Vinyl and laminate flooring comes to the mind of every homeowner who wants to buy a budget-friendly option for their interiors. These floors have many similar properties. They are both beautiful, stain resistant, cost-effective, easy to install, and can easily be replaced.
Many people even consider that these two floorings are almost the same, but there are many features of both floorings that make them different. If you want to know how these floors are different from each other, then read on to get all the information.
Significant Differences Between Vinyl Flooring And Laminate Flooring
There are lots of differences between vinyl flooring and laminate flooring. Here are some of the most noticeable differences between these floors that set them apart.
1. Looks
The very first difference between these floors is their appearance. When it comes to appearance, these floors are very different. The best Laminate flooring Dubai provides a deep, realistic appearance to the floors. This flooring looks very much like wooden flooring. It can also mimic stone flooring, ceramic flooring, and many others.
Vinyl flooring can give the look of almost all types of flooring, such as laminate flooring, parquet flooring, bamboo flooring, and ceramic flooring. The appearance of this flooring is less realistic as compared to laminate flooring.
Best For Looks: Laminate Flooring
2. Water And Heat Resistance
To avoid any damage, water and heat resistance are very necessary for the flooring. Laminate flooring has a wooden core that can swell when in contact with water. This core can also get melted when this flooring has to face high temperatures. If the laminate flooring is properly installed, then this flooring never allows water to penetrate it, which then provides water resistance.
Older types of vinyl flooring are not waterproof. However, the most recent vinyl flooring or luxury vinyl flooring is water resistant. That’s the reason people are now installing laminate flooring even in kitchens and bathrooms. Temperature fluctuations can’t damage the vinyl flooring, but if a burning object falls on it, then it can get melted like laminate flooring.
Best For Heat And Water Resistance: Vinyl Flooring
3. Durability
Laminate flooring is considered durable flooring, but only when it is not exposed to water. If the laminate flooring remains in contact with water for a long time, then the top layer of this flooring starts peeling off, and there is no way to repair this flooring again.
Vinyl flooring, with its thicker layer and underlayment, is very durable against water and other damage. This flooring has a single layer, and most of the layers of this flooring never peel off.
Best For Durability: Vinyl Flooring
4. Environmental Impact
When it comes to the overall impact of both floorings on the environment, we can see many laminate flooring manufacturers use recycled materials in the making of this flooring. This flooring also uses some of the wood by-products. This is absent in the case of vinyl flooring, as it never uses recycled material.
Best For Environment: Laminate Flooring
5. Cleaning
The cleaning of the laminate flooring is very easy and less time-consuming. This flooring can easily be cleaned with dry methods. It can be brushed or vacuumed when needed. If you want to clean it with a wet method, then you can only use a wet mop for this purpose because it can get damaged by water.
Vinyl flooring is super easy to maintain. This flooring can be cleaned with liquid detergents and mops. If needed, you can also scrub this flooring. The only thing that you need to pay attention to is the quality of the cleaning liquid that you are using.
Best In Cleaning: Vinyl Flooring
6. Repair
Laminate flooring can’t be repaired if it gets damaged. It is super easy to replace the planks with new ones.
Vinyl flooring is also not too easy to repair. There is also a need to repair its planks when damaged. There are many polishes that can be used on this flooring to increase its resistance to damage.
Best For an Easy Repair: Tied
7. Installation
The installation of both floors is very easy. Laminate flooring can easily be installed by using the click and lock method. Everyone can install this flooring by following a DIY guide.
The process of installation of vinyl flooring is also easy. There is a tongue and groove on both sides of the vinyl planks. You just have to lock the tongue of one plank into the groove of the next plank.
Best In Installation: Tied
8. Comfortability
Laminate flooring has a warm feeling when you walk on it. It also feels very comfortable when this flooring is installed with a good quality underlayment.
All types of vinyl flooring are hard and cool. Even after the installation of the underlay, it never provides a warm and comfortable feeling.
Best In terms of Comfortability: Laminate Flooring
9. Cost
Cost is the feature that everyone looks for when buying flooring for homes or commercial areas. The cost of average quality laminate flooring starts at $1 per square foot. The thicker planks of this flooring are available at $3 to $5 per square foot.
Thinner vinyl flooring planks are available at $1 per square foot, and as the quality increases, the rates go up to $5 to $6 per square foot.
Best For Cost: Tied
Conclusion
Vinyl flooring and laminate flooring are both best for almost all places. Which flooring is best depends on the situation. If you want to install flooring in the kitchen, then vinyl is best, but if you want to install flooring in the living room, then laminate is best because vinyl is waterproof and laminate is beautiful.
