Laminate vs Luxury Vinyl flooring – Which is worth your money? 🤔
Guys, if money grew on trees the first thing I would do in our 1930s house renovation is rip out and replace all of our downstairs flooring, swapping it for one specific type of floor that’s far more practical, long lasting, and not even that expensive. I’ll reveal which flooring wins my vote every time in this blog post.
But for now, if you’re feeling:
Unsure about which flooring to go for
You’re wondering which is better for your lifestyle & property
…and which will be worth your money short term or long term
…Or even if you’re curious about what an interior designer would propose for your home
I’m going to make all your flooring decisions super easy for you in this blog post, including some flooring suppliers you should take a look at. None of which are sponsored. These are the suppliers I propose to clients all the time.
OK let’s dig in!
But first, why listen to me?
Well if you’re new here, I’m Fi, I’m an interior designer and I show people how to renovate your dream home confidently and affordably. I share a lot of mistakes to avoid, how to save money on your renovation and nitty gritty advice to make your design perfect! So take a look at my other blog posts, free guides, design packs and online courses if you’re doing some home improvements and you’d like professional support to ease the stress!
How is LVT flooring different from Laminate flooring?
To explain this I need to teach you a very quick design anatomy lesson and briefly cover: What is Laminate flooring? What is LVT flooring? What are they made of and how do they differ?
In a nutshell, both are hard surface floors and very popular flooring choices in renovations for different reasons.
Laminate flooring: What's it made of?
It’s made with multiple layers fused together at high heat with the core component high-density fibreboard
There’s a protective layer at the top to prevent scratches and stains
A photographic layer beneath that projects a real photo of wood or stone
And beneath that, it contains this strong core made from high-density fibreboard, a very cost-effective material, which is what keeps laminate flooring on the more affordable end.
Pro tip if you’re choosing laminate flooring
The thicker the laminate, the stronger and more durable it will be – so rather than an 8mm profile, you’ll want to be looking for 12mm thick laminate as a minimum.
Now, initially you might be attracted by the way laminate makes use of cost-effective materials. For that reason it’s great if your project needs to be done on a budget, but there are some things to watch out for in terms of its practicality and durability which can be a little bit stressful to live with, I’ll explain in a moment.
LVT flooring (also called Vinyl Plank flooring): What's it made of?
LVT flooring on the other hand stands for Luxury Vinyl Tile, and its composition is made up of vinyl layers. So where Laminate flooring was mainly fibreboard, LVT is mainly plastic – which makes it one of the most durable and completely waterproof options on the market.
Its top coat is embossed which gives a more realistic texture and look of real wood or stone providing lots more colour and finish options on the market.
Being made up of many layers of vinyl, it’s unique in that it has a very low profile, so it’s great if you’re going for underfloor heating or you need your flooring to remain as low as possible or sit beneath existing door thresholds.
Everyday use – Laminate or Vinyl flooring?
But when we’re examining laminate vs LVT, which is best for your everyday life, which is easier to install and which will last longer? Well, there’s a clear winner in my opinion and I’ll advise you on the flooring design, colour, plank widths & texture to look out for.
So we just discussed that laminate is the more affordable option because of its composition, but that LVT flooring is much more durable given its waterproof composition, but how do they both stack up for everyday use?
Let’s talk about everyday tasks like mopping, cleaning up spills, and how prone they are to scratches in busy, high traffic areas. Because as someone who designs homes for busy households with families and pets, I specifically want materials you’ll relax with and not feel worried about.
For me, LVT is the clear winner for practical use and durability because it's waterproof & hard-wearing. In fact, it’s the flooring all major new-build developments are laying now because it's waterproof and perfect for daily life.
Laminate can handle the occasional splash and is very hard wearing, but it’s not great for say, a drink that’s been spilled and forgotten about overnight because standing liquid makes the fibres swell and delaminate over time.
This means you’ve got a little bit more vigilant when you’re mopping laminate, so you don’t use an overly wet mop unless you select a water-resistant version.
Even then, laminate won’t be fully waterproof like LVT. Laminate isn’t normally recommended in wet areas like bathrooms either, because over time, it’s likely to suffer from that daily water damage.
LVT on the other hand, you don’t need to think or worry about water! You can load up that mop, the dog can spill all the water he likes around his bowl, you can lay it in bathrooms, and water ingress from daily life won’t be an issue.
Pro tip if you’re choosing lvt flooring
What I like about LVT too, is that depending on the installation method, a glue-down LVT floor will be fairly straight forward to patch repair. So if you’ve had a major leak, a paint spillage or you’ve dragged furniture across your floor and scuffed it – laminate and LVT are scratch-resistant, not scratch-proof, so lift any bulky furniture – with your LVT, installers can usually cut around it and patch repair the affected planks. Whereas laminate being a click and lock system will usually need a large part of the floor taken up for any repairs.
Which flooring sounds better underfoot? – Laminate or Luxury vinyl plank?
Both feel very warm if you’re walking around in socks or bare feet but they have very different acoustic outputs when you’re walking from a to b. The sound of floors underfoot can come down to personal preference so I called on our Reno Club community to - get this - record their footsteps so that you can hear the difference in sound and determine which is your preference which you will be able to hear at 5:11 in the video above.
The acoustics as you’re moving around a room and the acoustics between floors are a major component of how the overall design of your home feels. That’s why for me, LVT wins. It’s a quieter sound and feels better quality underfoot. I live with laminate myself and it tends to reverb sound so when my noisy little niece and nephew are coming to stay, I love them dearly, but the volume seems that bit louder and echoey bouncing off the laminate. Also if you’re choosing between Laminate & LVT for a flat or you want hard surface floors upstairs, I’d be selecting LVT so as not to disturb people downstairs. I’m keen to hear your thoughts on this though!
