Luxury Vinyl Or Laminate Flooring: Which One Is Better For Me?

When you’re after durable, cost-effective, or beautiful flooring that’s easy to install yourself, you’re often led to the two top contenders: luxury vinyl or laminate flooring. They’re both known for good looks, affordability, and ease of installation. To the flooring novice, it may seem like the only difference is the name. But not so! Both options have pros, cons, and unique differences. Let us break it down for you!

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Luxury vinyl flooring is a type of resilient flooring that is made from multiple layers of synthetic materials. It comes in a variety of styles and patterns, and can mimic the look of natural materials like hardwood, stone, and tile. Luxury vinyl flooring is typically sold in planks or tiles, and is available in glue-down, click-lock, or loose-lay options.

Benefits of Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Waterproof: Highly resistant to water, making it ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and other high-moisture areas.
Durability: Extremely durable and can withstand heavy foot traffic, scratches, and stains.
Easy to clean: Easy to clean and maintain, requiring only regular sweeping and mopping.
Variety of styles: Available in a variety of styles, patterns, and colors, making it easy to find a look that matches your decor.

Drawbacks of Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Can fade in sunlight: Some luxury vinyl flooring products may fade or discolor when exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods.
Not biodegradable: Luxury vinyl flooring is made from synthetic materials that are not biodegradable, which may be a concern for some environmentally conscious homeowners.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is another popular type of synthetic flooring that is made from multiple layers of materials. It is typically sold in planks or tiles, and can mimic the look of natural materials like hardwood and stone. Laminate flooring is also available in glue-down, click-lock, or loose-lay options.

Laminate flooring’s standout feature is its appearance. Nearly every color, species and variety of natural wood and stone flooring can be found in laminate flooring: Hand-scraped, rustic, reclaimed wood, multi-tonal, natural finish, whitewashed, multi-length and much more.

Benefits of Laminate Flooring

Affordable: One of the most affordable flooring options available, making it ideal for budget-conscious homeowners.
Easy to install: Easy to install and can be done fairly quickly.
Durable: Highly durable and can withstand heavy foot traffic, scratches, and stains.
Resistant to fading: Very resistant to fading and discoloration, making it ideal for areas with direct sunlight.
Options: Nearly every color, species and variety of natural wood and stone flooring can be found in laminate flooring

Drawbacks of Laminate Flooring

Not waterproof: Unlike luxury vinyl flooring, laminate flooring is not waterproof, and can be damaged by standing water or high-moisture areas.
Difficult to repair: Laminate flooring can be difficult to repair if it is damaged, and may require replacement of the entire plank or tile.

Which one is better for you?

Broadly speaking, vinyl and laminate flooring are interchangeable in residential applications. Neither type of flooring is better than the other across all categories. Most factors that drive the decision are personal: style options, textures and cost. The exception to vinyl and laminate’s interchangeability concerns water. Vinyl flooring clearly is a better choice in high-moisture environments than laminate flooring, making it an excellent choice in bathrooms. But for whole-house installations, laminate flooring often makes sense because of the broad selection of options.

Ultimately, the decision between luxury vinyl and laminate flooring will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you are looking for a flooring option that is highly resistant to water and moisture, luxury vinyl flooring may be the better choice. However, if you are looking for a budget-friendly option that is easy to install and maintain, laminate flooring may be the better choice.

The “Splendid” Advantage

Honesty, integrity, and transparency. These are the Splendid Flooring cornerstone principles that set us apart from any other online distributor. Our flooring consultants will partner with you throughout your project’s entire lifecycle. That means we are available to you during product selection, purchasing, fulfillment and shipping and logistics. Our goal is to provide end-to-end support that allows you to complete your project on time and on budget.

Simply put, our mission is to provide our customers with superior products at competitive prices while providing an unparalleled exceptional customer experience. In today’s marketplace where competition for consumer attention has never been greater, we offer consumers access to only the best brands, best-in-class shipping providers, and unmatched customer support.

At Splendid Flooring, we offer a wide range of luxury vinyl and laminate flooring options to help you find the perfect flooring for your home. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about our products and services.