations acclimation is generally not essential if the product temperature is already in the range 65-85°F”“For commercial installations make sure flooring materials are removed from packaging at least 48 hours prior to installation”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Approved adhesives no declarationThis reference’s note: the stair exception refers the reader to a local supplier rather than naming an adhesiveKarndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Subfloor flatness 3/16 in over 10 ft“Any unevenness in the subfloor should be limited to a maximum of 3/16" (5 mm) below the level for 10 ft (3 m) in any direction”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Glue-down permitted No“Adhesives are not normally recommended in the installation of this product”“Adhering to the substrate is not usually permitted with rigid core products as it will inhibit the ability of the material to expand and contract. There is one exception to this which is residential stair installation.”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Max run without a transition 50 linear ft“Where the flooring run exceeds 50 ft. (15 m) in width or length, a 5/16" (8 mm) expansion joint should be used and repeated thereafter”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Perimeter expansion gap 0.1875 in“a minimum expansion gap of 3/16" (5 mm) around the perimeter of the room and all fixed objects, including pipes. This minimum must be increased to 5/16" (8 mm) for areas larger than 1000 sq. ft.”“This product should be installed with a minimum expansion gap of 3/16" (5 mm) around the perimeter of the room and all fixed objects, including pipes”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Vapor barrier required No“For any subfloor showing a moisture value above these limits, a suitable damp proof membrane / moisture suppression system must be used”This reference’s note: required only past the moisture thresholdKarndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Radiant heat limit 85 °F (29.4 °C)“controlled to keep the temperature at the interface between the backing and subfloor surface at no more than 85°F”“these must be controlled to keep the temperature at the interface between the backing and subfloor surface at no more than 85°F or 27°C”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Service temperature range 65–85 °F“Room temperature must be kept between 65-85°F (USA)”“Maintain room temperature between 65-85°F or 18-27°C for optimum performance”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Subfloor MVER limit 8 lb/1000 sq ft/24h“The moisture limit for Korlok Select is 8lbs. moisture/1000 sq. ft. per 24 hours (Calcium Chloride)”“Moisture of the base subfloor (e.g. concrete) must be measured according to ASTM F1869 (Calcium Chloride) or ASTM F2170 (RH). The moisture limit for Korlok Select is 8lbs. moisture/1000 sq. ft. per 24 hours”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
MVER test method ASTM F1869“must be measured according to ASTM F1869 (Calcium Chloride)”“Moisture of the base subfloor (e.g. concrete) must be measured according to ASTM F1869 (Calcium Chloride) or ASTM F2170 (RH).”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Subfloor pH range no declarationThis reference’s note: no pH limit appears in the guidelinesKarndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Subfloor RH limit 95% RH“The moisture limit for Korlok Select is 8lbs. moisture/1000 sq. ft. per 24 hours (Calcium Chloride) or 95% (RH)”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
RH test method ASTM F2170“Moisture of the base subfloor (e.g. concrete) must be measured according to ASTM F1869 (Calcium Chloride) or ASTM F2170 (RH).”“ASTM F2170 (RH)”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read
Three-season room Yes“Special care must be taken when installing this product in rooms that are exposed to large temperature fluctuations e.g. unheated rooms, sunrooms/conservatories ... In these cases, a minimum 3/8" (10mm) expansion gap should be used”Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide · read

Specification claims

4 of 6 declared

The acoustic figures belong to an assembly, not to the plank: IIC 68 were measured on 6 in concrete slab with drop ceiling. See impact ratings and assemblies.

Standardized test results as declared. A figure without its method or its assembly is not carried into a specification.
ClaimDeclared
ASTM product standard ASTM F3261 · single source“Standards ASTM F3261 Pass: Resilient flooring with Rigid Polymeric Core”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Certifications FloorScore · NSF/ANSI 332 Silver · ASSURE CERTIFIED · single source“Environmental FloorScore® SCS-EC10.3-2014 v4.0 Certified; NSF / ANSI 332 Silver certified product; ASSURE CERTIFIED™”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Commercial class claimed Commercial warranty covers light commercial use only · single source“*Subject to terms. Commercial warranty covers light commercial use only”Karndean Designflooring Product Warranties · read
Slip test condition no declaration · single sourceKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Slip test method no declaration · single sourceThis reference’s note: ASTM D2047 is declared, which is the dry test; no wet DCOF method is namedKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Slip resistance no declaration · single source“Slip resistance ASTM D2047 Pass (Dry > 0.8)”This reference’s note: a dry static figure; no wet DCOF is publishedKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
E648 class Class I · single source“Reaction to fire ASTM E648-06 Class 1”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Critical radiant flux no declaration · single sourceThis reference’s note: the class is declared without the flux figure behind itKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
EPD / HPD Yes · single source“Environmental Product Declaration Type III EPD”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
F3261 grade no declaration · single sourceThis reference’s note: the datasheet records a pass without naming a gradeKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
F970 indentation 0.005 in · single source“Pass (800 psi at 0.005")”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Static load limit 800 psi · single source“Static load ASTM F970 Pass (800 psi at 0.005")”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
IIC assembly 6 in concrete slab with drop ceiling · single source“6" Concrete Slab w/Drop Ceiling”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Impact insulation class 68 · single source“ASTM E492-09 IIC = 68 dB (6" Concrete Slab w/Drop Ceiling); IIC = 72 dB with QuietChoice”Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
STC assembly no declaration · single sourceKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read
Sound transmission class no declaration · single sourceKorlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet, rev. 2025-02-10, p. 1 · read

Source documents

3 documents
Every figure on this page was read from one of these.
DocumentAddress
Karndean Rigid Core Plank and Tile Installation Guide https://www.karndean.com/globalassets/karndean/b2c-blocks/b2c-document-listing-block/usa/installation-guides/karndean-rigid-core_plank-and-tile-installation-guide-usa.pdf
Korlok Select Rigid Core Technical Datasheet https://www.karndean.com/globalassets/karndean-commercial/blocks/b2b-brochure-listing-block/usa/tech-data-sheets/korlok-select-rigid-core-tds.pdf
Karndean Designflooring Product Warranties https://www.karndean.com/globalassets/karndean/pdfs/usa_warranty.pdf

How much of this row is filled

Of the 9 core installation limits this reference tracks, Karndean declares all 9, and enough for the installation coverage badge.

Of the 6 core standardized test results this reference tracks, Karndean declares 4, and enough for the specification badge. The other 2 are results it states nothing about.

13 fields are recorded as undeclared instead of left blank: Approved adhesives, Core thickness, Slip test condition, Slip test method, Slip resistance, Critical radiant flux, F3261 grade, Pad material, among others. Each of those is the maker publishing nothing, not a failure to look here.

The opposite gap is recorded too, and this one is ours and not Karndean’s: 1 field in the dictionary has not been read for this product: Light commercial warranty. It is missing from the table for want of a document held here, not because Karndean publishes nothing about it.

What each field means · how these figures were read · the same constraints across every product ·