What about Installation & Costs – LVT or Laminate flooring?
Well, both are pretty DIY-friendly and straightforward to cut provided you or your installer has the right tools for the job.
Laminate:
Usually uses a click-and-lock system, so you can lay it over your sub floor with no glue or nails needed.
It’s faster to lay than LVT so you’ll notice a slightly lower price than LVT on installation.
Both of these types of floors also require an expansion gap left along the outer edges hidden by your skirting board to allow for temperature changes and movement over time.
LVT:
With LVT you have a few more installation options.
You can click it together or glue it down for a permanent fix
Some people say it’s generally easier to cut than laminate – but being a thinner profile it’s a bit more fiddly to position.
Depending on your floors there could also be a bit more prep needed prior to laying LVT. You’ve got to be sure your subfloor is level and pristine before laying the floor. Check in with your chosen flooring supplier for advice on how to prepare your subfloor & any underlay required.
Both of these types of floors also require an expansion gap left along the outer edges hidden by your skirting board to allow for temperature changes and movement over time.
Pro tip when you take your flooring delivery
Laminate needs to acclimatise in your home after your delivery, for 24-48 hours to get used to the temperature, whereas LVT is ready to lay when it arrives – and if you’re storing your flooring overnight, lay it flat in its boxes as soon as it arrives. Don’t stand or lean the boxes as it could cause your planks to bow.
Pros & Cons of Laminate vs LVT flooring:
Now if you’re still undecided, then this will sway your decision if you’re planning to have underfloor heating.
While both laminate and LVT are compatible with underfloor heating:
LVT conducts heat more effectively than laminate, and distributes it evenly across the floor
LVT is also more resistant to temperature changes and copes better with regular expanding & contracting.
I’ll do another post at some point about other hard surface flooring options like tile and engineered wood, if you’d like to see those.
Costs wise:
Laminate tends to be cheaper making it an excellent budget option
Whereas LVT does cost a little more for both supply and installation. However, with better durability & waterproof qualities LVT will likely last you longer and end up saving you money in the long run if you’re planning to lay it in high-traffic or high-moisture areas.
Laminate has a guarantee of about 10-15 years
Whereas LVT is more around 15-25 years, but it really does depend on many factors like the supplier you choose, whether it’s been installed correctly and how you’ve maintained your flooring.
I told you at the start of this post that I wanted to rip out all of our laminate floors and replace them. After about 8 years living with our laminate, it has a few chips in the high traffic areas that are annoyingly now taking on water when I mop – I’ll tell you about the flooring and supplier I would choose in a moment…
Which colour, plank & pattern flooring should you choose?
So with a bit more knowledge on how these floors perform, next comes the minefield of choosing the right design that will be timeless and bring warmth & homeliness.
With so many different styles on the market you’ll be wondering whether to go stone effect or wood effect, which plank width to choose, which colour should you go for to stop a room feeling too dark, which direction should you lay your floor and how can you prevent your home from becoming a clash of wood finishes and not look dated in 5 years…
We’ve got some important design details to dig into here.
Pro tip pay attention to the shine levels – it’s a dead giveaway…
I recommend looking at any flooring samples really carefully to make sure it isn’t too high-shine. A soft or matt sheen will diffuse light better and look more expensive. You’ll also want to check the flooring is finished with bevelled edges on all 4 sides as it will look more realistic.
Which direction should you lay your flooring?
You’ll want to lay your flooring in the same direction as the main light source in a room and/or in the same eyeline as the most frequently used entrance.
Which colour and style should you choose?
If I was choosing this flooring for you, I’d be selecting:
A timeless wood effect floor as it’s much harder to get a stone effect that looks realistic.
I prefer a wide width plank which makes narrow and small spaces feel bigger
And I recommend you look at warm, vanilla wood tones and avoid anything grey which will make your home feel cold.
Pro tip when you’re selecting your flooring…
The lighter the flooring colour, the lighter and bigger your room will feel – and whatever you do, try to choose a colour that’s not orange so that it will suit other wood finishes in your home and not date in 5 years.
How can you ensure your floors match with the rest of your home?
I’ve got some supplies to tell you about that I recommend to clients, so keep watching for those – but if you're renovating or making improvements to your home and want the finish to be wow without the hefty fees of hiring a designer, then I’ve got something for you. My done-for-you Interior Design Packs are here to take the stress out of your renovation.
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Laminate and LVP flooring suppliers I rate!
Now, let’s talk about suppliers.
Where should you buy your laminate or LVT to make sure it’s great quality with good design options and a decent guarantee? Well for Laminate, I recommend Quick Step. Their 12mm Impressive Ultra range looks authentic, it’s water resistant and it’s competitively priced.
Laminate vs LVT: What’s my verdict?
For me, I choose LVT over Laminate every time now.
I mentioned Neil and I have been living with laminate floors over the last 8 years. We fitted Quick Step laminate which was a fantastic budget option and very hard wearing, but with longer guarantees on LVT flooring, how practical it is to live with, and the acoustic benefits it offers, I’d be investing that bit more and choosing LVT for how bullet proof it is and its longevity.
I have a video showing the 6 affordable flooring ideas I recommend to clients which features the specific Laminate & LVT products I turn to from these brands, so give that a watch if you need some specific ideas.
If you’d like more design support don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list for weekly support. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in the next blog post!
