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Which Is More Suitable For You: Laminate or Vinyl Flooring?

Though similar in many aspects: durable, budget-friendly, and excellent DIY installation, vinyl and laminate still have some distinct differences you should know before making a final choice. This article will help you through the process with a complete showdown.

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About Components

Both vinyl and laminate are synthetic layered products that contain a minimum of four layers: a transparent wear layer to protect and provide durability, a high-definition photographic image layer that mimics natural woods or stones. Next is the core layer, which contributes primarily to the structure, made of polymer in the case of vinyl and wood byproducts for laminate. The bottom layer is usually a soft foam or backer paper layer. While vinyl is 100% plastic and therefore waterproof, laminate is mostly high-density fiberboard made from wood, so not great with water.

About Look 

Both offer serious options for choosing from natural wood to stone flooring appearances. However, laminate seriously leads the game with practically limitless colors and patterns: multi-tonal, hand-scraped, rustic, whitewash, natural finish, multi-length, and so much more. For vinyl, only for high-end products that you have the same freedom; for older and somewhat economical ranges, the image layer is printed using the rotogravure process, which means the look could be less realistic.

About Maintenance

Laminate and vinyl flooring are simple to maintain. All you need is daily sweeping with a soft broom, dust mop or vacuum. For deeper cleaning, damp mops for Laminate floors and mild detergent are all it takes to have a spotless floor. The real difference is with wet mopping. When your floor is neglected for too long and becomes filthy with all the buildup, it may be practical to use excessive water and soap to clean a vinyl one but not a laminate. Prolonged sitting water will seep through seams and cracks, swell the interior of laminate floors and cause irreversible damage.

About Lifespan

Both are pretty durable when used correctly. You can easily see a 15 to 20 years lifespan. However, poorly maintained laminate floors will be worn out much faster.

About Installation

-Vinyl floors can be installed using adhesive or not. The glue option is usually for vinyl sheets and tiles. You can either use liquid adhesive or choose self-stick backing. Vinyl planks, on the other hand, can stick together by an interlocking system and be loose-laid on the subfloor.

-Laminate floors only have a "floating" option, meaning no need for adhesive. The planks attach side by side. The weight of the whole floor keeps it from shifting.

If you don't have experience, installation without glue is more suitable for DIY projects since gluing your floor can be trickier to do it right and aesthetically.

About Environment

According to TheKingLive, while soaked in water, vinyl still retains its shape and appearance after drying out. The same thing can not be said about laminate. With its wood-based core, laminate will absorb water and irreversibly deform. On the contrary, with its 100% plastic, vinyl can not withstand heat. Laminate, though, does not have this problem. 

In general, vinyl and laminate flooring are both excellent choices. But if the moisture is what you are concerned about, then vinyl is a better option. Otherwise, laminate floors offer a more excellent range of styles and textures.

Check My Source:

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