What is the Difference Between Vinyl and Laminate Flooring?

ProSource Wholesale | 9/12/2024

Newly-laid laminate herringbone flooring is shown in a homeowner’s living room, providing durability and protection against all of life’s elements.

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Tricks of the Trade is an article series dedicated to providing answers to commonly asked questions. The interviews are conducted with ProSource Wholesale^® trade professional members, looking to offer their insights and experience to these thoughts that arise during the building or remodeling process.

Jason Ramsay is a tile and flooring Contractor/flooring inspector for California Flooring Services and an installer member at ProSource of Orange County (CA).

Homeowners often don’t know the difference between laminate and vinyl because of the advanced features that both types of flooring offer. While they may seem similar to someone looking to replace their floors, there is more to them than just comparable stains and colors. It is up to the expert account managers at ProSource to help homeowners navigate the flooring differences to make the best decision for their household and lifestyle.

Dissecting the Construction of Vinyl and Laminate

What goes into the differences between laminate and vinyl starts with understanding the variances in their construction. Laminate is basically a compressed, high-density fiberboard, making it tangentially in the wood family.

When it comes to luxury vinyl and stone polymer composites (SPC), they’re more like polyvinyl chlorides (PVC) and limestone powder with a mixture of polymers as well. The chemical composition definitely plays a factor in how it’s built and what can negatively affect it.

The PVC within vinyl is not immune to moisture vapors coming up from the concrete, which can enter in the sides of these products where permissible. This moisture can deform vinyl and cause dimensional instability that can show up in the forms of cupping or warping.

Laminate doesn’t necessarily have that issue, but it does have a moisture-related hindrance that can be caused by placement, especially in bathrooms. No home can police and control all the water that comes out of a bathtub, and when laminate is placed against the curb of a shower or tub, that’s the first place that takes abuse and eventually gets compromised.

These issues don’t tell the full story of what vinyl and laminate can offer the home, but it is important to consider these issues before selecting them at your local ProSource showroom.

Selecting the Floor Right for the Home

ProSource account managers take pride in fully educating customers about the flooring they are considering. They are trained with an in-depth understanding of the flooring types and their applications.

They know how a potential flooring choice could meet, or not meet, the needs of a client and how their lifestyle, age, and other factors can help shape that decision. Maybe they don’t need an SPC or a luxury vinyl with all the waterproof features that someone who owns a pool could require near their backdoor. Maybe they just need a nice laminate floor that’s going to last for the rest of their life, as opposed to hardwood.

That decision requires a consideration of floor traffic. The number one enemy of any floor is shoes and their impact on high-traffic areas. Many parts of the world do not wear shoes in the home. Shoes bring in dirt, grime, rocks, and a whole bunch of germs and bacteria, and combatting these elements will be a full-time job whether you choose laminate or vinyl. No one is going to get longevity out of any floor choice, while wearing shoes indoors all the time.

That type of behavior is going to make the wear layer of the floor deteriorate. Depending on the flooring choice, that could be anything from aluminum oxide, a polyurethane finish, or a diamond coating. Many of my clients are utilizing laminate and its ability to stand up to the wear that the room demands throughout multiple rooms, blending their flooring designs. This approach can be ideal for families looking for durability, from the mudroom, into the kitchen and throughout the living room.

If the homeowner wants to extend the same flooring choice across multiple rooms, they need to consider the moisture areas and temperature issues of each space and how that may affect the flooring choice. Whether it’s uncontrolled splashing or a space that can have high humidity in the summer without a ton of ventilation or exhaust, the floors can be adversely affected. The same goes for sunlight, as high temperatures with significant window exposure can discolor, warp, buckle, and cup flooring over time.

What’s Next for Vinyl and Laminate Flooring?

While laminate and vinyl provide a stylish and long-lasting option for areas across the home, they both are part of an expanding industry that continues to improve its technology as the years go by.

Vinyl manufacturers will likely experiment with different cores, like mineral core, to make it heavier, adding durability to vinyl floors and making them last longer. Laminate continues to be an option that promotes sustainability, offering homeowners the ability to choose a floor that reflects their values.

Both vinyl and laminate flooring are elevating homes across the country with their styles, colors, textures, and design capabilities. Designers and homeowners alike can envision how these flooring options can bring a room together, while still protecting it from all that life has in store.

Clients appreciate the style and durability of luxury vinyl planks in their home, while enjoying the waterproof features that the flooring choice can entail.

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