Hardwood, laminate, and vinyl are all popular flooring options, with each coming with unique features, advantages, and disadvantages. Choosing between the three options can prove daunting, especially for first-timers who know little about the products. So what are some of the main features of hardwood, laminate, and vinyl?
Hardwood is known for its prestige, attractive appearance, and durability. Although cheaper than hardwood, laminate is a lot easier to clean and maintain, and is resistant to both water and moisture. Vinyl is also a lot more affordable than hardwood, is easy to maintain and highly water-resistant.
Curious to learn more about how hardwood, laminate, and vinyl compare? If so, then you couldn’t be in a better place. Read on for an in-depth examination and comparison of the three types of flooring.
Hardwood Flooring: A Basic Overview
Despite its high initial costs, hardwood is among the best flooring materials when it comes to durability. The wood used is usually thick and can be sanded many times to achieve a new refinished look. And while hardwood is known for its durability and elegant appearance, it isn’t suitable for below-grade floors and basements as it’s susceptible to humidity changes.
You can choose to use either prefinished or finished hardwood, depending on how you want to decorate your interior. Unfinished hardwood usually works better if you have a specific custom stain that you’d want to be applied. This type of hardwood flooring is usually coated severally (for protection) after the installation and staining is done.
On the other hand, finished hardwood comes sanded and sealed from the factory, allowing for a fast installation job. Hardwood is versatile, usually ¾-inch (1.9cm), and can match with any decor, whether traditional, country, or contemporary.
Advantages of Hardwood Floors
Contractors have been installing hardwood floors in buildings since the days they were cutting logs with sharpened flint. Hardwood floors have been around since prehistoric times for a reason. Even today hardwood floors offer homeowners many advantages.
Variety
Hardwood is a highly versatile type of flooring that’s available in a wide array of colors and styles. Not only can you choose from a variety of hardwoods, but you can also apply different colors and strains to give the wood floor a unique type of appearance that suits your home’s theme.
Moreover, hardwood can also be arranged in different styles and formations to give your floor that stand-out look. You can also combine hardwoods of different thickness profiles to suit your decor preferences. Some of the commonly used types of hardwoods include:
- Oak
- Cherry
- Walnut
- Mahogany
- Hickory
- Teak
- Tigerwood
- Cypress
- Brazilian Cherry
Durability
Vinyl flooring, carpets, and laminate floorings will need replacements after years of use (depending on where installed). However, that is not the case with hardwood floors, as they’re usually designed to last a lifetime. The thickness of hardwood floors gives them an edge over other types of flooring, especially since wood flooring tends to become better with age.
To keep your hardwood floors looking neat and attractive, all you’ll need to do is re-sand and apply a different kind of finish for a new look. The durability and ability to re-sand and refinish hardwood floors plays a huge role in their high costs. This is because, if well maintained, hardwood can provide service for a lifetime!
Ease of Maintenance
Hardwood is among the easiest types of flooring to maintain. All you’ll need to do is vacuum, mop (with a damp mopper), or sweep your floors whenever dirt builds up. Unlike other types of wood veneers that tend to attract dust, dirt, and debris, hardwood doesn’t pick up dirt easily, making it a great fit for busy households.
And although hardwood floors are water-resistant to some extent, caution must be taken to prevent the spills from soaking the floor. However, your floor will remain solid and good as new if you clean spills and messes whenever they occur.
Hardwood Is Hypoallergenic
Most homeowners prefer hardwood due to its hypoallergenic properties. The surface of wooden floors doesn’t allow for the breeding of parasites like dust mites and fleas. It’s also hard for hardwood to attract molds, animal dander, and other types of allergens, ensuring your family stays safe and protected, especially during windy seasons.
Hardwood Improves the Value of Your Home
While the initial cost of installing hardwood can be high, the investment is usually worth it since the floors are durable and can easily be resanded and refinished for a new look. And since hardwood tends to increase in worth as it ages, the value of your home will continue improving over the years.
Disadvantages of Hardwood
For all the benefits hardwood floors can offer, installing hardwood floors means dealing with several problems. Hardwood floors can be expensive, cannot be installed in all locations, and are prone to certain types of damage. Here are some of the issues you may encounter if you decide to go with hardwood floors.
Cost
It’s no secret that solid wood floors tend to cost more than other types of flooring. And although they will be cost-effective in the long term, you’ll still need to part with a considerable amount of cash to buy and install hardwood floors. The overall cost of maintaining hardwood floors can also be high due to the need for regular re-sanding and refinishing.
Not Ideal for All Locations
Perhaps one of the greatest disadvantages of hardwood floors is their limited usage. This is because hardwood can’t be kept in areas prone to spills and standing liquids like kitchens and bathrooms. And although wood is resistant to fluids to some extent, it cannot withstand excessive humidity or a pool of water for long.
