Look for high-pressure laminate flooring. If you want laminate but live in an area that experiences high levels of humidity, don’t despair. In most climates, you’re unlikely to have any difficulties if you use it in living rooms, dining rooms or bedrooms. And because the core of the product here contains wood, that can cause damage.įor that reason, it’s best to keep laminate to rooms that are unlikely to be troubled by much moisture. As with vinyl planks, there will be small gaps between the strips of flooring that can let in water. Laminate, on the other hand, is more vulnerable to moisture. That makes vinyl a great choice for more damp or humid areas, like bathrooms, kitchens or utility rooms. So your floor will remain solid, even if some moisture gets underneath. Because the planks are made of vinyl they won’t degrade. The good news, though, is that it will do very little damage when it does. But if the water stays on the surface for any length of time, it can seep through. As long as they’re properly installed, those gaps should be pretty small. Vinyl planks, on the other hand, will have some gaps between them. That means there won’t be any gaps for water to seep into. Not only is the material itself impermeable to water, but it also usually covers the floor in a single piece. Vinyl sheet flooring won’t let in water at all. The key difference is their permeability to water. And that means they’re suited to different locations. While laminate and vinyl flooring share many similarities, they are fundamentally different products. Laminate or vinyl options will give you the look whilst requiring far less maintenance. Both vinyl and laminate flooring eliminate these problems.Īnd wooden floors require regular upkeep to keep them looking at their best. And unless you have underfloor heating, they can be extremely cold too. Real stone floors look beautiful, but they’re very hard – plates or glassware won’t survive a fall. That can, of course, offer some advantages. And the protective coating means they will feel quite different from those materials too. Get up close, though, and you’ll see the difference from the natural product. Whether you’re looking for a floor to mimic stone paving, rustic floorboards, or ceramic tiles, either laminate or vinyl can be convincing. And both have a protective coating on top. Both rely on high-quality printing techniques to give the look of different surfaces. When it comes to the appearance of your flooring, it’s hard to tell the difference between laminate and vinyl. Like vinyl planks, laminate flooring usually has a tongue and groove structure for easier installation. And like vinyl flooring, a plastic layer goes on top to prevent the design from wearing away. This is then printed with a design to look like real wood. The core is made from wood by-products – sawdust, in other words – which is bonded together with resin. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, does contain some wood. One or two layers of polyurethane go on top to protect the design from wear and tear. The planks are made of a thicker version printed with a design, usually mimicking wood. It’s this kind of vinyl flooring that we’ll be comparing with laminate here. These usually lock together with a tongue and groove system. This is much thicker than tiles or sheet vinyl, and it comes in long strips. This is most often printed with a design to resemble materials most commonly found in tile form – ceramic and stone.īut the kind of vinyl flooring that’s most similar to laminate is vinyl plank flooring. Other vinyl flooring comes in the form of tiles. In many cases, you’ll be able to cover your floor with a single piece.

The first thing to note is that there are lots of different kinds of vinyl flooring.

Linoleum vs vinyl vs laminate flooring