LVT vs Laminate Flooring

Shopping for new flooring can be fun but also quite daunting. There are so many different flooring types to choose from - how do you know which one is best for you? What the flooring looks like will probably be your main consideration, but you also need to think about budget, features, and benefits, too.

The good news is we know tons about flooring! If you’ve narrowed your choices down to luxury vinyl (LVT) and laminate flooring, we’ve cobbled together a simple guide that explains the pros and cons for each, and how they measure up for durability, maintenance, installation, and style. We’ll also do some quick calculations to see which one is best for smaller budgets and find the answer to one of our most frequently asked questions: is LVT better than laminate?

In this guide:

• What’s the difference between LVT and laminate flooring?
• LVT vs laminate: everything you need to know
• Which is cheaper: LVT or laminate?
• Choosing between LVT and laminate
• Is LVT better than laminate?

What’s the difference between LVT and laminate flooring?

At first glance, laminate and luxury vinyl (LVT) look quite similar, and they do have a lot of things in common. Both LVT and laminate come in plank format, they’re sold in packs, and they’re designed to look like real wood or stone flooring. However, the big difference between LVT and laminate is that luxury vinyl is a PVC-based floor and laminate is a wood-based floor.

Our helpful video highlights the key differences between LVT and laminate.

LVT vs laminate: everything you need to know

We’ve already looked into the difference between vinyl and laminate but now we’re specifically focusing on laminate vs LVT. Let’s look at the key differences between these two popular flooring types:

Durability

LVT is a popular choice for modern homes because of its amazing durability. Each luxury vinyl tile or plank is made up of multiple layers of PVC, resulting in a smart and stylish floor with super strength. The most important of these is the wear and tear layer, and the thicker the wear layer, the tougher it is. The clear protective surface also guards against scratches, scuffs, and stains, so it’s a great option for the busiest areas of your home. And if that wasn’t enough, the robustness of luxury vinyl is backed by 20-year, 25-year, or even lifetime wear guarantees!

Laminate is also made up of lots of layers surrounding a thick wood-based core, which gives it strength and stability. Each plank is covered by a clear coating that protects the floor underneath from scuffs, stains, and fading from sunlight, as well as general everyday wear and tear. This, combined with its overall thickness, makes laminate a super strong floor that’s sure to last years and years. Like LVT, it also comes with really long manufacturer warranties for total peace of mind.

Maintenance

Both LVT and laminate are easy to keep clean and only need a sweep, vacuum, or a slightly damp mop from time to time. Unlike real wooden flooring, they don’t need oiling or waxing so they’re very low maintenance. Just remember that laminate is a wood-based flooring and therefore isn’t water resistant (unlike LVT), so any spills should be wiped up immediately to stop the laminate planks from becoming damaged. And we definitely wouldn’t recommend steam cleaning on either laminate or LVT.

Installation

LVT is fitted differently depending on whether you choose dry back or click fit. For dry back LVT (also known as glue down or stick down), the planks are stuck down to the subfloor using adhesive, so they stay firmly in place. This is the one you should go for in open plan areas or where you were continuing the flooring from room to room. Click LVT and laminate are fitted in a similar way, using an easy-to-install click system where each plank clicks neatly into the next one. This is what’s called a floating floor because it sits on top of the subfloor, with a gap round the edges to allow for a little movement when the temperature changes. This type of installation is a firm favourite for DIYers, because it potentially saves you money on your flooring project.

Style

These two flooring types both do a brilliant impression of real wood and stone flooring. The designs are created using a high-definition photo layer but there’s also the option of embossing the plank or tile for a more authentic finish. Next to real wood or tiles, both LVT and laminate are cheaper alternatives. You can get your dream herringbone flooring for less with either laminate or luxury vinyl. Out of the two, LVT has a wider selection of styles to choose from including slate, terrazzo, and marble-effects.

Which is cheaper: LVT or laminate?

When weighing up your LVT vs laminate cost to work out which is the cheaper option, you need to look at a few different factors, such as the price of the flooring, the fitting cost, and the overall price vs the length of the wear guarantee.

Flooring Costs

The cheapest luxury vinyl we stock comes in at £22.99 per square metre, and the cheapest laminate is £16.99*. Based on a 3x4m room (and excluding any extras like fitting, underlay, or accessories), the cheapest LVT flooring costs £308.99 and the cheapest laminate flooring costs £246.80.

• Tapi Top Tip – Check the wear guarantee: While luxury vinyl might be more expensive than laminate, the highest quality styles from top brands such as Karndean come with a lifetime wear guarantee, so that cost per year calculation starts to look pretty appealing!

Fitting Costs

If we add fitting costs into the equation, luxury vinyl is £15 per m2 for click LVT but goes up to £17.50 per m2 for dryback LVT, while laminate is £15 per m2. The fitting costs for a 3x4 room would start from £180 or £210 for LVT (depending on the type you choose) or £180 for laminate. Again, this excludes any fitting extras, such as supplements for complex fitting layouts such as herringbone.

We’d always recommend using a professional fitter to install your flooring to make sure you get the perfect fit, and we can arrange this for you – just ask your Tapi floorologist to include this additional service on your quote.

Choosing between LVT and laminate

Along with features, benefits, and costs, the room itself is also a really important factor when picking flooring. Because it’s water resistant, LVT should definitely be top of your list for bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories, hallways, and utility rooms. Laminate is a popular flooring choice for hallways, and quieter, cosier spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms. While laminate isn’t generally water resistant because it’s wood-based, there are water resistant laminate options available like Quick-Step.

When to choose laminate flooring

Choose laminate flooring if:

• You want a sustainable option for eco-friendly flooring. The wood used for our laminate floors is responsibly sourced by our manufacturers and can be recycled.
• You like the smooth, sturdy look and feel of hardwood floors – but not the cost of the real thing.
• You want low maintenance flooring that’s easy to clean with just the swipe of a slightly damp mop.
• You want flooring that is much cheaper to buy and fit (and easier to fit too!) than real wood.
• You want the reassurance of flooring with a hygienic anti-bacterial topcoat.

When to choose luxury vinyl flooring

Choose LVT flooring if:

• You need water and moisture resistant flooring.
• You have an open plan space and you want the same flooring throughout, without the need for door bars.
• You want to choose from a wide selection of designs, textures, and styles.
• You want long-lasting, super strong flooring.
• You want flooring that’s easy to clean.
• You have underfloor heating.

You should now be one step closer to deciding on whether you’re choosing laminate or LVT. For a full deep dive into all the benefits of each flooring type, make sure you take a look at our laminate flooring guide and vinyl buying guide. Our floorologists can also help with decision making – just pop into your local Tapi store or book a free home visit and we can bring a heap of laminate and LVT samples to you.

*Costs are for illustration only. Prices correct at time of publication. Visit your nearest Tapi store or book a home visit for an accurate quote.