LVP Flooring Vs. Laminate: Which is Best?
Luxury Vinyl Planking and Laminate flooring are comparable, but key differences in cost, durability, and water resistance might influence your decision.
Written by Bee Davis
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Water resistance, appearance, and durability are all things to consider when choosing between Luxury Vinyl Plank and Laminate flooring.
Kids, pets, daily traffic, water damage: your floor sees a lot of action, and it’s important to take your lifestyle into account when choosing between different types of flooring. If you’re looking to replace your floors with something durable and long-lasting, two flooring types rise to the top of the list: Luxury Vinyl Planking and Laminate.
But what’s the difference between LVP and Laminate flooring, and which is best for you?
Jerry
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, has put together a helpful breakdown of both types of flooring and their uses in five different categories: appearance, water resistance, cleaning, durability, and cost. Keep reading to learn more about the differences between LVP and Laminate flooring and which might suit your needs the best.
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LVP and Laminate: what’s the difference?
Both LVP and Laminate flooring are considered to be the most durable types of flooring on the market., but they are structurally and chemically different. Vinyl planking is all synthetic, while laminate uses wood byproducts for its core. Additionally, vinyl often includes an acrylic layer that prevents sun damage.
Other key differences between LVP and laminate flooring might influence your purchasing decisions, including appearance, cleaning, durability, and cost.
Let’s break down what you should look for in each type of flooring.
Appearance and style
Laminate
Laminate flooring will have a deeper 3D quality that can mimic wood effectively, giving a hardwood floor appearance to your home with less maintenance needed than the real thing.
LVP
While vinyl flooring can also mimic wood, its thinner quality gives it less of a realistic look. It still maintains a good image of wood grain, but won’t have the 3D aspect that makes it realistic.
Best choice for appearance: Laminate
The thicker makeup of laminate allows it to hold a more accurate imageof wood grain, looking more realistic and with better durability than the real thing.
Water resistance
Laminate
Laminate floors are made with a fiberwood core from wood byproduct, meaning the core of the flooring is not water compatible. Laminate flooring can get waterlogged, causing sagging or rotting in its core.
LVP
Vinyl planking is 100% synthetic, so it’s completely waterproof. You can get water in between cracks, underneath the planking, and all over the surface without the floor taking damage.
Best choice for water resistance: LVP
LVP flooring is the clear winner for water resistance as its synthetic makeup makes it almost completely impervious to water.
Cleaning and maintenance
Laminate
It’s a good idea to stick to dry mopping and sweeping on laminate floors because they could get waterlogged with other methods. If you need to use water on laminate, use a damp mop or cloth that feels mostly dry to the touch and scrub carefully.
LVP
LVP floors can be easily mopped or cleaned with a wet floor sweeper because you don’t need to worry about water damage. This makes them easier to maintain than laminate flooring.
Best for cleaning: LVP
If you’re looking for flooring that you can mop and clean easily, vinyl is the clear winner. This water-resistant flooring is perfect for your mudroom, laundry room, or front entrance, anywhere that needs to be mopped regularly.
Durability and lifespan
Laminate
Laminate is a very durable material, but can see wear and tear over time. Frequent exposure to moisture can cause it to break down and delaminate.
LVP
LVP flooring is known as “resistance flooring” in the industry for a reason. It’s the most durable flooring out there, almost completely resistant to scratches, water damage, and dents.
Best for durability and lifespan: LVP
Vinyl and laminate flooring have similar lifespans—they last about 10 to 15 years before they need to be refurbished. In terms of durability, however, LVP is the winner. While vinyl can see dents in extreme cases, its resistance to sun damage and defense against scratches make it the most durable flooring available.
Cost:
Laminate
Laminate can cost as little as $1 per square foot for 7mm planks, or about $5 per square foot for 12mm planks.
Vinyl
While thin, glue-down vinyl flooring typically costs $1 per square foot, Luxury Vinyl Planking is more like $5 per square foot.
Best for cost: It’s a tie!
It depends on the type of flooring you’re getting, but both laminate and vinyl flooring have different pricing options that make them comparable in terms of cost.
How do LVP and Laminate flooring affect home insurance?
Now that you’ve weighed the different features of LVP and laminate flooring, there’s something else to consider. How might your choice of flooring affect your home insurance rates?
Flooring updates can raise the rates of your home insurance policy if it adds to your home value. For example, hardwood floors are the most likely to raise your rates, as they’ll add the highest amount to the overall value of the house.
LVP and Laminate flooring may add to your home value and increase your insurance costs, but buyers also tend to appreciate the durability of LVP. Talk to your insurance agent about any renovations to see if they will affect your insurance rates.
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FAQs
Are LVP and Laminate flooring expensive?
LVP and Laminate flooring are relatively inexpensive in terms of their lifespan and durability. They’re also less expensive than other flooring types like hardwood or tile.
Are LVP and Laminate flooring difficult to install?
Nope! LVP is one of the simplest to install, coming in teeth and groove planks that you can snap together easily. Laminate is a bit more difficult, with more steps and required equipment, but if you’re at all familiar with DIY, you can easily follow online tutorials to set up your laminate flooring.
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