Flooring can make or break the look and feel of a home. With so many options to choose from, it can be tricky to decide which type of flooring is right for your lifestyle and space. Two of the most popular categories on the market are luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring. But what exactly sets them apart?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring across factors like design, durability, cost, maintenance, and environmental impact. With insight into the pros and cons of each flooring type, you’ll be equipped to determine whether vinyl or laminate is the best fit for your needs.
Introduction
Luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring both have soared in popularity in recent years. Homeowners, builders, and interior designers love how these budget-friendly flooring materials can replicate the aesthetic of pricier options like hardwood, stone, and tile.
Luxury vinyl specifically has become a breakout hit. Also called LVT or vinyl plank flooring, it now accounts for nearly 20% of the total U.S. flooring market. With on-trend looks and family-friendly durability, it’s easy to see the appeal.
Laminate flooring has been a go-to affordable flooring choice since its invention in the 1970s. It remains sought-after thanks to realistic wood and stone designs, low maintenance needs, and simple DIY installation.
The aim of this guide is to provide an in-depth comparison of luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring. We’ll analyze how they stack up across a range of factors so you can make the optimal flooring decision for your home. Let’s dive in!
Look and Style
A floor’s appearance is often the first consideration during flooring selection. Luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring both offer extensive design options that mimic natural flooring looks for a fraction of the cost.
Customizability in Design
One major advantage of luxury vinyl plank flooring is the immense level of customization it provides. LVT comes in plank, tile, and sheet formats in dimensions like 12 x 24 inches, 6 x 36 inches, and 4 x 36 inches. Dimensional variety allows for unique layouts.
With hundreds of colors and patterns to pick from, luxury vinyl can effectively imitate hardwood, stone, marble, and concrete. Distressed, brushed, or embossed textures add further realism. Some LVT products incorporate UV-cured ink with remarkably accurate color variation.
Laminate flooring offers fewer dimensions, typically plank sizes of 3-7 inches wide. But the visual options are still vast, ranging from light to dark wood looks and natural stone styles. A photographic layer protects printed designs from wearing down over time.
Both flooring types now incorporate grain and texture patterns that provide a convincing match to real materials. Luxury vinyl rates slightly higher for total design flexibility. But laminate floors remain very customizable as well.
Replicating Natural Flooring Looks
Luxury vinyl excels at replicating the visual allure of pricier flooring materials like hardwood, quartz, marble, slate, and concrete. Using advanced printing, embossing, and layering techniques, LVT can capture subtle distinctions in color variation, grain, and texture. Many luxury vinyl floors have near-seamless designs across planks.
Laminate also does an excellent job imitating wood and stone. The photographic layer atop the flooring surface captures true-to-life colors, grains, knots, and mineral streaking. Brands like Pergo and Shaw Floors strive to continually improve the realism of laminate’s natural designs.
For the most authentic-looking wood grain patterns, luxury vinyl ranks a bit higher than laminate. But laminate has made strides in realistically recreating varied stone finishes. Ultimately, both offer styles that beautifully capture the essence of pricier natural flooring.
Cost Comparison
In terms of design, laminate flooring is typically the more budget-friendly option. Quality laminate can be purchased for $1 – $3 per square foot, while luxury vinyl often ranges from $2 – $5 per square foot.
But vinyl and laminate costs overlap at the middle-tier — where excellent quality can be found at $3 to $4 per square foot for either option. And laminate edges into premium design territory at $4+ per square foot as well.
For homeowners on tight budgets, quality laminate is likely the way to go for attractive luxury looks. For those willing to spend a bit more for maximum customizability and authentic visuals, luxury vinyl may justify the modest additional cost.
Durability and Stability
How a floor holds up to the stresses of everyday life is crucial. Key factors like hardness, resistance to moisture and damage, and structural stability determine flooring durability.
Definition of Durability
When it comes to flooring, durability refers to how well a material resists damage from impacts, abrasions, and indentation under pressure over time. A durable floor maintains its structural integrity and appearance despite heavy foot traffic, furniture movement, pet claws, messes, or moisture.
Stability means the floor remains perfectly flat and does not warp or expand/contract with changes in humidity and temperature. Flooring with excellent dimensional stability will not bubble or peel up.
Wear Layer Comparison
The top protective coating of luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring plays a major role in durability. This clear top layer, or wear layer, shields decorative prints and patterns underneath from wear and tear.
