The Significant Difference Between Vinyl and Laminate Flooring
Have you ever wondered how laminate flooring compares to luxury vinyl tile (LVT) as a flooring option and which is best for your home? After all, in the realm of hard-surface flooring (as opposed to soft carpeted flooring), homeowners prefer laminate floorings such as Swiss Krono and LVT. LVT is a type of “resilient flooring,” which also comprises sheet vinyl and rubber flooring. Let’s compare LVT with laminate flooring so you can make an informed decision.
What Is Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring is typically made up of four layers of materials. The first, or bottom, layer is the backing layer, which is often constructed of cork or foam. It is intended to act as an underlayment for SPC vinyl flooring, eliminating the need to install another material before laying down the vinyl flooring. It also serves as a cushion to make walking on the floor more pleasant, as well as a sound barrier to keep noise at bay.
What is Laminate flooring?
It is made up of four layers: wear, décor, core, and backer, which are glued together during the lamination process. It is purposefully built to be both sturdy and inexpensive. It may imitate the look of more expensive flooring materials such as wood, tile, or stone due to the décor layer.
Differences Between Vinyl and Laminate Flooring
The primary difference between vinyl and laminate flooring is the material used to make them. Laminate flooring is made up of numerous laminated layers, including a wood fiberboard core. Vinyl flooring, while accessible in several layers, is only available in synthetic materials.
Water, Heat, and the Environment
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is considered to be completely waterproof from top to bottom and around all corners. When damp vinyl flooring is dried, it retains its size and looks.
Heat, like any other plastic, may harm vinyl flooring. Yet, the heat criteria that most vinyl floorings fulfill are frequently significantly greater (158 degrees Fahrenheit) than what may be expected during regular use.
Laminate Flooring
When it comes to water, laminate flooring is especially vulnerable due to its wood-based core. Allowing water to collect on the surface—near exposed seams or edges—can allow it to seep underneath and into the core.
The water will be absorbed by the core. The core will not return to its former proportions after drying. A vapor barrier is also necessary for most laminate flooring installations over concrete to help keep moisture vapor at bay.
The high-density fiberboard core of laminate flooring is often unaffected by heat. Nevertheless, other layers, such as the top wear layer, may melt in high temperatures. These temperatures, like vinyl flooring, are significantly above those seen in most houses.
Appearance and Comfort
Vinyl Flooring
Under the hard, transparent wear layer of higher-quality vinyl plank and tile flooring is an image or picture layer. This picture is often of a wood species (such as oak, maple, or hickory) or, less frequently, stone.
Nevertheless, not every vinyl flooring has this lifelike appearance. Older and less expensive sheet and tile vinyl flooring is created using a rotogravure method (similar to a cylindrical printing press) and finished with a transparent wear layer.
Laminate Flooring
To achieve the illusion of real wood or stone, all laminate flooring employs a high-definition photographic layer behind the translucent wear layer.
The look of laminate flooring is its most notable attribute. Laminate flooring comes in nearly every hue, species, and variant of natural wood and stone flooring: hand-scraped, rustic, reclaimed wood, multi-tonal, natural finish, whitewashed, multi-length, and much more
Durability
Vinyl Flooring
Thick, high-quality vinyl flooring can last up to 25 years, but thinner vinyl flooring has a lifespan of fewer than 10 years.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring has a lifespan of 15 to 25 years, yet badly maintained laminate may only last five to ten years.
Paradigm Surfaces is here for your help!
We have a vast variety of laminate and vinyl flooring that upgrade your home with the beautiful tiles and aesthetic you are looking for. Our experts are specialized in selecting the best tiles in a short time. Want to upgrade your home with a beautiful collection of tiles? Paradigm Surfaces is here for your service! We are available 6 days a week. You can also visit our showroom in Surrey and select your tiles with the expertise of our experts. We are waiting for you!
