Many of us spent a year staying in our homes which has given us a much more intimate experience with our living quarters. It may be time to refresh our bathroom, living room, or kitchen! Installing a new floor is one of the quickest and most effective ways to breathe new life into your home. Some popular flooring choices are classic solid hardwood and the new luxury vinyl products. But should you pick luxury vinyl or engineered hardwood?
Vinyl flooring isn’t what it once was, and it has some eye-catching features that put it on par with traditional engineered hardwood. Read on to learn more about each of these flooring choices and how they rank in a variety of different categories.
What Is Luxury Vinyl Plank?
Before we dive into the questions of hardwood vs. luxury vinyl plank, let’s talk some about what LVP actually is. LVP is typically a wood-look waterproof flooring made of a dense rigid vinyl core. This isn’t your grandma’s peel-and-stick laminate material; quality LVP flooring can withstand hard surface impacts and is scratch resistant. It’s important to note we are talking about the solid polymer core or SPC planks. Another LVP core is a wood composite core or WPC luxury vinyl. WPC is less durable than SPC and you can find out why in our blog all about LVP flooring.
LVP’s top clear coat consists of a hardened anti-abrasive material that is called the wear layer. The wear layer of LVP can be molded to mimic the texture of real wood floors by matching every unique knots, whorls, and groove in the wood-like visual on the plank to give you the hardwood floor feel underfoot. LVP’s image layers are made to ensure the visuals of the boards use a similar natural color to real hardwood. Finally, it’s finished with a durable foam backing that gives it the stability, cushion, and breathability you need.
Most LVP floors are very dense and will resist scratches and gouges that can occur from moving furniture around your home, or just plain hard use. The wear layer on the floor that you choose for your home should be 20 mils thick to best protect it.
In some cases LVP can be installed in an outdoor space. The floating installation method make this possible.
What Are Engineered Hardwoods?
Engineered hardwood flooring is a floor that consists of alternating layers of hardwood topped with a veneer of whatever species that the consumer is looking for. Available in Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory, and Maple, among others, wood engineered to be more stable has been a great alternative to solid hardwoods for decades, as it is much less susceptible to warping or moving due to moisture. Engineered hardwood flooring is easy to install, with the most common installation methods being nail down or using adhesive, although the job of floating can be utilized on most engineered wood floors. As a general rule, floating is only used when the subfloor precludes nailing or gluing. In a floating installation it is recommended that a sound barrier be used.
Luxury Vinyl Planks vs Engineered wood Cost
Of course, one of the biggest factors homeowners look at when deciding between LVP and hardwood is the cost of each. Hardwood floors will vary in price depending on which species and finish you choose. However, you can generally expect it to run in the range of $8 to $25 per square foot. We liquidate hardwood with price ranges from $2.19 to $6 for 1st quality hardwood.
LVP, on the other hand, tends to be a good bit more affordable than its organic cousin. In general, you can expect to pay somewhere between $2 and $7 per square foot for LVP flooring. We liquidate LVP with price ranges from $1.50 to $4 for the top brands.
LVP or Engineered Hardwood Flooring For Installation Costs
Aside from the cost of the materials themselves, the other major expense when it comes to getting new flooring is the installation. Most experts recommend that you have engineered flooring professionally installed since it can be so complex to work with. However, you’re looking at roughly the same cost per square foot to have this flooring installed as to buy the flooring itself.
If you’re DIY inclined, you can choose to install your new LVP flooring yourself. Many luxury vinyl planks come with a simple click-lock installation. You can install it over a concrete or tile floor without glue, and the simplicity of the installation makes this a perfect weekend home improvement project.
And contractors love to do an installation of LVP floor in a home. Don't be afraid to ask for a better price as it is much easier and faster to install that an engineered.
Moisture Resistance
One of the major things you’ll need to consider when picking your new flooring is how much moisture it will be exposed to. For instance, you wouldn’t want to install hardwood floors in a kitchen, basement, or bathroom, if a lot of moisture can be expected. Wood expands when it gets wet, so too much moisture can cause hardwood floors to buckle and warp.
Solid Polymer Core LVP, however, is much more resistant to moisture, since it is made of vinyl, limestone, and hardened plasticizers rather than natural wood. LVP solutions are waterproof and are suitable for use in kitchens and half-baths.
