Wanting floors that are durable, attractive and affordable is not unreasonable. Going a step further, you might also want home floor coverings you can easily install yourself. Vinyl and laminate are two types of flooring options that have all these traits, and then some. Both are good choices for homes, but which flooring is the better choice for you?
For starters, both vinyl and laminate are synthetic materials. They look similar at a distance, and both are relatively affordable. The key to choosing the right one for your home is to understand what each brings to the table. If you want solid information about using these types of materials in your home, plan a visit to a local flooring store in Canton, OH. For now, we’d like to share with you a list of the top differences between vinyl flooring and laminate flooring.
Composition
Unless you already know how to tell vinyl floors from laminate floors, they will likely look the same at first glance. Let’s take a look how they are different in their composition:
- Vinyl: It is not unusual to come across vinyl flooring that’s 100 percent synthetic material. Both standard sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl tiles and planks have base layers made of fiberglass coated in PVC vinyl and a plasticizer. The sheet is printed and embossed with a surface print, then layered with no-wax polyurethane. Vinyl plank flooring cores are a thicker, multiple layer PVC vinyl.
- Laminate: This type of flooring is similar to luxury vinyl planks in appearance. The main difference is that its core is made from wood byproducts bonded with resins. Laminate flooring has a hard-top surface, and a transparent plastic wear layer covering the printed surface design.
Appearance
When you walk into a vinyl and laminate flooring store in Canton, OH, you will notice that both materials are comparable in appearance—especially the higher-quality laminate and luxury vinyl. Both vinyl and laminate flooring materials can be manufactured to resemble other materials, like stone, wood and ceramic tile. If you desire the look of hand-scraped hardwood without the high price tag, either one can come with deep and realistic three-dimensional embossing on the surface.
Water and moisture
Some rooms in your home might benefit from a water-resistant flooring material, while it doesn’t matter as much in other spaces. Here’s a comparison between the two materials:
- Vinyl: Vinyl flooring is waterproof. It is usually made with 100 percent waterproof materials, which makes it ideal for bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements and other areas of your house where moisture might be an issue. Any vinyl with fabric or felt backing is not waterproof.
- Laminate: Nearly all laminate flooring uses a fiberboard core made of wood that will soften and swell if exposed to water. A moistened fiberboard core will not go back to its original form after it’s dried, and neither will a design layer that’s become waterlogged.
If you are looking for a reputable flooring store in Canton, OH for cleaning, installation or repair services, look no further than Carpet Restorations Plus. Reach out to us today to learn more!