Mississauga · Barrie · NAF AquaPlus

NAF AquaPlus Vinyl Flooring: Gold, Select, Platinum and Matching Stairs

100% waterproof SPC vinyl plank with a 20 mil wear layer and the pad already attached, plus matching stair sets for most colours. In stock at our Mississauga and Barrie stores.

Call Mississauga Call Barrie

NAF AquaPlus at a Glance

What it is: 100% waterproof SPC (rigid core) vinyl plank with the underlay attached, from NAF
The series: Gold (7 mm, IXPE foam pad; Shangri La has a cork pad), Select (7 mm, IXPE foam pad) and Platinum (9 mm, 2 mm IXPE foam pad)
Wear layer: 20 mil on every plank, with a deep texture and a painted bevel on all four sides
Sound ratings: IIC 72 to 80 and STC 71 to 78, quietest on Platinum
Where it goes: on, above or below grade, so kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements
Warranty: limited 30 year residential
Stairs: matching stair sets for most colours
Where to see it: on display at our Mississauga and Barrie stores

Why People Ask for AquaPlus by Name

Many shoppers who walk in asking for AquaPlus have already been burned by a floor that could not handle water: laminate that swelled at the dishwasher, or carpet in a basement that never dried. NAF AquaPlus is a stone plastic composite (SPC) plank, so the core is rigid and water does not swell it. Every plank has a 20 mil wear layer, a deep texture, a painted bevel on all four sides and an attached pad, and it carries a limited 30 year residential warranty and a limited 5 year commercial warranty (light commercial on Gold and Platinum).

In simple terms: a waterproof click plank you can put in the kitchen, the bathroom and the basement, with the underlay already built in and stairs that match.

Gold, Select or Platinum: What Actually Changes

The wear layer, the waterproofing, the texture and the residential warranty are the same across the line. Every series floats with a drop-lock click system, is FloorScore certified, and is approved over hydronic radiant heat up to 26°C. What changes is the thickness, the pad and the sound rating, and that is what decides which one belongs in your room.

AquaPlus Gold

7 mm total: a 5.5 mm SPC core with a 1.5 mm IXPE foam pad attached
Planks 7.16 by 60 inches (182 by 1524 mm), 17.91 sq ft per box
Sound ratings: IIC 78 and STC 74
Shangri La is the exception: it is made with a 1.5 mm cork pad, in 59 inch planks at 17.63 sq ft per box, rated IIC 72 and STC 71
Pick it for its colours: in performance it is a close match for Select

AquaPlus Select

7 mm total: a 5.5 mm SPC core with a 1.5 mm IXPE foam pad attached
Planks 7.16 by 60 inches (182 by 1524 mm), 17.91 sq ft per box (Bracebridge, Davisville and Tobermory pack 15 sq ft per box)
Sound ratings: IIC 78 and STC 73
Rated for temperatures from 12 to 35°C, and a limited 5 year commercial warranty rather than light commercial
Pick it for its colours, for a space that runs cooler or warmer than a typical home, or for a business

AquaPlus Platinum

9 mm total: a 7 mm SPC core with a 2 mm IXPE foam pad attached
Planks 7.16 by 59 inches (182 by 1500 mm), 11.94 sq ft per box
Sound ratings: IIC 80 and STC 78, the best in the line
Pick it for condos, rooms over living space, and main floors where you want the most solid feel underfoot

How we would steer you: condo, or a bedroom over the living room, Platinum. A main floor where you want the floor to feel solid, Platinum. Everywhere else, Gold and Select perform so closely that the colour should decide it, unless it is a business, where Select's commercial warranty makes it the better fit. They all hold up to water the same way.

AquaPlus Colours by Tone

Colour on a screen is never quite right, so treat this as a starting point and see the planks in store before you decide. Tap a colour to see its own page.

Also available to order, and not yet pictured here: Richview (Gold), Grand Bend (Select), Mayfair and Soho (Platinum). Call either store to see them.

