While your existing flooring is not necessarily a permanent fixture, it’s not something you want to change like seasonal decorations. You want it to last through all seasons for several years, accommodating many spills, accidents, foot traffic, and your own variable preferences. For this reason, you want your choice to be the right one.

Luxury vinyl flooring is an option that satisfies many homeowners, for good reason. In order to sustain confidence in the flooring option you choose, learn all you can about it beforehand.

Here we’ll share the strengths and weaknesses of luxury vinyl flooring so you will not regret your decision to make it a pleasant and fitting element of your home for years to come.

Table of Contents

What Is Luxury Vinyl Flooring? 

You might know for certain that luxury vinyl flooring is the way to go, but within this category are different types, one of which might more aptly suit the purpose of the floor you’re hoping to cover: 

  • Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring (LVT)
  • Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring (LVP)
  • Sheet Vinyl Flooring
  • Rigid Core Vinyl Plank
  • Rigid Core Vinyl Tile

Interior Motives Flooring can help you decide which type fulfills your goals and fits within your budget. Contact us today for a free estimate of various luxury vinyl flooring options that we can install in your home.

pros and cons luxury vinyl flooring

What Are the Pros and Cons of Luxury Vinyl Flooring?

There is plenty to sway your preference toward luxury vinyl flooring, but there are some drawbacks to consider. No floor — wood, laminate, stone, or vinyl — is without some inconvenience that offsets its strengths. 

What you must ask yourself is, “Which inconveniences would I rather live with?” and “Which advantages outweigh the others?” These considerations will help you make the final decision about the best flooring option for you.

luxury vinyl flooring pros and cons

7 Pros of Luxury Vinyl Flooring

#1: It’s Versatile

Luxury vinyl flooring can go over any kind of existing floor, including concrete, wood, or tile, easing the transition from one floor type to another. There is no need for extensive prep work to remove or modify your existing floor in order to install the vinyl.

In addition, luxury vinyl flooring is appropriate in almost any location in your home. Whereas, for instance, the moisture of a bathroom precludes wood as a flooring option in that location, vinyl can withstand a moist environment without detriment to itself.

The sheer number of options within the category of luxury vinyl flooring will accommodate any look and feel you want to achieve. Consider the following variables when studying different luxury vinyl flooring options:

  • Color: Luxury vinyl flooring comes in such a wide range of colors that you are sure to find the shade that perfectly suits your home. White and gray, however, are popular options that help brighten the environment.
  • Dimension and pattern: You can find luxury vinyl planks and tiles of a variety of sizes, and they can be strategically laid in attractive patterns, such as the herringbone pattern or other geometrical patterns. 
  • Texture: The photographic layer of luxury vinyl flooring is printed to give the appearance of various textures and grains of wood, such as the straight, regular grain of oak.

#2: It’s Durable

Luxury vinyl flooring is very durable compared to wood. Although it may be dented or scuffed if heavy items are dropped or dragged across the surface, luxury vinyl is remarkably stain-, scratch-, mold-, and mildew-resistant.

For extra protection, you can add felt pads to the bottom of your furniture or put rugs down where you expect rough activity on top of the floor.

#3: It’s Affordable

Vinyl is significantly cheaper than hardwood, stone, or carpet, though it can closely mimic the appearance of wood and stone. Sheet vinyl is even less expensive than planks and tiles, but the latter can be repaired more easily. Instead of replacing the whole sheet, you can replace only the affected part of the floor.

Luxury vinyl plank and tile material typically costs between $3.00- $5.50 per square foot. Variation in price depends on many things, including:

  • The size of the room
  • Design and style
  • How long it takes to install the floor
  • Removal of previous flooring (if there are bumps or bulges)

#4: It’s Easily Maintained

This may be the most appealing advantage of luxury vinyl flooring. A minimum amount of effort will keep the floor looking flawless. Don’t worry about waxing, sealing, or polishing your floors — just sweep and brush with a damp mop regularly.

For deep cleaning, mop using a bucket of hot water with one cup of distilled white vinegar. There’s no need to spend money on harsh chemicals. Vinegar will do the job, and other cleaners could damage the floor’s wear layer.

pros and cons of luxury vinyl plank flooring

#5: It’s Moisture-Resistant

Because luxury vinyl is completely water-resistant, it is a suitable material for areas prone to moisture, such as:

  • Mud rooms
  • Bathrooms
  • Kitchens
  • Laundry rooms
  • Basements

It can even be used as a backsplash or for wall cladding.

Luxury vinyl’s anti-bacterial outer layer adds protection against germs that might otherwise thrive in humid areas.

