LVP vs Laminate Flooring: Differences, Pros and Cons

When choosing flooring for your home, it is important to learn about all of your options, so today I am sharing some details about LVP vs Laminate Flooring to help you make the best decision for your home!

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LVP vs Laminate Flooring: Differences, Pros and Cons

Both LVP and Laminate flooring can be very economical and look amazing.

If you are searching for great-looking flooring and want something economical, you may be looking at these two options.

And with how beautiful LVP and Laminate flooring are right now, you often can't even tell the difference between LVP, Laminate and Wood flooring without close inspection.

What is LVP?

LVP stands for luxury vinyl plank.

Similar to LVT (luxury vinyl tile), this product is made from several layers of material, with the wood design being a high-quality vinyl product.

LVP comes in the shape of a plank, so you will most often see LVP look like wood.

LVT will often be made to look like tile or stone.

Both LVT and LVP may be created out of the same products, but the shape and look are different.

LVP is typically installed in a click-lock or tongue-and-groove, floating floor application.

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is another type of flooring that is often created to look like wood.

It is comprised of several layers of material, with the wood design being printed on very thin material.

Laminate flooring also comes in plank shapes.

Typically laminate flooring is installed in a click-lock or tongue-and-groove, floating floor application.

Differences and Similarities between LVP vs Laminate Flooring

I've created this chart so you can easily see some quick similarities and differences between LVP and laminate flooring so that you can make the best decision for your home and family!

LVP vs Laminate Flooring

	LVP	Laminate Flooring
Easy to Install	Yes	Yes
Possible to DIY	Yes	Yes
Requires a professional	No	No
Waterproof	Yes (mostly, may vary by brand)	No (can bubble and ruin the surface if water is left on planks for very long)
Wear Layer	Varies by brand but can be very high	Typically scratches and chips easily
Built-in Underlayment	Varies by brand	Varies by brand
Looks just like wood	No, but it is getting very very good	No, but often has a very similar look
Durability	Very high, but varies by brand	Moderate, but varies by brand
Maintainance	Easy	Easy

To sum it up, both products can be wonderful flooring in your home.

If you are in a damp area or have young children or pets and are concerned about moisture, LVP would be my suggestion.

If you are looking for the most durable product, I would suggest LVP.

But sometimes laminate flooring just had a different look to it and it can be preferred among certain people for the texture, feel and closer similarity to actual wood.

Can I install LVP or Laminate Flooring myself?

Yes, you can.

However, you need to research the product and have the proper tools to complete the job well.

It is important to always follow manufacturer directions as well.

I have installed BOTH laminate flooring and LVP myself and I will say that the installation process is similar.

But if you are considering putting either type of flooring into a whole home, or a large room, or multiple adjoining spaces, it may be best to hire this out because getting the layout correct can be very tricky.

How do I maintain LVP and Laminate flooring?

Maintainance on LVP and Laminate flooring is similar and also very easy!

I love to "dust" my floors with a mop similar to this HERE.

You can vacuum with a stick vacuum like this one HERE.

And then I often will spray my cleaning solution directly on the floor, and then use this same mop HERE, to dry mop it up!

You can also use this mop HERE to wet mop the flooring...

But if you have laminate flooring, you need to make sure your mop is only very slightly wet otherwise you can end up with your laminate flooring bubbling and being ruined so only do this with extreme caution!

Overall, maintaining and cleaning both LVP and Laminate flooring is very easy!

Is LVP or Laminate flooring better for kids and pets?

I have had laminate flooring and am just installing LVP in my current home we are building so I am fairly familiar with the durability of both.

I liked my laminate flooring, however, if I ever dropped anything with some weight to it, it almost always left a mark, scratch, ding or chip in the laminate flooring tearing the wood design layer and exposing the layer underneath that.

We found it very easy to get scratches and dings in and so while it was easier to maintain than wood perhaps, I was disappointed with the durability when it came to everyday wear and tear.

With laminate flooring, we also had to worry about water or other liquid spills.

If a spill was not cleaned up immediately, we found that the top layer of laminate flooring would bubble up.

Sometimes it would dry out and be ok, but other times we were left with warped spots in our flooring.

While we have not lived with our LVP yet, I already know I won't have to worry about it chipping or scratching.

Our LVP is also super water resistant so I won't need to be as diligent about wiping up spills immediately (although I still will get to them as soon as I see them!)

I can already tell that I will be way more happy with the durability of LVP vs laminate flooring.