Luxury vinyl floors typically have a 20+ mil wear layer, although premium LVT products may have up to a 60-mil layer. This thick, clear vinyl coating is fused directly to the solid vinyl base layer for seamless protection.
Laminate flooring relies on melamine resin impregnated sheets for its wear layer. These measure 1 to 2 mils in thickness — giving vinyl an advantage in the thickness category. But modern aluminum oxide finishes help boost laminate’s overall durability.
Damage Resistance
Luxury vinyl’s thick, cushioned construction makes it highly dent and scratch-resistant. Its soft, flexible structure regains its form rather than imprinting. LVT also absorbs noise and impact, helping prevent floor damage in active homes.
Laminate is more prone to dents, scratches, and chipping due to its stiff fiberboard core. It lacks the flexible rebound of vinyl. Dropped objects can fracture laminate flooring more readily than vinyl.
For resisting the scrapes, scuffs, and indentations of busy family lifestyles, vinyl is the clear durability winner. Though laminate hardness has improved, vinyl offers superior damage resistance overall.
Moisture Resistance
Waterproof construction gives luxury vinyl a massive advantage regarding moisture and climate resistance. The vinyl wear layer prevents spills, leaks, and humidity from seeping into the inner layers. LVT can be installed below, on, or above grade.
Laminate flooring has little tolerance for moisture and humidity and cannot be used in damp basements or bathrooms. Excessive water exposure causes laminate planks to swell, warp, and deteriorate. Careful installation and climate control are required.
Vinyl’s waterproof advantage also makes it suitable for commercial settings prone to leaks and spills. For resilience against moisture, vinyl is by far the better choice.
Applications
Certain flooring types perform better than others depending on the particular demands of the setting. We’ll compare how luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring hold up in varied residential and commercial spaces.
Suitable Environments
The waterproof structure and superior dent resistance of luxury vinyl plank flooring make it an exceptional choice for active households, especially those with children or pets. Kid and pet messes, shoes, and toys are no match for durable LVT wear layers. Below-grade basements and bathrooms are also vinyl-friendly.
Laminate performs well in climate-controlled homes without excessive moisture. Bedrooms, dining rooms, living spaces, and offices are ideal sites. Laminate is not recommended for laundry rooms, basements, or restrooms subject to leaks or humidity. Careful maintenance is required.
For commercial settings, luxury vinyl is the clear winner thanks to its unrivaled moisture, scratch, and stain resistance. Vinyl tiles frequently appear in restaurants, stores, airports, healthcare settings, and educational facilities. Laminate is rarely found in high-traffic public spaces.
Impact of Moisture
The biggest threat to laminate flooring is moisture. Excess humidity or direct water contact causes laminate planks to swell, warp, peel up, and crack apart at the seams as underlying materials expand. Mold and mildew may develop under flooded laminate flooring as well.
Luxury vinyl is impervious to any amount of water exposure. Its seam-sealed planks prevent liquid spills or moisture from seeping between cracks. LVT maintains its structure and appearance even after prolonged water contact. No acclimation is needed.
For flooring in moisture-prone settings like basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms, LVT is the obvious choice. Laminate flooring and high humidity do not mix well at all.
Cost Comparison
Let’s break down the product and installation costs of luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring.
Product Cost
On average, luxury vinyl plank flooring ranges from $2 – $5 per square foot. Laminate flooring is typically $1 – $3 per square foot. So in terms of square footage alone, laminate is the more budget-friendly choice.
But other factors impact overall price as well. Laminate flooring requires an underlayment layer during installation, which adds $.50 – $1 per square foot in additional cost. Quality vinyl usually has underlayment built-in.
Customization also affects price. Advanced printing techniques allow luxury vinyl to mimic pricier natural materials very convincingly. But these realistic visuals come at a higher cost per square foot.
For basic solid color or basic wood look designs, laminate and vinyl prices are closely aligned. But luxury vinyl pulls ahead in pricing for very natural-looking surfaces like stone, hardwood, or concrete.
Installation Cost
Installation is another factor driving the total expense. Luxury vinyl employs a click-and-lock system that allows for glueless floating installation. This DIY-friendly process averages $3 – $5 per square foot for installation labor.
Laminate also utilizes click-together floating installation but requires professional-grade underlayment materials and careful climate acclimation. Installation may range from $4 – $8 per square foot.
