What’s the difference between vinyl and laminate flooring?

Do you find yourself torn between Luxury Vinyl Tile(LVT) and laminate flooring? Or maybe you’re still deciding which flooring will suit your space better?

Luxury Vinyl Tile, also known as LVT and laminate flooring are two of the most popular choices in the market.

Both LVT and laminate flooring share some similarities such as ease of installation (compared to hardwood floors) and budget-friendly. However, vinyl and laminate have some key differences.

What is Vinyl and Laminate flooring?

There has been a long time myth that Vinyl Flooring is old, outdated, and hard to maintain and the statement couldn’t be further from the truth.

Vinyl Flooring is usually 100% synthetic material, made mostly from fiberglass and PVC. It can withstand heavy traffic and is one of the best low cost and water-resistance floor options for heavy foot traffic and moist areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, classrooms, clinics, and many institutional applications.

On the other hand, Laminate is mainly made from wood byproducts fused with resins. It is popularly used by homeowners who prefer the style of wood. However, laminate flooring is usually not waterproof and will be easily damaged if the water sits on it for a long period of time.  

What are the advantages of Vinyl vs Laminate flooring?

One of the biggest advantages of vinyl flooring is its high durability and the ability to withstand heavy foot traffic.

Another notable advantage is it is highly resistant to water and easy to clean and maintain. Historically, people think vinyl offers fewer style choices than laminate. However, Vinyl has extended aesthetical options more than before. Now, It is easy to find vinyl flooring with realistic wood, stone, and abstract look designs in a variety of colours. Furthermore, at Polyflor, most of our products contain Polyurethane (PUR) surface treatment to assist ongoing maintenance.

The benefits of vinyl flooring are but not limited to:
Easy to install
Lower cost
Easy to clean
High resistant to water and dirt
Low maintenance
Withstand high traffic uses
Noise absorption
Authentic wood, stone, and abstract effects

Laminate flooring is well-known for its beautiful and authentic appearance. Similar to vinyl flooring, laminate is also highly durable and easy to install, but it is recommended that water and spills should be cleaned up straight away to prevent from damaging the floor.

The benefits of laminate flooring include:
Durable
Beautiful with an authentic appearance
Easy to install and clean
Affordable

In conclusion, both LVT and laminate flooring has their own distinctive features that are similar but different in terms of longevity as a product that must withstand foot traffic and daily life activities. Also, another mindful consideration of whether the product range the brand offer includes sustainable slip resistance. These are all crucial factors to consider before specifying your choice of flooring.

At Polyflor, we provide our vinyl floorings in sheet, planks, and tiles, with flooring types such as heterogeneous, homogeneous, safety flooring, and luxury vinyl planks.

We have always kept functionality and aesthetically in mind when it comes to designing and manufacturing our flooring ranges to suit any residential and commercial needs.