Matching AquaPlus Stairs

Nothing gives away a vinyl floor faster than stairs that do not match. Most AquaPlus colours have a matching AquaPlus stair set, and each set covers one stair:

A step, 1200 mm (about 47 inches) long, with a 40 mm nose
A riser, 200 mm (about 8 inches) high
A side return with its own 40 mm nose, for the open side of the stair

The stair parts are glued down rather than clicked, so they can go over concrete, ceramic or existing stairs.

Lakeshore, Russell Hill, Capricorn, Libra, Soho, Bracebridge and Tobermory do not have a matching set of their own, so ask us for the closest match before you choose one of those for a home with stairs.

For doorways and room breaks, ask us about the transition pieces that suit AquaPlus.

Before you order: stair sets are final sale. Count your stairs, note which ones have an open side, and bring the count to either store.

How Much AquaPlus Do You Need?

Measure the room, then add 10% for cuts (15% if the room has lots of angles or closets). For a 400 sq ft basement, that is 440 sq ft:

Gold, at 17.91 sq ft per box: 25 boxes (Shangri La packs 17.63 sq ft, also 25 boxes)
Select, at 17.91 sq ft per box: 25 boxes (Bracebridge, Davisville and Tobermory pack 15 sq ft, so 30 boxes)
Platinum, at 11.94 sq ft per box: 37 boxes

Platinum needs more boxes because each box holds fewer of the thicker planks, so compare prices per square foot, not per box. Buy the whole job at once so every box comes from the same production run. One more rule from the installation guide: a room longer than 36 feet or wider than 30 feet needs a T-moulding to break up the floor, or the warranty is void.

Where AquaPlus Is the Wrong Choice

Outdoors or on a porch: NAF designed AquaPlus for interior rooms only
A cottage or three season room that freezes: Gold and Platinum are rated for rooms kept between 18 and 29°C, and Select for 12 to 35°C
Under kitchen cabinets or an island: AquaPlus floats, so the cabinets go in first and the floor runs up to them
Over carpet or a second underlay: carpet has to come up, and an extra underlay voids the warranty
Over electric radiant mats: AquaPlus is approved over hydronic radiant heat up to 26°C only
Under office chairs on wheels: NAF does not recommend them, so use a chair mat in a home office
In a basement with an active leak: the planks will survive the water, but the problem underneath will not go away

If one of these is your situation, tell us, and we will point you to the right floor from our vinyl plank range.

Is NAF AquaPlus Any Good? Pros and Cons

Here is the honest version, the same one you would get on our floor.

What it does well

Water does not swell the planks, so a dishwasher leak or a wet basement floor will not ruin it
The pad is attached, so there is no separate underlay to buy, and the sound ratings are published for every series
A 20 mil wear layer on every series, heavier than the 12 mil common on entry level vinyl plank
Matching stairs for most colours, so the floor and the staircase look like one job
Floats with no glue or nails, over concrete, plywood or most existing hard floors

What to know before you buy

It is a floating floor, so cabinets and islands cannot sit on top of it
Gold and Platinum need rooms kept between 18 and 29°C, so they are not for a cottage that is closed for the winter
Rolling office chairs are not recommended without a chair mat
The stair parts carry a 12 mil wear layer, lighter than the 20 mil on the planks
A separate underlay voids the warranty, so you cannot add one for extra cushion

Our take: for a waterproof floor that will see real family life in kitchens, basements and busy halls, AquaPlus is a strong choice. If the floor has to run under fixed cabinets, ask us about a glue down vinyl instead.

AquaPlus or Waterproof Laminate?

A comparison we are often asked about. AquaPlus is vinyl on a rigid stone plastic core, so the plank itself is waterproof all the way through. Waterproof laminate has a wood fibre core with a sealed surface and joints, so it resists water for a set time rather than being waterproof all the way through.

For basements, laundry rooms and bathrooms, we steer people to AquaPlus. For main floor living areas where spills are wiped up quickly, either works, and it comes down to the look and the feel you prefer. Our vinyl vs laminate guide goes deeper.

