If you are deciding between LVT and laminate flooring for one or more rooms in your house, it is clear you have at least made one decision, that soft carpets are not for you.
Whether you want a hard floor for your kitchen and bathroom, to make water spills easier to clean, or whether you want your floors to have a wood or stone like look to make your house feel more modern and slick, its clear that laminate or LVT are the way to go.
But now, after deciding to go with a hard floor, you are set with another choice, whether to choose laminate or LVT.
And to make matters more difficult, both laminate and LVT are designed to mimic the look of real wood, and despite being made from different materials, can often look very similar to each other.
So, given that both LVT and laminate planks are cost effective and durable alternatives to real wood flooring, and look starkly similar, how should you go about deciding between them?
What are LVT and Laminate made from
As indicated by the word vinyl in its name, Luxury Vinyl Tile, or LVT for short, is primarily comprised of plastic polymers. They may contain other materials as well. Stone polymer composite (SPC) for example contains a mix of stone powder and PVC in its thick core, whilst wood polymer composite (WPC) contains a mix of wood powder and PVC in its core.
Laminate flooring on the other hand is primarily comprised of high density fiber board (HDF). HDF is made by breaking down wood residuals (such as bark, sawdust and wood chips) into wood fiber, and mixing it with resin and wax. This mixture is then formed into panels under high temperature and pressure, which is why the fiber boards are referred to as “high density”.
In summary, LVT is made from PVC and other plastic polymers, whilst laminate is made from wood byproducts, although high definition prints on their design layers give them their solid wood like appearance
The Key difference – water resistance vs water proof
While not solid wood, laminate's core is made from HDF, which as noted above is a wood by-product. For this reason, laminate is only ever water-resistant, not truly waterproof.
Although the tight-locking joints can handle spills sitting on the surface, if water seeps through to the wood core, it can cause permanent swelling and damage that cannot be repaired.
Some people do still install laminate flooring in their bathroom and kitchen, hoping a professional fitting will keep the water from the core, however the risk will always remain.
LVT on the other hand, particularly the likes of SPC, is made primarily from PVC, making it 100% waterproof. Whilst still best avoided, if water gets to the SPC’s core, it will remain undamaged, and is therefore the perfect alternative to carpets for bathrooms and kitchens. Or any areas of the house for that matter where there is the potential for water spillages.
Scratch resistance
If we compare laminate and LVT with respect to their ability to withstand surface level scratches from things like pet claws and sliding chairs, they are probably equal. Both are cost effective and durable alternatives to solid wood with excellent scratch resistance.
The top layer of laminate, made from a strong aluminium oxide, is very scratch resistant and protects the surface level of flooring effectively.
LVT is protected by its wear layer, and if thick enough (eg 0.3mm), is highly effective at preventing scratches from reaching lower layers of the plank, such as the design layer.
Overall, both laminate and LVT have effective scratch resistant qualities, and cannot be distinguished in this attribute.
High definition prints and designs
High definition printing has allowed both laminate and LVT to create extremely realistic designs, often making them appear identical to real wood or stone.
Laminate uses a high-resolution printed paper layer, which is then fused to the core and protected by the hard top coat making the images sharp and detailed.
LVT uses a high-definition printed vinyl film, which is then protected by the wear layer allowing for vibrant, detailed, and realistic designs.
If we focus on the print quality and design alone, LVT and laminate are therefore broadly similar.
However, embossed in register (EIR) is much more effective when applied to LVT. When hard flooring has an EIR print, the plank’s surface doesn’t just look like wood or stone, but feels like it. For example, if you run your hand across a wood grain, you will feel a corresponding dip and groove.
The surface of laminate is naturally harder and more brittle than LVT, making EIR prints shallower and less detailed. Moreover, due to this limitation, many laminates do not offer EIR printing altogether.
LVT’s vinyl surface allows for a deeper and more detailed embossing print, giving the surface a more authentic feel.
Moreover, LVT designs are more wide ranging. Laminate flooring is somewhat limited to mimicking the look of wood, whilst LVT can mimic the look of wood when it comes in long planks, or indeed the look of stone or marble when it comes in square planks.
