Giving it the boot Our scuff test showed that a urethane wear layer resists scuff marks better than a vinyl wear layer. In our labs, we also subjected the flooring to controlled havoc to assess the likelihood of damage from specific hazards like a falling fork, an undetected spill, a lit cigarette, or ground-in grit. And we tested to see which models were slippery when wet. Urethane proved more resistant than vinyl in our scuff and abrasion tests. The type of wear layer didn't seem to make a difference, however, when we tested for puncturing by dropping a light, pointed object similar to a fork, tines down, onto the flooring samples.
Textured surfaces hide dents best.
We loaded various weights onto indentation tools of different diameters to simulate the effect of high-heeled shoes and furniture legs pressing into the flooring. Most of the products bounced back from the furniture test, but few recovered completely from the heel test, which was more severe. Or you can choose a moderately or deeply textured surface, which should best hide small indentations. The printing method is a nonissue. Tested models with inlaid printing tended to cost more, but they weren't always more durable.