Maintenance
One of the major benefits of both of these floors is that they are practically maintenance-free. Of course, you will still have to clean the floors as usual, and you need to make certain that you are using a no-rinse solution for mopping. Armstrong's Once-N-done and the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner are both tried-and-true cleaners.. But you’ll never have to worry about resealing or refinishing your LVP floors.
Environmental Impact
These days, more and more of us are turning our attention to the impact we have on our planet every day. With rainforests disappearing, many buyers may wonder if engineered hardwood floors are the most environmentally responsible choice. The truth is that in this arena, LVP flooring and hardwood actually come out roughly tied.
While hardwood floors do consume trees, this can be managed sustainably, depending on the manufacturer’s practices. LVP flooring doesn’t use trees, but its manufacturing processes can contribute to pollution if not handled properly. However, LVP floors can insulate your home more effectively, allowing you to use less energy heating and cooling your house. Effective insulation helps prevent the use of more fossil fuels.
Durability
If you have kids or pets, you’re likely already asking, “But how long will these new floors last?” Your floors need to be able to stand up to a beating, and, unfortunately, engineered hardwood doesn’t always have what it takes. Finishes can become worn out over time, develop scratches, and your floors may fade if exposed to too much direct sunlight.
In this arena, LVP floors shine, although it is important to note that they aren’t impervious to the color-fading effects of sunlight. However, LVP is all but indestructible, thanks to its hardened finish wear layers and a solid Solid Polymer Core construction. You can parade a whole soccer team of kids in cleats across it, followed by a pack of dogs, and all you’ll have left after you clean up the mud is a beautiful, shining floor.
Resale Value
Of course, when you’re investing in something as costly as a new floor, whether LVP or hardwood, you need to consider the future return on that investment. When it comes time to sell your house, how will your beautiful floors impact the price you can list for? It is true that some homeowners may value the beauty of natural engineered hardwood enough to pay more for them.
However, the tides are turning on flooring trends, and many new homeowners don’t want to deal with the maintenance requirements of engineered hardwood. Vinyl alternatives are becoming more popular, and LVP offers the best of both worlds. You might be surprised to discover that you can actually get more for LVP flooring than you could with the genuine article.
Style And Look
One of the biggest considerations of all when it comes to your new floors will of course be how it looks. No homeowner wants a floor that’s going to look cheap or worn out within a few months of installing them. In this arena, engineered hardwood and LVP once more come up tied, depending on how much work you’re willing to do.
If you maintain hardwood floors properly, they can be stunning for decades after you install them. However, thanks to some recent breakthroughs, many LVP floors carry that same beauty as real wood floors. They have the shifting, natural grain look and none of the refinishing hassle that hardwood does.
Applications
And finally, you’ll need to turn your attention to practical matters when choosing between LVP and hardwood. You need to consider where the flooring will be installed and if that application will showcase the flooring’s best qualities.
Hardwood floors can be a fantastic choice for private residence bedrooms, dining rooms, and other lower-traffic areas. However, you shouldn’t plan to install them in high-traffic areas or areas with high moisture levels.
LVP is a great selection for all the spots you want the beauty of hardwood and the durability of vinyl. It can be used in residential or commercial applications and even in areas with a lot of foot traffic and moisture.
Discover the Benefits of LVP Flooring
When you’re deciding on what sort of new flooring you want, you may find yourself debating the title fight winner of luxury vinyl plank as compared to engineered hardwood. LVP today can be as beautiful as engineered wood with much higher durability ratings, and you can use it anywhere, even in baths and kitchens.
If you’d like to discover the benefits of LVP flooring for yourself, check out the rest of our site at Really Cheap Floors. We have amazing hardwood products and great service at a price you can afford. Shop our LVP flooring options today and discover inexpensive flooring options that will make you happy for years to come.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring Options
Engineered hardwood flooring is available in almost as many different colors, species, widths and grades as you can envision. Where LVP is commonly seen in two or three widths, engineered hardwood is available from a 2 1/4" strip up to wide planks of 12 inches or more! Wood engineered to resist problems from moisture and direct sunlight can perform as well as the vinyl options, which allows you more installation choices.
Be sure to explore our collection of flooring products, including our special warehouse sale deals we offer each month.