Potentially Noisy
Unfortunately, hardwood isn’t a good sound absorber like carpets and other types of floors. This explains why hardwood is rarely used in busy offices or food joints. Installing hardwood in the kitchen area can also lead to excess noise. As a result, rugs are often used to muffle sound and other types of noises like footsteps when dealing with hardwood.
Prone to Scratching, Crowning, and Cupping
Despite being one of the most durable flooring options, wood flooring is prone to scratches and dents, hence the need for adequate care. Hardwood isn’t good at hiding blemishes, but can be sanded and refinished when the need arises.
Hardwood is also prone to cupping when it expands as a result of excess moisture content. This highlights the importance of wiping spills immediately they occur. Another potential issue that arises with hardwood is crowning, which is where the center of the board raises higher than its edges.
Laminate Flooring: A Basic Overview
Laminate is widely viewed to be the cheaper alternative to real wood. Since its introduction in the mid 20th century, laminate has become increasingly popular, with manufacturers coming up with a wide variety of styles to mimic a variety of wood and stone types.
You can find different types of wood species from hickory, tigerwood, oak, and a host of others when buying laminate floors. This is because manufacturers are constantly in pursuit of new designs, which gives you a wide variety of options to choose from.
Unlike hardwood that is made entirely from real wood, laminate uses a vividly realistic, high-resolution image to mimic the appearance of other items like wood, tile, metal, and tiles. The image is then printed and professionally glued to a treated fiberboard before being sealed by a clear, scratch, and water-resistant top layer.
Advantages of Laminate
Today many homeowners are choosing laminate flooring over hardwood. Even if they can afford hardwood floors, they prefer the convenience and cleaning ease which comes with laminate flooring. Here are some of the advantages of laminate:
Wide Variety of Options
As explained above, laminate floors are designed to mimic either wood, stone, or metal, making it among the most versatile flooring options. You can choose laminate in various colors, widths, and lengths, which allows you to match your floors with your home’s primary theme.
And although the imitation of laminate isn’t always perfect, it can allow you to play around with different designs and concepts.
Affordable
Laminate is a favorite for most homeowners due to its affordability. Its prices tend to differ depending on quality and durability, making it easy to find products that suit your budget. Additionally, laminate allows you to mimic potentially costly designs like hardwood without breaking the bank.
Unlike solid wood floors, laminate is easy to install, making it a great fit for DIY enthusiasts. Even first-time homeowners can easily install laminate floors without the need for professional assistance. Moreover, laminate floors don’t require regular maintenance as they can’t be sanded or refinished, which lowers overall maintenance costs.
Easy to Clean
Unlike hardwood that’s highly sensitive to water, laminate has a waterproof outer layer that protects the internal layers from absorbing water and moisture. This allows you to clean using water and laminate-friendly products like the high-quality Black Diamond Cleaner from Amazon.
You can also sweep or mop the floors when the need arises. However, despite being water-resistant to some extent, it’s best to clean up spills as fast as possible to prolong the useful life of your laminate flooring.
Durable
Although not timeless like hardwood, laminate flooring is also durable, especially if well maintained. Most top-quality laminate products are fade, moisture, scratch, and stain-resistant, features that enhance their durability even in households with children and pets. Laminate can serve you for years and can even be recycled and used to perform other functions.
Smooth Installation Process
Laminate flooring usually comes as tiles or planks designed to snap during installation. As a result, you won’t need to use nails or potentially harmful glues (VOC-releasing). Additionally, the laminate construction also adds to the stability of the pieces, ensuring the seams don’t open up even with fluctuating humidity levels.
Laminate is also installed above a cushion underlayment (thin foam) that allows for installations over existing flooring, except carpet. This makes the installation process a lot easier, especially for relatively green first-timers.
Consider trying out products like the FloorMuffler Underlayment from Amazon that provides acoustic protection and superior moisture control for increased durability.
Disadvantages of Laminate
Laminate flooring is convenient, easy to install, and requires less maintenance than hardwood flooring. But though laminate may look like wood, stone, or metal some people find it is no substitute for the real thing.
Here are several disadvantages you should consider before committing to a laminate floor.
Laminate Is an Imitation
Although aesthetically appealing and designed to look like real wood, stone, or metal, laminate will remain an imitation that lacks the key features of the original products. Therefore, unlike hardwood that gains value with age, laminate won’t add any distinct value to your property.
Laminate Cannot Be Refinished or Resanded
Unfortunately, you cannot refinish or resand laminate like hardwood. Once your laminate floors start to wear out, you’ll need to replace the worn-out plank or the entire system. This can prove costly, especially if you have to replace your floor system every now and then due to poor maintenance.
Water Resistant but Not Waterproof
Although water-resistant to some extent, laminate flooring isn’t 100% waterproof. Excessive exposure to water will be enough to warp some planks or even damage the entire floor system. As a result, it is advisable to clean up spills and avoid installing laminate in excessively wet areas like bathrooms.
Incorrect Installation Can Prove Problematic
Despite laminate’s reputation as an easy-to-install type of flooring, there is still need to take adequate care during installation. Failure to allow laminate planks to acclimate to your home’s condition can lead to warping down the road.