Considering the product and installation costs together, laminate flooring maintains an advantage as the more budget-friendly option overall. But luxury vinyl offers outstanding durability and customization that may justify the higher overall investment.
Long-Term Cost Considerations
The initial price tag doesn’t tell the whole cost story. We must also evaluate how flooring choices impact lifetime value through factors like longevity, maintenance, and replacement needs.
Luxury vinyl’s durable, scratch-resistant wear layer allows it to better maintain its appearance over decades compared to laminate. The stable vinyl construction resists warping from moisture and temperature changes as well. Less frequent replacement needs add to LVT’s long-term value.
Laminate flooring is more prone to visible scratching, chipping, and dampness damage over time. Planks may need replacement after 10 – 20 years. Frequent sealant reapplication is required to protect laminate’s finish. Damage from improper climate control can shorten its usable life as well.
Considering the economical cost per year over the flooring lifetime, luxury vinyl provides excellent stability and longevity that add up to strong overall value. Laminate’s lower upfront cost comes with more frequent maintenance and replacement needs that balance out the lifetime expense.
Environmental Impact
Today’s consumers rightly consider sustainability and eco-friendliness when evaluating flooring. Let’s examine how green these options are.
Sourcing of Materials
Luxury vinyl is primarily derived from petroleum-based PVC. But modern LVT increasingly incorporates more recycled content into its layers, with some brands achieving 100% recycled backing materials.
Laminate flooring relies heavily on high-quality wood fibers for its core layer. These fibers largely come from fast-growth renewable pine and eucalyptus trees, but some old-growth hardwood tree harvesting still occurs.
Ideally, all flooring resources would be sustainably harvested and recycled. Luxury vinyl has made recent strides in increasing recycled plastic content. But sourcing of raw materials remains an area for improvement across flooring industry manufacturing processes.
Disposal and Recycling
A major downside of PVC-based luxury vinyl is a lack of recyclability. Most waste LVT ends up in landfills. New options like polyethylene-based LVT improve recyclability, but availability is limited.
Laminate can be recycled, but programs are not widespread. Most often it is disposed of during demolition or remodeling projects. Careful disposal is required due to laminate’s formaldehyde-containing core.
Clearly, both laminate and LVT struggle when it comes to responsible end-of-life options. Manufacturers across the flooring sector need to prioritize recyclable and non-toxic materials in production. Consumers should also demand more environmental accountability.
Pros and Cons of Luxury Vinyl versus Laminate
Let’s summarize the key benefits and downsides of luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring using a straightforward pros and cons format:
Luxury Vinyl Pros:
- Extremely durable and scratch-resistant
- 100% waterproof and moisture-resistant
- Comfortable underfoot and noise-reducing
- Highly customizable looks and textures
- Easy DIY installation
Luxury Vinyl Cons:
- Unable to be recycled
- Higher cost than basic laminate
- Can show indentations from heavy furniture
- Limitless moisture resistance reduces damage awareness
Laminate Flooring Pros:
- Very affordable, especially for basic looks
- Easy click-together floating installation
- Wide range of realistic wood and stone styles
- Durable enough for residential settings
- Formaldehyde-free options available
Laminate Flooring Cons:
- Not water or moisture-resistant
- Prone to scratching, chipping and visible damage
- Requires careful climate control and maintenance
- Difficult to fully repair or replace planks
- Contains formaldehyde in many products
Analyzing these pros and cons makes it clear that luxury vinyl is the premier choice in terms of durability and waterproofing. Laminate offers style and value, but comes with more care requirements and risks. As your priorities dictate, one option may suit your needs better.
Conclusion
When choosing new floors, balance your budget with the style and performance factors that matter most for your lifestyle. If an ultra-durable, customizable, and waterproof floor is needed, luxury vinyl is the clear frontrunner. Homes with children or pets stand to benefit from LVT’s resilient construction.
For cost-conscious homeowners looking for beautiful, natural-looking floors on a budget, quality laminate remains a solid choice. Just take care to install it properly and maintain indoor climate control and prompt spill cleanup.
Whichever route you choose, consult professional flooring contractors for advice and installation expertise. With proper care, both luxury vinyl vs laminate flooring can provide years of comfort and great performance beneath your feet. Carefully evaluating the pros and cons allows you to feel confident in choosing the ideal flooring for your unique needs and home.
