Vinyl Flooring vs. Laminate — What’s Right For You?

Are the differences between luxury vinyl flooring vs. laminate flooring becoming blurry and difficult to understand? 

We are constantly interacting with clients who just aren’t sure which type of flooring is right for their situation. It pains us to enter a home where the homeowner was not well-informed when they made their flooring decision, and they’ve had to pay the consequences. 

That’s why we’ve created this in-depth explanation of the differences between vinyl flooring vs laminate and elaborate on the major attributes you need to know.

We’ll discuss the differences in: 

• Pricing
• Thickness
• Water-resistance
• Installation
• Durability

Let’s dive into a look at the real-world applications of these differences and why they matter.

Table of Contents

• What Is Vinyl Flooring?
• What Is Laminate Flooring?
• 5 Key Differences Between Vinyl Flooring vs. Laminate
• Interior Motives: Your Full-Service Flooring and Installation Team in Auburn, Washington

What Is Vinyl Flooring?

Standard vinyl flooring is composed of four layers of materials: 

1. The first or bottom layer is the backing and is usually made of cork or foam. It acts as the underlayment and eliminates the need for a layer between the flooring and the floor. It also provides a sound barrier and acts as a cushion to make walking on the floor more comfortable.
2. Second is typically a waterproof layer. It’s specially designed to absorb any moisture without swelling or compromising the integrity of the floor.
3. Next is the design layer. This third layer holds the decorative pattern and may resemble wood, marble, stone, or other high-end materials.
4. Finally, there is the top layer. This one is built to resist wear and protects the layers beneath it from being harmed. Less-used areas can handle a thin wear layer, while high-traffic areas will need a thick wear layer in order to retain a long lifespan

Some types of luxury vinyl flooring may have up to 6–8 layers and may include a clear top coat layer, a cushioning layer composed of foam or felt, and a fiberglass layer that provides support and helps the flooring lie evenly.

What Is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is created from a multiple-layer composite of organic and synthetic materials. Most types of laminate are made of 3–4 layers:

1. The first layer is the underlayment that helps keep moisture out while providing cushioning underfoot.
2. The second layer is the base layer. This is made from a high-density wood composite or fiberboard and gives the floor structure.
3. Next is the design layer that gives the floor its color and look.
4. Lastly, the wear layer is transparent and designed to protect the floor from wear and tear.

5 Key Differences Between Vinyl Flooring vs. Laminate

#1: Pricing

Let’s face it, even if one style of flooring is much better than the other, a large difference in price can be the final decision-making factor. The good news is that both luxury vinyl flooring and laminate can be relatively similar in price. 

Laminate is typically less expensive in most cases. However, some budget-friendly LVP styles can compete on price, especially with glue-down and thinner tongue-and-groove options. 

When it comes to higher-end styles in both flooring categories, luxury vinyl plank is usually far more expensive. This is mainly due to the cost of the materials and manufacturing of LVP. 

#2: Thickness

If you are considering a remodel, an important factor in connection to cost is the height of the flooring. We always recommend trying to keep the different types of flooring on each level of your home the same height. By doing so, you will avoid any tripping hazards and odd height transitions where the two floors meet.

Luxury vinyl plank flooring is typically very thin — sometimes only 2 mm. If you try to install it in a room next to an existing hardwood or laminate, you may need to add additional underlayment to match the height of the existing floor. 

Purchasing and installing additional underlayment for vinyl flooring can increase your cost per square foot by over $1.

Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is typically around ½ inch thick and usually transitions well with existing carpet and hardwood. 

A Real-World Application

You want to tear out the carpet in your living room and replace it with new, inexpensive, wood-look hard surface flooring. The problem is your hallway leading into the living room has ½ inch of existing hardwood flooring. 

You have two options to prevent any differences in flooring height:

1. Buy laminate flooring that is ½” thick.
2. Buy a thin LVP and install an underlayment to account for the difference in height. (e.g. 6 mm vinyl plank and ¼” underlayment).

The winner:

Both are cheaper than most natural hardwood flooring, but laminate flooring will be your most cost-effective option. There are some situations where the difference in cost does NOT outweigh the benefit though. Read on to find out more.

#3: Water Resistance

In kitchens, bathrooms, entries, and laundry rooms, your flooring’s resistance to water is a huge factor. 

There is nothing worse than meeting a customer who was not informed about the water resistance of each flooring style, chose the wrong flooring for their situation, and is now suffering the consequences.

Luxury vinyl plank flooring is 100% waterproof. This is due to the polymer core of the flooring. When it is exposed to water, the core is unaffected. 

We feel it is important to be fully transparent, though. If you have a wood subfloor under the vinyl plank and enough water sits on the surface for hours, it can seep through the cracks and swelling can still occur. This is the case for most types of flooring, however. So unless flooding or leaks are involved, it does not happen often.

Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is usually not waterproof. These days, nearly all mid-high quality laminate comes with some type of water resistance, such as waxed edges to repel water, but most are not 100% waterproof. 

