The flooring is made up of many layers, including an underlayment, core (usually PVC) and an image layer of wood, tile or stone. A hard clear wear layer that protects the floor from scratches and scuffs, and keeps it completely waterproof.
On top is a clear wear layer that makes luxury vinyl scratch-resistant, waterproof and highly durable.
From a design point of view, the biggest advancement is in the image later. The photos are taken with high definition photography, so everything is clear and accurate. For instance, if you’re going for the wood-look, expect to see raised grains, knots, and swirls. Add texturing, another technological advance, and the floor will have a wire-brushed, hand-scraped or distressed look.
It comes in sheet-form, but can also be cut into strips, placed on boards to mimic planks and that will give it more realism.
You can do that with tile or stone, too. Cut into tile-sized pieces, they feature veining and color variation and bold patterns that can be mixed and matched to create a unique statement.