LVT is therefore a more versatile option, and is the main option for those wanting to mimic a stone or ceramic look for their flooring.
Underfoot feel & sound
The way a floor feels and sounds under your feet is determined mainly by the material the floor is made from.
The vinyl material that LVT is made from, and the pre-attached underlay that most click LVT comes with nowadays, makes LVT flooring feel quieter and warmer underfoot. Laminate on the other hand, which is made from a firmer HDF material, can create a louder sound when walked on, especially if the underlay has not been laid out correctly, and can feel colder underfoot.
Ease of cutting planks
When laying out either laminate or LVT flooring, cutting at least some of the planks in order to cover an entire room’s flooring to the edge will be necessary.
And with the increasing number of people taking matters into their own hands and laying out hard flooring themselves, so called DIYers, there are a number of “laminate cutters” on the market, which make it easy for DIYers to cut the laminate directly themselves.
However, these cutters will typically work better with LVT, as it is made from a more flexible material and is typically thinner than laminate. Laminate’s HDF material may also create more wood dust when being cut.
It is however worth noting that low quality laminate cutters will be ineffective against either laminate or LVT, so it is key to read the reviews of these products before buying them.
Sustainability
At its core, laminate is made from HDF, a wood by product. During industrial processing of wood, if the by products were not used to create laminate, they would otherwise be scrapped and wasted. In this sense, laminate is made in a sustainable manner and in one which minimises industrial waste.
However, the resins and wax which bind the wood fibres in laminate and create HDF mean that laminate planks cannot be recycled at the end of their life, and will end up in landfill.
LVT on the other hand is predominantly comprised of plastic polymers, however increasingly, factories are accepting LVT planks at the end of their life and using this to create new, recycled LVT. Moreover, LVT has a long life, often over 25 years.
In this sense, both LVT and laminate have their selective pros and cons when it comes to sustainability, and manufacturers of both continue to find ways to make their respective products more eco friendly.
Durability and Longevity
Both laminate and LVT are equally effective at protecting against scratches and the other floor damage that may occur day to day in one’s home.
However, we have already noted that LVT is more effective against water spills, and is fully waterproof whilst laminate is at best water resistant.
It appears that this quality alone, namely water resistance, gives LVT the edge in terms of durability and longevity. It follows that whilst both options come with strong warranty periods, LVT providers are more likely to offer longer warranty periods, demonstrating their conviction at LVT’s effectiveness in protecting against damage.
Price
As with any flooring type, laminate and LVT come in many shapes and sizes, and at many price points.
LVT typically increases in price if:
There is a thicker wear layer – a 0.5mm wear layer product is going to be much more expensive than a 0.3mm equivalent
The overall plank/square is thicker. A 6mm plank is going to be pricier than a 4mm plank.
The printing is more precise. EIR prints are typically priced at a premium price point compared to normal HD prints.
Patented click method – LVT that comes with patented click types (such as unilin) are priced higher than standard click types
Similarly, laminate typically increases in price if:
It has a higher “AC rating” – Laminate’s abrasion class rating, effectively the equivalent of LVT’s wear layer, measures its effectiveness to wear and tear.
Thicker laminate panels are typically more expensive, as they offer more stability and are more rigid. They also offer better soundproofing
The printing is more precise. EIR prints are typically priced at a premium price point compared to normal HD prints, although laminate floor types with EIR prints are difficult to find.
Patented click method – LVT that comes with patented click types (such as unilin) are priced higher than standard click types
Premium laminate options are more water resistant, and can have water-repellent coatings and a denser HDF core, making them more effective against water spills
It is therefore difficult to compare like for like prices, and depending on whether you choose to go with laminate or LVT, both options have budget and premium options available.
Conclusion
Whilst both laminate and LVT are strong alternatives to solid wood, LVT has the edge in its ability to resist water even if the water reaches its core, its printing technology and wide variety of print designs and its overall longevity, reflected in longer warranty periods.