Caring for AquaPlus

Sweep or vacuum on the hard floor setting to keep grit from scratching the wear layer
Damp mop with a pH neutral floor cleaner; skip wax, polish and oil soaps
Put felt pads under furniture legs and a mat at each outside door
Wipe up spills when you see them: the plank will not swell, but water can find its way under the edges

Save a few planks from the job. If one is ever damaged, it can be replaced without redoing the whole room.

Installed by Our Own Crews

We install what we sell. Our in-house crews install AquaPlus across Mississauga, Toronto, the GTA, Barrie and Simcoe County, with a one year workmanship warranty. See vinyl floor installation, or our Mississauga and Barrie installation pages.

NAF AquaPlus FAQ

Who makes AquaPlus flooring?

AquaPlus is the SPC vinyl plank line from NAF. We carry the AquaPlus Gold, Select and Platinum series, plus the matching stair sets, at our Mississauga and Barrie stores.

What is the difference between NAF AquaPlus Gold, Select and Platinum?

All three are 100% waterproof SPC vinyl plank with a 20 mil wear layer and an attached pad. Gold and Select are both 7 mm with a 1.5 mm IXPE foam pad, and differ mainly in colours, temperature range and commercial warranty. Platinum is the thickest at 9 mm, with a 2 mm IXPE foam pad and the best sound ratings in the line, IIC 80 and STC 78. Shangri La is the Gold colour made with a cork pad.

Is NAF AquaPlus really waterproof?

The planks are. Water will not swell or damage an AquaPlus plank, which is why it suits kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements. Water that gets under the floor at the walls or doorways can still reach the subfloor, so spills should be wiped up and a basement with an active leak needs the leak fixed first.

Can AquaPlus go in a basement?

Yes. AquaPlus is rated for installation on, above or below grade, and it floats over the slab with no glue or nails. The slab has to be flat to within 3/16 inch over 10 feet, new concrete needs at least 60 days to cure, and the installation guide calls for a 0.6 mm polyethylene sheet over concrete at ground level to stop moisture coming through.

Which AquaPlus is best for a condo?

Platinum, if sound is the deciding factor. It has the highest ratings in the line at IIC 80 and STC 78. Gold is next at IIC 78 and STC 74, then Select at IIC 78 and STC 73. Shangri La, the Gold colour made with a cork pad, is rated IIC 72 and STC 71. Most condo boards set a minimum rating, so check your building's rules before you buy.

Do I need an underlay under AquaPlus?

No. The pad is already attached to every plank, and NAF's installation guide says adding a separate underlay voids the warranty. The one exception is concrete at ground level, where the guide calls for a 0.6 mm polyethylene sheet underneath to stop moisture.

Do AquaPlus floors have matching stairs?

Yes. Most AquaPlus colours have a matching stair set with a step, a riser and a side return, so the stairs and the floor match. The stair parts are glued down, so they can go over concrete, ceramic or existing stairs. Stair sets are final sale, so confirm the colour before you order.

Is AquaPlus good for homes with pets?

Yes. Pet accidents will not swell the planks, and the 20 mil wear layer stands up well to everyday traffic. No floor is scratch proof, so keep nails trimmed and wipe up accidents when you find them.

Where can I see NAF AquaPlus in person?

AquaPlus is on display at our Mississauga store at 700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4 and our Barrie store at 112 Saunders Road, Units 1-4. Call ahead if you want to see a specific colour: 905-277-2227 for Mississauga or 705-726-2272 for Barrie.

See AquaPlus at Our Stores

Mississauga: 700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4. Mon to Fri 9 to 6, Sat 10 to 5.
Barrie: 112 Saunders Road, Units 1-4. Mon, Wed and Fri 9 to 6, Tue and Thu 9 to 5, Sat 10 to 5.
Bring your room sizes and we will work out the boxes and the stairs.

Mississauga 905-277-2227 Barrie 705-726-2272