What is the difference between luxury vinyl flooring and laminate?

Laminate and luxury vinyl flooring are similar in appearance as well as maintenance. Both types of flooring mimic ceramic, stone, and wood flooring. But the floor coverings are made of different materials.

Laminate is composed of natural material while luxury vinyl is a synthetic material. Bayland Flooring in New Franken, Wisconsin, offers a wide selection of the two types of trendy flooring. First quality in-stock and special order flooring are both available at discounted prices.

Vinyl vs laminate

A laminate plank or tile is thicker than a luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or a luxury vinyl tile (LVT). This means that deeper embossing is possible with the digital imaging technology that produces the designs. Deeper embossing equals a more realistic wood or tile look.

Also, laminate is more comfortable underfoot because of this thickness as well as the warmth of its core material. Laminate flooring is usually warrantied for 5 to 10 years while luxury vinyl flooring is backed by a warranty of 15 years or more. Pet-friendly brands are available in both materials.

Are vinyl and laminate waterproof?

All high-quality LVP and LVT brands are waterproof. The type of core - WPC or SPC - may be noted on the label. A wood plastic composite core, made of recycled wood pulp, and a stone plastic composite core, made of limestone, will not swell even when soaked in water for an extended period.

While water will not damage vinyl, it may damage laminate labeled 'waterproof' if the manufacturer's guidelines are not followed. Typically, the surface of a laminate floor can be wet for up to 30 hours without sustaining damage.

Usually, when laminate and vinyl planks and tiles are installed, they are not attached to the surface below them. Instead, the floor floats above the subfloor or existing hard surface floor.? The installation pros at Bayland Flooring can install any kind of floating floor.

We offer many services in the Green Bay, Wisconsin, area, including floor and subfloor repair, custom area rugs, and design consultation. You can get a free in-home estimate by calling or returning our online form. Or start your flooring upgrade by visiting our showroom in New Franken.