Vinyl Flooring: A Basic Overview
Vinyl has become increasingly popular over the years, with most homeowners citing affordability, water resistance, and durability as the main benefits of the engineered floor. A vinyl plank flooring usually comes in three main layers, the base (core) layer, the design (pattern) layer, and the surface (protective layer).
Some premium vinyl floors come with extra layers that either make the underfoot feel more comfortable or improve the floor’s soundproofing profiles. Like laminate, vinyl floors also come in various styles to mimic stones, hardwood, and many other designs.
Advantages of Vinyl
Vinyl’s water resistance makes it an obvious choice for bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and other areas which might frequently get wet. But vinyl flooring also offers some advantages in other areas as well.
Easy to Install
Although initially available in large sheets, vinyl has become more installation-friendly, courtesy of its plank (or tiles) design. Most modern brands have developed self-adhesive vinyl that’s easy to install once pressed on a well-prepared subfloor.
Before gluing down your vinyl sheets, it’s best to ensure the subfloor is even and without any debris or dirt. You can also buy click-together vinyl sheets if you prefer them over glue-down options.
Affordable
Unlike hardwood that will set you back a significant amount of cash, vinyl is a lot cheaper and economical both in the short term and in the long run. Vinyl doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and is fairly easy to clean, allowing you to save on potential sanding and refinishing costs.
Available in a Wide Variety of Patterns
Vinyl comes in a wide range of beautiful designs and patterns to suit your unique preferences. Whether wood, stone, or marble designs, you can find a host of different effects, which in turn gives you more control when designing your home or office.
However, when choosing vinyl, it’s best to go for high-quality options that are uniquely constructed to mimic the appearance and feel of wood, stone, or tiles. You should also ensure the vinyl sheet or plank you choose is made from materials that don’t emit volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Water and Scratch Resistant
Vinyl floors have impressive water-resistance ratings as they’re made from plastic. In fact, vinyl is among the few flooring types that can be used in bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas that get wet without the risk of warping or mold.
However, despite being more resistant to water than hardwood and laminate, it’s still advisable to dry the water or clear pet messes as early as possible to prevent premature wear and tear. Vinyl plank flooring is also resistant to scratches, making it a great alternative to hardwood.
Shock Absorbent and Comfortable
Vinyl is a comfortable flooring option as it is compatible with various underlayments that will help absorb noises while also enhancing comfort. Unlike most other engineered floors, vinyl can take some rough treatment, making it a great option for households with pets and children.
Disadvantages of Vinyl
If you are intrigued by the many possibilities of vinyl flooring, here are some vinyl flooring drawbacks. Vinyl can be easier to install than remove and is susceptible to dents. The cheapest vinyl flooring products may also off-gas toxic fumes into your home.
Some Vinyl Planks Can Emit VOCs
Unfortunately, since Vinyl planks are made from plastic, they are notorious for emitting VOCs, more specifically the low-end products. And although most other engineered floors emit VOCs as well, the compounds are commonly found in cheaply produced plastics. As a result, it is advisable to check on product ratings to ensure you get vinyl with as little VOC as possible.
Susceptible to Dents
Although durable, vinyl is highly susceptible to dent, especially when poorly handled. Vinyl floors can take a considerable amount of beating and mistreatment from pets and children. However, the problem arises when sharp, heavy objects fall on the plastic-inspired flooring. Once dented, vinyl planks become unattractive, thereby forcing you to make replacements,
Hard to Remove
Glue-down vinyl planks can prove difficult to remove for both first-timers and experienced homeowners. This is because you can easily damage the neighboring planks or even the underlayment when looking to remove the damaged planks. Snap-together planks can also be hard to remove, especially since you might need to remove all interconnected planks.
Hardwood vs. Laminate vs. Vinyl: Which Is Better?
There is no better option between hardwood, laminate, and vinyl as they are all suitable for different purposes. For instance, hardwood is a great option if you don’t mind the high initial costs and regular sanding and refinishing (depending on the degree of wear).
Laminate has good water resistance properties and is also durable, provided it’s well-maintained. Some people also prefer laminate for its ease of installation, which allows first-timers to eliminate installation costs.
Vinyl is also durable like laminate and can take a good beating from kids during play and excited pets. Additionally, vinyl is also renowned for its water-resistant properties, making it among the best floors for bathroom and kitchen areas.
If you want to know which flooring material is a better insulator, make sure you read this article.
Final Takeaway
Hardwood, laminate, and vinyl floors come with their benefits and disadvantages. Of the three flooring options, hardwood is the most durable as it can last for decades without the need for replacement. With hardwood, however, you’ll need to re-sand and refinish the planks to keep the floor looking rich, neat, and classy.
Laminate and vinyl are also great alternatives to hardwood. Not only are they cheaper, but they’re also a lot more resistant to water than hardwood. But despite their apparent differences, hardwood, vinyl, and laminate require proper maintenance to serve you for long enough.
