Vinyl Plank Vs Laminate Flooring Pros And Cons – From busy kids to busy friends, busy lifestyles mean homeowners are looking for durable yet stylish floors that can last. With that in mind, laminate and vinyl flooring are popular—and affordable—alternatives to some of the most sought-after wood and tile options on the market today.
To find out which one is right for your home between these two pieces of art, we will look at all the features and differences that can help one or the other work well in your space.
Vinyl Plank Vs Laminate Flooring Pros And Cons
Laminate flooring is one of the first natural wood replacements, and each board has several hand-woven fibers that are made from natural wood. This natural structure reduces the environmental impact of laminate flooring. However, it also results in products that are waterproof but not waterproof.
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Laminate flooring tends to be 6 to 12 millimeters thick, lending it a comfortable feel underfoot for use in residential and commercial environments.
Vinyl flooring comes in many forms, including sheet vinyl, LVP (luxury vinyl plank), LVT (luxury vinyl tile), WPC (wood composite), and SPC (storage plastic). All feature a solid core made of 100% natural material. In most products, this allows for a waterproof construction.
You will find vinyl that varies from strong and hard to durable and fine, depending on the material used in the base. Most vinyl planks and tiles average a thickness of 5 millimeters. Vinyl is a great floor for wet rooms, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and bedrooms.
“We choose to use vinyl flooring in most bathroom renovations,” says Bill Samuel, a licensed general contractor and owner of Blue Ladder Development in Chicago, IL. “It’s durable and most options are 100% waterproof.”
Luxury Vinyl Vs. Standard Vinyl Flooring Guide
At first glance, laminate and vinyl floors can be very noticeable. Both are solid surfaces designed to look like natural materials, such as solid wood, stone, or ceramic tile. Each one is also made up of a number of synthetic materials, including a layered back layer, a photo-reflective layer, and a wear-resistant design.
So what is the difference between these two classes? Differences are at the core of each product. Vinyl flooring is a great waterproof option suitable for wet rooms or homes with pets, while laminate tends to be better underfoot and offers a cheaper surface option.
Even once you are familiar with the key features of laminate and vinyl flooring, it can be difficult to determine which is the best choice for your home. To help you choose, we’ve broken down how each floor performs on different scales.
Both laminate and vinyl can mimic any type of wood, tile, or stone. You can choose from a variety of styles to choose from, down to the type of wood, and match your flooring with a design style or color palette.
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Both types of floors also offer a realistic, three-dimensional design that mimics the grain of wood grain and options, such as hand pulls, distressed wood, and more. This style looks and feels great on thick wood, giving laminate an edge, unless you choose a vinyl product with a large handle.
When investing in a new floor, you want to choose a surface that will continue to look good for years after installation. Both laminate and vinyl are very durable, lasting anywhere from 10 to 25 years with proper care. Both are also resistant to scratches and stains, thanks to their high quality.
The main difference, again, is that laminate flooring is waterproof. If moisture gets into the wood, it will have irreversible swelling. We do not recommend installing laminate flooring in rooms that tend to have high humidity, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Otherwise, vinyl and laminate are equally durable.
Laminate usually uses a click-and-lock method where the boards are glued together tongue and groove on their edges. Most laminate is installed as a floating floor or floor. A standard table can be used to cut the boards to fit where they need to go.
Laminate Flooring Pros And Cons
Vinyl flooring is similar, but offers many different installation options depending on the product you choose. Sheet vinyl, for example, is a more rigid product that requires precision and cutting. The best vinyl planks and tiles are often press-and-lock floating floors that can be cut with regular or utility knives.
Tap-and-seal floors are very DIY, but unless you have first-hand experience, you may want to hire a professional flooring contractor to make sure the job is done right. A floor that is not properly installed in any way can attract damage and malfunction down the road.
With laminate, it is best to use only approved products from the manufacturer to maintain longevity, as harsh cleaning can strip the protective coating. Avoid using paper towels and scrubby cleaners, which can scratch the floor. Also, clean up puddles quickly because laminate is not waterproof.
For vinyl floors, you can use a mild soap or vinegar solution to clean them thoroughly. If you prefer a commercial cleaner, use something labeled “vinyl safe.” Ammonia- or bleach-based cleaners can damage the protective coating.
Spc Vs. Wpc Vinyl Flooring
Understand that laminate and vinyl floors are synthetic, rather than plastic, and not made from natural materials that can rot or degrade.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, these types of synthetic floors may contain harmful materials such as PVC and emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals that can pollute the air in your home.
When it comes to new options, one of the biggest decision-makers for homeowners is budget. You’ll find vinyl and laminate are both comparable in price with some of the more expensive alternatives to hardwood and engineered flooring.
Laminate flooring starts at about $1 per square foot for 7-millimeter slabs, up to $5 per square foot for 12-millimeter slabs. Vinyl flooring tends to be more expensive than laminate, but its performance and cost vary greatly depending on the type of vinyl product you choose.
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A simple adhesive-vinyl sheet looks and feels just like natural wood or tile, but it’s also an affordable option at $1 per square foot. Prices for quality vinyl tile or vinyl flooring can range from $2.50 to $7 per square foot, depending on the level of wear.
Floors are prone to scratching if you have pets, especially dogs or cats. From hand and water dishes to house training accidents, you need floors that can handle everyday wear and tear from your furry friends.
Laminate and vinyl flooring are both scratch resistant. Pet hair and dander are easy to wipe off any type of surface. However, since laminate is not 100% waterproof, vinyl flooring is considered the best pet-proof flooring. Just be sure to choose a vinyl product that is thick.
Renovating your floors with two types of flooring can help increase the value of your home, especially if you’re replacing laminate or vinyl. On the other hand, you don’t even have a high ROI value for conventional wood flooring or flooring.
Long Planks Flooring
Laminate and vinyl floors offer many similarities, so the decision you make between them may come down to your budget and style. As you shop around and compare your options, you may also want to see how vinyl and laminate stack up against other flooring options.
Vinyl and laminate are both attractive and affordable for common materials such as wood flooring. But even though it is expensive and difficult to install, hardwood is very valuable and has the ability to improve the surface over time.
Use the chart below to help determine whether laminate or vinyl is the best floor for your home. Once you’ve settled on one type, you can consult a laminate or vinyl floor to explore different options. This post may contain references or links to products from our affiliates or several of our partners and/or subsidiaries of our parent company. . For more information, visit this page.
Vinyl and laminate flooring: what’s the difference, anyway? And who is better than the other?
Vinyl Plank Flooring
If you’ve spent any time looking at different types of flooring, you’ve probably asked yourself these questions more than once. And the truth is, vinyl plank and laminate are better choices for wood.
Both offer more benefits than real wood at a reasonable price. And they can imitate the lower part of the tree with amazing accuracy and beauty.
But that said, the two methods are slightly different when it comes to the way they are built. And it’s very suitable for different uses, too.
That’s why we’re going to show you a side-by-side comparison of vinyl plank and laminate flooring. We’re going to show you what they did, how much they cost, their pros/cons, and more.
Carpet Vs Laminate Flooring
Basically, we’re going to show you everything you need to know about vinyl plank and laminate flooring – so you can choose the right one for you!
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