#6: It’s Comfortable Underfoot

Luxury vinyl flooring is between 2 and 8mm thick and is composed of at least three layers:

  1. The outer wear layer protects the floor from impact and staining.
  2. The middle photographic layer displays the color, texture, and pattern.
  3. The bottom layer provides stability.

A foam core layer may be present, which contributes to the softness already afforded by the flexible nature of the PVC material composing vinyl.

The softness and warmth of luxury vinyl flooring make it an ideal material for areas dedicated to dining or relaxation, without the difficult maintenance required for carpet.

#7: It’s Easily Installed

There are different ways luxury vinyl floors may be installed:

  • Glue down: Adhesive binds vinyl to the subfloor.
  • Click-Lock: Vinyl planks interlock with tongue-and-groove joints.
  • GripStrip: An adhesive layer applied by the manufacturer connects planks to one another, creating a “floating” floor.

Interior Motives Flooring performs these installations frequently, so we have the process streamlined for speed, accuracy, and efficiency. The amount of time it takes to install the floor depends on:

  • The size of the space
  • Whether new baseboards are being installed or not
  • The state of the subfloor (how much preparation is needed to make it effectively accommodate the vinyl)

Installing a luxury vinyl plank floor covering 1,000 square feet generally takes 2-5 days. For a more precise estimate call our Auburn flooring team to discuss your renovation project.

​​4 Cons of Luxury Vinyl Flooring

#1: It Can Be Challenging To Remove

Depending on which installation method you chose, this may or may not be an issue. Removing the click-lock floor tiles is not difficult to do. Sheet vinyl or glue down vinyl tiles may cause difficulty because the adhesive is dry. 

It can be done, but it requires strategy and elbow grease. You’ll need to cut it into 12”-wide strips, pull them up, and scrape off glue residue from the subfloor.

#2: It May Dent

While luxury vinyl is very durable, it can still be damaged if heavy items are dragged against its surface or dropped on it. This denting may be repaired, however, if you used planks or tiles for the floor. 

#3: It’s Not Fade-Proof

Ultraviolet light from the sun does put your luxury vinyl flooring at risk of fading or discoloration. A couple of ways to prevent this include:

  • Apply a UV-blocking film to your windows
  • Rearranging your furniture and rugs periodically so that the same areas are not constantly exposed to the sunlight

By proactively buying extra tiles or planks, you will have the materials needed to replace faded areas of your floor if you need to.

#4: It’s Not Eco-Friendly

Luxury vinyl materials — acrylic, PVC, and other polymers — are not biodegradable. So if you’re looking for an environmentally friendly option, you’ll have to consider other flooring materials.

Which Luxury Vinyl Flooring Should I Choose? 

Having learned about the pros and cons of luxury vinyl flooring, you can now make a more apt choice from among the many different types.

The top layer (the wear layer) contributes most to the durability of luxury vinyl flooring, so consider the thickness of this layer most when looking for the most durable vinyl flooring option. 

To further narrow down the possible choices, consider:

  • How much traffic will impact the floor regularly
  • Whether the intended room is prone to moisture
  • What installation method you prefer
  • Which design and texture matches your aesthetic goals
  • How much you are willing to spend on it

luxury vinyl plank flooring pros and cons

Interior Motives Flooring Specializes in Luxury Vinyl Flooring Installation in Auburn, WA

For vinyl flooring installation in Auburn, WA, reach out to Interior Motives Flooring, a family-owned company that has served the Auburn community for over three decades. At Interior Motives Flooring, we top off our thorough knowledge of luxury vinyl flooring by executing flawless installations in our clients’ homes. The process is as follows:

  1. We’ll give you a tour of our showroom so you can explore all the varieties of vinyl available for your home improvement project.
  2. We will schedule a free consultation in your home to provide you with an estimate for your flooring installation project.
  3. You select a flooring option and we decide what is the best installation method for the space and a timeline for the installation.
  4. We’ll come and perform the installation for you. This includes preparing the subfloor so the luxury vinyl flooring can be laid on top without hindrance.
  5. We’ll walk you through the final product and ensure you are satisfied.

Our full-service flooring option provides clients with assistance with their project from start to finish, including design ideas, which many homeowners find to be challenging to devise. Besides our at-home consultations and showroom visits, we utilize room visualizers and project planners, and give you the opportunity for an interior design consultation.

Besides installing luxury vinyl flooring, we also install other types of flooring as well, including:

  • Tile
  • Hardwood
  • Laminate
  • Carpet

If you wish to install new flooring at your place of business, we also serve commercial entities. Call us today to see why our clients rely on Interior Motives Flooring for their flooring projects.

pros and cons luxury vinyl flooring