Laminate VS Vinyl Flooring

Laminate and Vinyl flooring get confused with each other. I am here to clear up the confusion, so you can choose which one to use. To be clear we are comparing Laminate Wood Flooring and Vinyl Plank Flooring as an alternative to true solid or engineered hardwood, for they are less expensive options to get the hardwood look.

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Laminate

• The first manmade alternative to hardwood floors.

• Made from wood byproduct.

• Made up of 4 layers: Baking, base, print and wear layer.

Considered one of the most affordable solid surface flooring options. The planks float above an existing floor and snap together. Laminate wood flooring has three dimensional embossing and accurate images of wood on top the plank.

Vinyl

• Made from synthetic materials.

• Typically composed of three layers: a solid vinyl core, a print layer and a wear layer.

• Can be installed as a floating floor or glued-down.

• More resilient underfoot with some bounce and overall requires very little maintenance.

I used a luxury vinyl plank in my home called COREtec. It more closely mimics hardwood more than laminate competitors. My one complaint is the surface scratches easily when renovating other parts of my home. For everyday wear and use, they will not scratch, but I have had appliances moved, countertops installers in and out and not everyone is careful. However, it cleans really easily and holds up to everyday life.

Laminate or Vinyl?

I would advise you to go with a Luxury Vinyl Plank, but it's really up to how you live. And of course engineered hardwood or solid hardwood floors are even better. Here's a table comparing Laminate vs. Vinyl. You will see for some features either type is a great option.

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