This is due to the wood particle core of the laminate plank. When water seeps through the top layer, the laminate begins to swell up and may even delaminate. 

We are beginning to see more and more new styles of laminate that can withstand over 24 hours of water exposure, though! Keep an eye out for these styles to become more popular in the future.

A Real-World Application

You just installed a brand-new laminate floor in your kitchen, unaware of its susceptibility to water. Over the first week, water from your fridge’s dispenser drips and sits on the flooring below, and you begin to notice swelling on the surface of the floor. Which flooring will hold up?

The winner:

Without a doubt, LVP is the winner in resistance to water.

#4: Installation

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you might be wondering which type of flooring is going to be easier to install. The truth is that both vinyl and laminate flooring have their pros and cons in this area. 

No matter what type of flooring you choose, the preparation and flatness of the subfloor are the keys to success. But some flooring options are more forgiving than others. We’ll go through both style’s installation attributes separately

Laminate flooring:

• Is typically a tongue-and-groove floating floor system.
• Hides imperfections due to the thickness of the planks.
• Requires a power tool to cut laminate planks.
• Comes in both built-in underlayment and underlayment-required options.

Vinyl flooring:

• Is usually a tongue-and-groove floating floor or glue-down system.
• Is available in thinner LVP models that may be cut without a saw.
• Telegraphs, or visibly shows, imperfections in the subflooring when thinner LVP is used. Choose a thicker, more rigid option if you are dealing with less-than-optimal subflooring.
• Comes in both built-in underlayment and underlayment-required options. 

A Real-World Application

You just bought an older home with a less-than-optimal subfloor and chose to purchase glue-down LVP because it was the cheaper option. With minimal floor preparation, you installed the glue-down flooring and are less than satisfied with the bumps and ridges that remained visible through the flooring.

The winner:

Each type of flooring could be the winner of the flooring installation category, depending on the situation. If you have a new or well-prepared subfloor, we would give vinyl plank the advantage. If you need to hide some minor imperfections, laminate may be the way to go.

#5: Durability

The wear and tear of daily traffic, children, and pets is inevitable. Being proactive in your approach by choosing a flooring option that will hold up to the inevitable wear and tear is crucial. 

The good news is that vinyl and laminate flooring are both great products when it comes to durability. 

Let’s compare each of the different aspects that make a floor durable.

Scratches:

• Saying either laminate or luxury vinyl plank is more scratch resistant than the other isn’t a fair assessment. It all depends on the protective wear layer on the top of each type of flooring.
• With vinyl flooring, the protection is based on the thickness of the wear layer. These layers are measured in mils. Usually, vinyl planks come with 4, 6, 8, 12, or 20 mil wear layers. In the flooring industry, 12 mils or higher is considered commercial-grade flooring. If installed in a high-traffic area, 12 mils or higher should protect your flooring from most scratches.
• Laminate flooring has its own categorization of top-layer protection. The AC rating, or Abrasion Criteria Rating, describes the level of exposure to wear and tear a style of laminate flooring can handle. 

The AC rating scale ranges from 1 to 5. An AC rating of 3 is categorized as suitable for all areas of residential space. If you install laminate in a heavy-traffic area, we recommend an AC rating of 3 or higher.

• We give LVP with a thick wear layer a slight advantage in the scratch resistance category. If you buy a style with a strong protective layer, either option is very scratch resistant.

Dents:

• Laminate flooring is typically less prone to dents than vinyl plank flooring. This is due to the softer core of luxury vinyl plank. Heavy furniture without a floor protector has the potential to leave imprints on LVP over time. There are more rigid vinyl plank options such as stone polymer composite (SPC) which will hold up better to dents.

Fading: 

• Some styles of vinyl plank flooring can be more prone to fading over the years than laminate. If you install vinyl plank in rooms that are exposed to high levels of sunlight, we recommend moving the furniture and rugs around every once in a while to prevent floor fading.

A Real-World Application

Your old living room hardwood flooring is beyond repair. You decide to replace it with a high-quality wide plank laminate flooring that has an AC4 protective layer. Your hope is that it will hold up better against your large dog and two children. Over a 10-year span, you are shocked at how little noticeable damage has been done to the flooring.

The winner: 

If you choose a high-quality laminate or LVP with a strong protective layer, it is more than likely going to hold up to your durability expectations. If we were to choose which one is more durable, we would give laminate a slight edge.

Keep in mind that you get what you pay for, though. Choosing a low-quality option of either type of flooring can provide disappointing results.

Interior Motives: Your Full-Service Flooring and Installation Team in Auburn, Washington

After reading through this article, you may be thinking, “This helps my understanding of the differences between vinyl flooring and laminate, but I still have questions.” 

That’s where we can help!

The team at Interior Motives Flooring has over 31 years of flooring experience. We are more than happy to hop on a phone call and help you decide which type of flooring is right for your situation.

Call us today for a free consultation.