Short answer: choose LVT for kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and anywhere that gets wet, because it is water resistant and warmer underfoot. Choose laminate for lounges, dining rooms and bedrooms when you want a tough wood look at a lower price.
LVT and laminate look surprisingly similar once they are down. Both come in convincing wood and stone effects, both click together, and both are far easier to live with than carpet in a busy hallway. The difference is what they are made of, and that changes where each one belongs.
What is the difference?
Laminate has a core made from high density wood fibre, with a printed photographic layer and a hard wear layer on top. That wear layer makes it very scratch resistant, but the wood fibre core does not like water. If water gets into the joints, the boards can swell.
LVT, or luxury vinyl tile, is made from layers of vinyl. It is water resistant through and through, and rigid core versions are often sold as fully waterproof. It is also slightly softer, warmer and quieter underfoot.
Side by side
| LVT | Laminate | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Water resistant to waterproof | Water resistant at best |
| Warmth and feel | Warmer, softer, quieter | Firmer, can sound hollow on poor underlay |
| Scratches | Good | Very good |
| Patterns | Planks, tiles, herringbone, chevron | Mainly planks |
| Price | Mid to high | Budget to mid |
| Best rooms | Kitchens, bathrooms, halls, whole ground floors | Lounges, dining rooms, bedrooms |
With either floor, fitting and any floor preparation are added to the cost of the boards themselves, and both are covered in your quote.
Which should you choose, room by room?
- Kitchen: LVT. Spills, dishwashers and wet mopping all favour vinyl.
- Bathroom and en suite: LVT or sheet vinyl. Laminate is not designed for this.
- Hallway: LVT if wet boots and dogs come in, water resistant laminate otherwise.
- Lounge and dining room: either. Laminate is great value here.
- Bedrooms: laminate, or a carpet if you want warmth and quiet.
- Conservatory: rigid core LVT copes best with temperature swings.
Do not forget the floor underneath
LVT, especially glue down LVT, shows every bump in the subfloor, so it often needs plywood or a levelling compound first. Laminate is more forgiving but still needs a flat floor and the right underlay. We check this at your free measure and include any preparation in your quote, so there are no surprises.
See our vinyl and LVT and laminate ranges, or come and compare them side by side in the showroom.