What is the best kind of flooring vinyl or laminate?

Vinyl and laminate seem similar on the surface, there are several crucial differences like moisture resistance, durability, and maintenance, that will drastically influence your decision. Read on to learn the differences between laminate vs vinyl flooring, plus some pros and cons that will help you choose between the popular flooring options.

• Vinyl vs. Laminate Flooring: Major Differences

The key difference between vinyl and laminate flooring is the materials they're made from. Laminate flooring is comprised of several layers laminated together, including a wood fibreboard core. The critical difference is that its core is made from wood by products bonded with resins. The overall thickness for laminate flooring planks ranges from 6 mm to 12 mm.

Vinyl flooring, while also available with several layers, is limited to synthetic materials. Vinyl flooring is a 100-percent synthetic material. In standard sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles, the base layer is usually fiberglass that's coated in PVC and a plasticizer. With vinyl plank flooring, the core layer is a thicker, multi-layer PVC. The overall thickness for vinyl flooring ranges from 1.5 mm for sheet vinyl to 5 mm for luxury vinyl planks.

• Appearance

Laminate is the best flooring option for appearance. Both laminate and vinyl flooring are generally comparable in appearance, but more laminate options closely mimic hand-scraped hardwood, stone, ceramics, and other materials.

• Cost

Vinyl and laminate flooring are competitively priced. However, sheet vinyl is often easier on the wallet. Most laminate and vinyl options are less expensive than natural hardwood, engineered wood, and many types of ceramic or porcelain tile, which make them popular flooring alternatives for those looking to save money.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring ranges from about $1.00 per square foot for 7 mm-thick planks to about $5.00 per square foot for 12 mm-thick planks.

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring can cost as little as $1.00 per square foot for thin, glue-down vinyl flooring. Vinyl costs rise to around $5.00 per square foot for LVP, and premium brands will cost even more. For those looking to save as much money as possible, budget-friendly sheet vinyl options are available for as low as $0.65 per square foot.

• Water Resistance

Vinyl flooring is more water-resistant than laminate. In fact, all types of vinyl flooring are considered waterproof because sheet vinyl, LVT, and LVP are made with materials that are 100% waterproof. However, seams between planks and tiles can allow water to reach the subflooring if enough liquid is present. In full bathrooms and damp locations such as basements, vinyl flooring materials excel over laminate materials.

• Heat Resistance

Neither vinyl nor laminate flooring is particularly heat resistant. Vinyl flooring won't shrink or expand as drastically as laminate in extreme temperature fluctuations, but both materials somewhat tie in heat resistance since damage can be done to both under similar circumstances. You can also lay both materials over radiant heat flooring (provided you limit it to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit), but radiant heat may be a bit more effective under laminate flooring.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring's top layer could burn if you drop something extremely hot onto the surface. Additionally, laminate does not tolerate constant temperature changes in a room because it tends to expand and contract.

Vinyl Flooring

Like laminate, vinyl flooring can easily scorch if you drop something extremely hot on the surface. However, normal temperature fluctuations don't affect vinyl flooring. Extreme ambient heat exposure can cause problems such as expansion and melted adhesive.

• Care and Cleaning

Vinyl flooring is the easiest to thoroughly clean. While both laminate flooring and vinyl flooring are easy to keep clean, only vinyl flooring allows the entire span of cleaning methods, from sweeping with a dry broom to wet mopping.

• Durability and Maintenance

Vinyl is more durable than laminate flooring. Vinyl flooring is a supremely durable, low-maintenance flooring, thus the industry term resilient flooring. Vinyl flooring is even used in commercial applications, where durability and maintenance are high priorities.

• Installation

The ease of installation of vinyl vs laminate flooring is similar. Both materials have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to ease of installation. Vinyl or laminate planks are easier to DIY install than sheet vinyl. Vinyl needs fewer tools than laminate. Installing laminate flooring requires a saw and a certain skill level to use it correctly to cut down on the amount of waste.

• Lifespan

Laminate and vinyl flooring have similar lifespans if properly cared for. As long as laminate flooring is kept reasonably dry and is regularly cleaned, buyers may expect lifespans close to that of vinyl flooring.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring warranties typically range from 10 to 25 years, but this is dependent on a rigorous maintenance schedule.

Vinyl Flooring

Warranties on luxury vinyl flooring often range up to 20 years.

• Environmental Impact

Neither laminate nor vinyl flooring is significantly environmentally friendly. If using green building materials is important to you, laminate flooring has a small advantage, thanks to the natural wood content of the fiberboard core. Still, neither of these materials is especially environmentally friendly in the way that natural wood, linoleum, or bamboo floor coverings are.

• Stain Resistance

Laminate and vinyl flooring are both stain-resistant. Good quality modern vinyl flooring and laminate flooring both receive wear layers treated with properties that do an excellent job of resisting stains.