Laminate flooring vs vinyl flooring is a common comparison consumers make prior to making a flooring decision. Both laminate flooring and vinyl flooring are outstanding and affordable options for busy homes looking for a luxurious and finished look. Just like with any product, laminate flooring and vinyl flooring each have their advantages and disadvantages. Keep reading to learn more about each type of flooring!
| Laminate Flooring | Vinyl Plank Flooring | |
| Fading | Fade Resistant | Fade Resistant |
| Wear | Will not wear through. Cannot be refinished | Will not wear through. Cannot be refinished |
| Stains | Will not stain | Will not stain |
| Dent/Scratch Resistance | Dent, scratch and chip resistant | Dent, scratch and chip resistant. Use caution with sharp objects as they can puncture the surface |
| Moisture | Moisture resistant | 100% waterproof |
| Care | Easy care, surface does not hold dirt and no polish or refinishing is ever needed | Easy care, surface does not hold dirt and no polish or refinishing is ever needed |
| Installation | DIY Friendly – Click locking system | DIY Friendly – Click locking system, loose lay, or glue-down |
| Price | $-$$$ | $-$$$ |
Both flooring options are very good choices. The biggest difference between the two is the waterproof feature of vinyl plank flooring. Laminate flooring can and will be damages with access moisture, where as vinyl plank flooring is 100% waterproof. In the case of minor flooding, vinyl flooring can typically be uninstalled, dried and reinstalled like new. As for price, both products can range from under a dollar to over $5 per square foot.
Both products are ideal options for busy homes with children or pets. Vinyl flooring is recommended over laminate flooring for moisture prone applications such as bathrooms or kitchens as there is no risk of moisture damage. As far as looks, they both can offer an extremely realistic design. You may even question if it’s real hardwood or not!
Vinyl Flooring
Laminate Flooring
As you can see, there is really no visible aesthetic difference between laminate and vinyl! Both types offer various styles of wood-looks. The chocie is up to you.
If you are still deciding on which flooring will be best in your home, order some free samples from Bestlaminate and compare the differences for yourself!
More Comparison Guides:
- What is the difference between laminate flooring vs hardwood flooring?
- Vinyl Plank Flooring vs Vinyl Sheet Flooring
27 comments
You caught my attention when you talked about how waterproof vinyl flooring can be. Since we’re planning to expand our kitchen area, we could use a renovation material that will allow us to worry less about stains and spills. Once I find a vinyl flooring provider in the area, I’ll definitely get their help in installing some for our kitchen.
How does noise reduction of looselay vinyl planking compare to laminate with underlay?
Hi Rob, thanks for your question. A loose lay vinyl will be thinner and contain less of a hollow core. Since there is less material, sound transition to floors below could feel pretty hard. With a laminate, you can hear a harder sound such as a hardwood. An underlayment will help with the cushioning. Any floor below will hear less sound. I hope that answers your question!
Thinking of putting vinyl planks throughout the entire first floor of our home. However, with settlement over the years, the floor in one room is slightly bowed. Will this be an issue and is there any easy way to level the floor?
Hi Tom, yes your subfloor should always be level. If you have a wood subfloor, you can add additional plywood or OSB or if it is thick enough, sand down the current subfloor to be level. You can learn more about subfloor preparation here: https://www.bestlaminate.com/help/subfloor-preparation/
We had vunyl plank flooring installed in our sunroom,over concrete. We don’t like the hollow, clicking sound when we walk on it. Is there anything that can be done now, after it’s already been installed, short of tearing it up and starting over?
Hi Lynn, thanks for your question. You can try adding some rugs for additional cushion when walking on your floors. If it’s a floating floor with over 4mm thickness, you could uninstall and add an underlayment beneath, but that would require to uninstall and re-install the floors.