Is It Possible To Repair A Scratch In Vinyl Plank Flooring

Dog laying on laminate floor Train arrival / stock.adobe.com

When choosing affordable and durable countertops, both laminate and vinyl are great choices. However, in that location are a few key differences between these materials. Luxury vinyl products are waterproof and reasonably tough, while laminate planks are slightly cheaper and easier to care for.

On This Folio:

What'due south the Difference Between Laminate and Vinyl Flooring?
Laminate vs. Vinyl Flooring: Which Is Better?

Appearance
Cost
Care
Durability
Installation
Wet Resistance
Repair
Environmental Impact
Pets
Radiant Heating
Resale Value

Laminate vs. Vinyl Flooring: Which Is Best for Your Home?
Laminate vs. Vinyl vs. Other Materials
Top Engineered Hardwood and Laminate Flooring Brands

What's the Difference Betwixt Laminate and Vinyl Floor?

Person installing laminate flooring at home StockPhotoVideo / stock.adobe.com

Both vinyl and laminate are composites that share many similarities. Notwithstanding, there are a few important differences. Notably, laminate utilizes more natural products than vinyl and tends to exist slightly more durable, while laminate is more affordable and easy to maintain.

Laminate Floor

Laminate flooring consists of a h2o-resistant base layer and a multi-layer cadre of loftier-density fiberboard. The core is oft entirely synthetic, just it may also consist, at least in part, of woods waste matter, helping to reduce its environmental bear upon. The next layer is a photographic print, with various designs bachelor, including designs that mimic materials like stone, wood and tile. The terminal layer is a coat of resin on top of the print. To install laminate flooring, yous can gum information technology to a subfloor, float information technology or smash or glue information technology down.

Vinyl Flooring

Luxury vinyl is entirely constructed, consisting of multiple layers of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. It has a tough urethane topcoat that acts equally a clothing layer. Vinyl is suitable for snap-and-click, peel-and-stick, mucilage-downwards, and floating installations.

Luxury Vinyl Plank, or LVP, is the material of option for those wanting to mimic natural forest floors on a tight upkeep. They're available in smooth or textured options to look more than realistic. Luxury Vinyl Tile, or LVT, does a better job of resembling a wider range of materials, specially natural stones and physical. The tiles come in a greater option of widths and sizes, so joints are less frequent and not as obvious.

Laminate vs. Vinyl Floor: Which Is Better?

Person installing vinyl flooring at home Kadmy / stock.adobe.com

Laminate and vinyl flooring share many similarities, including when it comes to installation method, price and appearance. They're both solid choices for affordable flooring throughout your home.

Appearance

Both laminate and vinyl flooring have similar appearances. Homeowners can customize the elevation layer of laminate floor to draw whatsoever type of material, and there are dissimilar textures available to provide traction and a more natural-looking terminate. However, laminate floor often nevertheless looks synthetic due to the unnatural shine of the material and the photographic print.

Vinyl flooring too comes in a wide variety of textures and can mimic any material, including forest or rock. Similar laminate flooring, vinyl flooring often looks synthetic when compared with more natural materials.

Price

Laminate floor costs an boilerplate of $1 to $v per square human foot, non including installation, while vinyl floor costs nigh $3 to $7 per square human foot.

Intendance

Laminate flooring tends to be slightly easier to clean. It doesn't trap dust and clay, and general daily cleaning with a broom or vacuum is fast and like shooting fish in a barrel. Commercial cleaning sprays are a simple solution for deep cleans. However, you should keep in mind that backlog moisture can seep betwixt cracks and cause impairment underneath.

Vinyl flooring is also pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to clean. Information technology typically only requires sweeping and vacuuming for general tidiness, and is like shooting fish in a barrel to deep make clean with a cleaning spray. Unlike laminate flooring, notwithstanding, vinyl flooring can sometimes trap dust and clay.

Immovability

Both vinyl and laminate flooring are extremely durable. Laminate ordinarily lasts for upward to 20 years, while vinyl flooring typically comes with a 15+ year warranty. However, you tin't refinish or reseal laminate, while y'all can add actress layers of urethane to vinyl flooring to extend its life.

