Laminate and Vinyl are incredibly alike and are both imitations of wood flooring. The main differences don’t automatically jump out at you as they are incredibly subtle. In this blog post, we’re going to show you how they differ, but also show you their benefits, and areas that they are not so strong.
First, we’re going to look at what they are:
Laminate
Laminate is made out of High-Density Fibreboards (HDF), small pieces of pulp that have been compressed together to create a wood-like imitation. It also comes with an incredibly easy installation system called click-loc, which as the name suggests simply clicks into place. It’s fast and quick to install, and very easy to do yourself. Laminate flooring is also incredibly durable and has great scratch resistance due to its tough outer layer.
One of the downsides of laminate is the fact that you can’t recoat it if damage occurs, so it would need replacing however if only a small area is damaged individual tiles can be replaced. It’s also not very waterproof, so it’s best not fitted in areas that are exposed to high levels of moisture such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Vinyl Tiles
Vinyl tiles are made predominantly from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), one of the most durable constructions on the market. One of the major benefits of PVC is the fact it’s so soft underfoot. Vinyl is very long lasting, and very strong under high levels of footfall and heavy traffic areas. It’s installed using a glued process, normally more popular amongst fitters and quite difficult to do yourself.
Vinyl is incredibly water resistant so is perfect to be fitted in bathroom and kitchen areas. It can also easily be recoated or refinished if damage occurs. It is the best alternative to hardwood flooring and is a slightly cheaper option if you’re on a tighter budget.
The difference
The major difference is the water resistance and installation, but also the price. Laminate flooring is one of the cheapest around, far cheaper than hardwood and vinyl so is incredibly cost effective and cheap to fit. It also has the easiest installation process and isn’t time-consuming at all.
Despite all this, vinyl just takes the competition. Although laminate is more time and cost effective, vinyl is technically better due to its far better durability and it is about as close to wood flooring as you’ll get without actually buying wood flooring.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you to decipher the difference between laminate and vinyl tiles, it is ultimately down to personal preference when making your decision, so best of luck!
What do you think of this guide? Did you know the difference between both of them? Which one do you prefer the most?
*Disclosure: Collaborative Post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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we are actually considering switching from laminate to vinyl in the living room and hallway of our flat as the laminate is scratched to bits from animals