{"id":4661,"date":"2022-07-13T15:24:40","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T19:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diywithchristine.com\/?p=4661"},"modified":"2024-03-16T12:06:26","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T16:06:26","slug":"lvp-vs-laminate-flooring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diywithchristine.com\/lvp-vs-laminate-flooring\/","title":{"rendered":"LVP Vs Laminate Flooring: Which Is Better? (With Pictures!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Wondering if laminate flooring or luxury vinyl plank flooring is better? Well, look no further because I have your answer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both laminate flooring and luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP) are durable, easy to install, can be waterproof, add resale value to your home, and can last 10-25 years. Overall, laminate flooring is better than LVP because it’s softer to walk on, cheaper to purchase, and bridges uneven subfloors better.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s break into the details further so you can easily choose the best plank flooring for your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n LVP is more durable\/dent-resistant than laminate flooring because of how thin it is. LVP does not have a soft inner layer, so it can handle drops and scratches better than laminate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although LVP is a little more durable, laminate flooring is also scratch- and dent-resistant compared to other types of flooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The top layer of laminate is scratch resistant, but the inner layers can easily be scratched and damaged if they are ever exposed.<\/p>\n\n\n Also, for the everyday drops of your phone or shoes or other relatively soft items, laminate flooring is pretty dent-resistant. It also can handle dancing, jumping, and regular impact with ease.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (I participate in an online dance workout class every week and there are no signs of wear and tear from me spinning and sliding my feet.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you drop something sharp and\/or heavy, then it dents fairly easily. And once that top layer is removed, it exposes that softer inner layer that is unsightly and can allow further damage to occur.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, we found this out the hard way by dropping a sharp piece of our treadmill while we were carrying it in. I’ve also dropped the corner of my laptop (which has sharp edges) and it dented and chipped a part of the laminate as well.<\/p>\n\n\n LVP, on the other hand, is much thinner. It doesn’t have that inner layer, so there really isn’t anything to dent. If you drop something heavy and sharp enough, then you can scratch it as well. But it would take significantly more force than the laminate flooring to see similar damages.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n LVP also usually has a thicker wear layer (12 mm for residential to 30 mm for commercial) than laminate flooring which helps make it durable.<\/p>\n\n\n Because of this, we love to use LVP in our rental properties. It stands up to the everyday wear and tear of tenants, their children, and their pets. I feel like the laminate flooring would not be durable enough to last for decades if you aren’t going to be careful while moving things on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (If you own some rental properties and want to learn how to manage them better with less time and headache, check out my other blog, DIY Rental Manager<\/a>.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Durability Winner: Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n LVP is 100% waterproof while most laminate floorings are only water-resistant. Laminate flooring is supposed to be restricted to light traffic and low moisture areas in your home while LVP can be used in any room throughout your home. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, your living room, bedrooms, kitchen, entryway, laundry room, and hallway would be good applications for laminate flooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laminate flooring can be used in bathrooms, but you do have to be careful with how much water is exposed to the laminate over time because it is not waterproof (only water-resistant).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If any water that spills stays on the top layer of the laminate and gets wiped up within 30 minutes, then laminate flooring is great to use in the bathroom. However, if the edge of the laminate flooring isn’t properly caulked near the wet areas or if water gets underneath it, then some water damage can occur.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want more information on how much water laminate flooring can take, check out my other article here<\/a>. It’s a decent amount of water, but not as much as LVP can take.<\/p>\n\n\n On the other hand, LVP is 100% waterproof. Because it doesn’t have the inner layers that laminate has, there’s nothing that can soak up any water. That makes LVP a great flooring to use in any room of your home, including bathrooms and basements that sometimes see water.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The other reason we chose to use LVP in our rentals instead of laminate is that LVP is waterproof and it doesn’t matter if a tenant isn’t paying attention to the care of it. In our personal home though, we are aware of how to maintain the water-resistant laminate flooring, so we aren’t worried about any water damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some laminate floorings that are 100% waterproof which would make it an excellent candidate for all of your rooms as well. If the waterproof feature is important to you, then make sure to shop for laminate and LVP that are 100% waterproof.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since you can purchase both floorings with a 100% waterproof feature, they tie in the waterproofing category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Waterproof Winner: Tied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Laminate flooring is significantly softer to walk on than LVP because it is thicker and you can add a thicker underlayment pad to add to the softness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most LVP floorings come with built-in underlayment padding, which is great from a cot-savings standpoint, but not great from a softness standpoint. That built-in pad is much thinner than some of the underlayment padding you can purchase separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are installing new flooring on concrete, then you want to consider the softness. Concrete is hard on the joints, so having thicker flooring such as laminate flooring with a thicker underlayment pad will help protect your body for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need help choosing an underlayment pad for your laminate flooring, then check out my other post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, laminate flooring can be purchased with a 10 mm thickness on top of the thickness of a quality underlayment pad. That soft inner layer in laminate is what gives the boards this softness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That extra thickness will make walking, sitting, and playing on the floor feel better than what the thinner LVP boards would feel on concrete. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The thickness also helps if you have a wood subfloor. But wood subfloors are already softer by nature, so this feature is not as important unless you have known joint pains from extended time walking on harder surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Softness Winner: Laminate Flooring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nQuick Navigation: Luxury Vinyl Plank Compared To Laminate Flooring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Is LVP Or Laminate More Durable\/Scratch-Resistant\/Dent-Resistant\/Stain-Resistant?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is LVP Or Laminate More Waterproof?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is LVP Or Laminate Softer To Walk On?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is LVP Or Laminate Easier To Install?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n