Installation

Laminate and vinyl flooring are both relatively piece of cake to install. Nonetheless, unless you take acceptable feel and knowledge, it'south usually a good thought to use a flooring professional person for the best possible results. Laminate flooring can lay over an existing flooring and uses a foam underlayment to add insulation and control dissonance. Vinyl flooring tin can float over an existing flooring without nails and glue or attach straight to a subfloor.

Moisture Resistance

Laminate flooring is the better choice for moisture resistance. This type of floor is 100% waterproof and is however safe and usable if submerged. Laminate floor can offer moderate wet resistance with proper installation and a vapor barrier, simply it'south not 100% waterproof.

Repair

Both vinyl and laminate flooring are like shooting fish in a barrel to repair. While laminate flooring is fast and adequately easy to remove for replacement, it'southward impossible to repair information technology. Yous can extend the life of your vinyl flooring by applying extra layers of urethane, just you tin can't sand or refinish this type of floor.

Environmental Impact

Laminate flooring has the edge when it comes to overall ecology impact. Laminate reuses some woods byproducts, and some brands also use recycled materials. However, laminate flooring does emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds), while vinyl flooring does non.

Pets

Vinyl flooring is a good selection for homes with pets. Vinyl is 100% waterproof, scratch-resistant and easy to clean. That said, laminate isn't a bad pick for your furry friends. While not completely waterproof, the material is water- and scratch-resistant, and dander and pet hair are easy to sweep.

Radiant Heating

Vinyl flooring is a meliorate selection if you program to install radiant heat. While non all types of vinyl are compatible, vinyl efficiently conducts heat, which can assistance to make sure your floor is toasty in the winter. Only specialized laminate is suitable for use with radiant heat systems, and laminate is not an effective conductor.

Resale Value

Laminate and vinyl both have negligible effects on the resale value of your home. Loftier-quality laminate flooring tin increment property value slightly, merely neither laminate nor vinyl has a especially good reputation when compared with other materials, like hardwood or stone.

Laminate vs. Vinyl Flooring: Which Is Best for Your Habitation?

Depending on what area you're because, vinyl or laminate flooring may be a better option.

Which Is All-time for Bathrooms?

Vinyl is a great option for your bath since it'south waterproof and slip-resistant. High-quality, textured luxury vinyl is a good pick. Since it'southward 100% plastic, information technology doesn't incur h2o impairment and is easy to clean.

Which Is Best for Kitchens?

Vinyl is also good for kitchen flooring. Wet resistance is a key factor in the kitchen likewise, and then when information technology comes to laminate vs. vinyl for the best kitchen floor material, luxury vinyl wins.

Which Is Best for Living Rooms?

Vinyl and laminate are both good choices for living room floors. These materials are cost-effective and come in a broad variety of styles and colour options.

Which Is All-time for High-Traffic Areas?

Vinyl tends to last longer In high-traffic areas. This is because you can add together actress urethane layers to increase durability, which you lot tin't do with laminate.

Laminate vs. Vinyl vs. Other Materials

Laminate and vinyl are both pop, affordable flooring products, but they're not the only types of flooring fabric y'all should consider. Other popular options include linoleum and wood.

Linoleum Floors

Linoleum is often dislocated with vinyl, but linoleum is a natural composite made from linseed oil, sawdust, cork powder and ground stone. It's recyclable and often contains recycled materials, so it's a reliable, affordable, environmentally-friendly pick. Information technology's similarly priced to vinyl and laminate and has a loftier tolerance for moisture, so information technology's a great choice for kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms. It works well in high-traffic areas, homes with pets and kids, requires minimal maintenance and is easy to clean.

Wood Floors

Hardwood and engineered woods floors are more expensive than laminate and vinyl, but they have a much longer lifespan and an aesthetic entreatment. You can refinish these floors multiple times, and forest floors typically give a home a college resale value.

Top Engineered Hardwood and Laminate Flooring Brands

Some of the most pop hardwood and laminate floor brands include:

Elevation Laminate Brands	Meridian Vinyl Flooring Brands
Shaw®	Shaw®
Acme®	Armstrong®
Armstrong®	Mannington®
Pergo®	Karndean®
Bruce®	Lumber Liquidators®
Mohawk®	Harbinger®