While not having resale value approaching solid or engineered wood flooring, laminate does have moderately good value and usually will not put off home buyers. Still, as noted earlier, buyers may expect-or excuse-vinyl flooring in the bathroom but will cast a more critical eye on a living room floored with vinyl, even nice vinyl plank. Looks and Resale Valueįormerly anathema to a good house sale, vinyl flooring's stature has been creeping upward in recent years, especially with the introduction of luxury vinyl flooring (LVF). Laminate flooring will always be thicker by virtue of its pressed-board wood core. But this is the nature of the two products. Ranging from 1.5 mm to 5 mm, vinyl flooring is decidedly thinner than laminate's 6 mm to 12 mm. Laminate must be cut with a hand saw, circular saw, or table saw fitted with an ultra-fine blade or a conventional blade installed backwards. Laminate requires foam moisture underlayment, though this is inexpensive and can be rolled out and taped together quickly (some laminate comes with the underlayment pre-attached to the back). But who installs sheet vinyl? Instead, most homeowners are now buying and installing vinyl plank flooring-easier to install even than square tile-sized vinyl because you have fewer pieces to lay. Sheet vinyl comes in large rolls and is difficult for homeowners to install because it is so unwieldy and so hard to shape around obstructions. Laminate flooring ranges from very cheap (about $0.50 for 6mm oak-look laminate) to moderately pricey (about $3.00 for long-plank 12mm oak-look boards). Vinyl flooring ranges from extremely cheap (about $0.50 for thin vinyl squares in basic patterns and styles) to moderate (about $3.00 for vinyl plank in so-called premium luxury styles). However, some key areas, such as around the sink and dishwasher, can experience enough water to cause laminate to swell up over time. Kitchen and Powder Rooms: Kitchens and guest bathrooms (i.e., powder rooms that have no bathing facilities), you do not expect water to pool on the floor. It is understood that in these spaces, water-shedding coverings like vinyl flooring or porcelain tile will be used.Īll Other Rooms: laminate flooring provides better looks and greater comfort. Even in better homes where you would not expect to find vinyl flooring, exceptions are made for bathrooms. Vinyl flooring decidedly beats laminate in its performance in wet places. Winner: Vinyl flooring in bathrooms, laminate flooring everywhere else.įull Bathrooms: pick vinyl flooring because it matches laminate in cost, looks, and DIY-friendly installation.īut the real deciding factor is moisture.
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