IIRC, you mentioned that Hempwood is quite sensitive to moisture, so I presume that means one shouldn't really consider it in high humidity locations. Do you know of any other non off-gassing materials that do better in high humidity environments?
I installed Mohawk water resistant laminate flooring in 4 bedrooms and a hallway. Got it cheap feom Costco . Before I installed it, I placed half of plank in a bucket of water and let it sit there for half a day. I removed it and let it sit for a day. It was absolutely untouched. I could not tell where it has been immersed in the water. I also put 2 planks together and put water on them overnight. Checked them in the morning and all looked perfect . Zero damage. I also took the scratchiest chair and sat on it and tried for scratch the heck out of it on purpose and could not make 1 scratch on that floor. So, Mohawk laminate is super strong and it’s way more than water resistant .
I was humbled by this video as someone who was prepared to go down the rabbit hole doing research, this video was stunningly cohesive and informative, thanks for your time and have a good day
This is the most thorough comparison between between vinyl and laminate flooring I have seen. I'm looking to remove the carpet from my house and this has been very informative.
I run a kennel with hundreds of dogs every year. I also have a rental. I installed TrafficMaster textured vinyl floating plank with tongue and groove glue strip. (Whew! That is a mouthful.) I have been using it for 6 years and it seems nearly indestructible. It is swept and mopped multiple times everyday and is still in excellent condition.
We foster 4 our animal shelter which means lots of animals & lots of accidents. We're replacing our carpet but w what is the ?. My friend said not to get lv bc hers buckled but i think it was not installed properly & maybe the newer lv has better water proofing tech. Ty 4 sharing ur exp bc it truly helps people like me (that also have a zoo).
I've used both wood laminate and vinyl plank in two separate houses. Both have held up really well. The vinyl is harder to cut but has the benefit of being truly waterproof. The only placed I've ever glued anything was vinyl plank onto stairs. Taking the underlay off was a huge pain but the results were nice. Such a nice video, Belinda! Keep up the great work!
In my old house, I had the HVAC on the first floor and didn’t do proper maintenance for a couple years. As a result, the unit started leaking water from the AC. I would hear a drip every now and then, but thought it was in my head. Eventually, I would walk by the closet where the HVAC was and found the floor was saturated. Eventually the LAMINATE floor started to buckle wherever the water spread. Basically all the water was sitting under the laminate for a long time. I had tried out vinyl plank flooring for one of the bedrooms a year before and was really impressed with it. So I bought Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring for the entire first floor. It literally felt nice to walk on, it looked good, and most importantly, it was waterproof. Plus there’s a 5 year warranty on the floor. It was a really good investment. It was one of the things that helped me sell my house for double what I bought it for after 1 day on the market (it was my first house I had for a decade). I did end up upgrading to a newer, nicer place, but I miss my old house. I did a ton of projects upgrading everything. My new place doesn’t need anything. But next time I buy a place, I’m going for a project house. I’m pretty sure a project house will keep you living longer.
True about laminate's water intolerance. I rented out my apartment for 3 years to a woman with a child. When I moved in, some of the laminate was bloated.
I agree. I just won't use plastic flooring. Obviously new wooden planks would be impossibly expensive, but lino, while not super-cheap, is much less expensive. Linseed oil and cork or sawdust - can't get much more sustainable than that. And none of the awful click-clack noise of laminate when you walk on it. I detest the sound of that garbage. Natural cork, FSC-certified solid bamboo flooring with low-VOC resins (much lower resin content than engineered floors anyway), even high-quality rubber in wet areas are all other alternatives.
I'd be interested in seeing a video on linoleum too. I've heard it's making a comeback because of the environment, but I wonder have they improved it since it's heydey.
I have 3 dogs and luxury vinyl was a game-changer for the look, resistance to wear and tear, and the waterproof is a game-changer. It is so easy to install, and the cost was comparable with laminate, so for me, it was a no-brainer. Thanks for the video, always very informative, well done.
I needed flooring after my carpet was ruined by something spilled. I went with luxury viny flooring. I'm very happy with it and no need to worry if a guest spills wine. It looks beautiful and so easy to care for. Thank you for the excellent video.
Great video! My wife and I have been talking about replacing our carpet with one of the two options. I knew some of things from the video but still learned a lot. One thing I would add is that laminate flooring can dull saw blades due to the aluminum oxide being so hard. If I ever do a laminate install again, I am going to buy a purpose built laminate cutter.
@@benartee9493 I prefer laminate or vinyl plank over hardwood hands down. Hardwood is too soft, damages easily in dents and scratches plus it is not waterproof. Different strokes for different folks. I've had all three.
LVL for basements is a must. We had it installed 2 years ago, then we had a flood. Simply took it off, dried it out and installed it back. No musty odor, no lingering water.
Thanks for the video. One important difference, at least to me, is the surface sound. The degree varied by brands, but laminate flooring consistently has a louder, more harsh sound when walked on or when things are slid across it. A lot more high frequencies to the sound profile. Another is that LV planks will relax to fit the undulations on a floor surface, while laminate will just bridge the hollow spots. This makes for an unpleasant feel when walking across said hollows. It's particularly noticeable on concrete floors, which tend to not be as flat.
The core hardness is a big part of the noise difference. Vinyl is softer often used as a mass dampener and sound deadener. MDF and HDF are much more solid while vinyl has more give. I also much prefer the feel of the LV to the laminate.
@@ljprep6250 I'll go further & say that laminate makes me uncomfortable. Almost a fingernails on a chalkboard feeling. My son's last house had laminate throughout & I hated walking on that floor, shoes and no shoes.
@@frankpratt529 I agree with all of your points. Made the mistake of using it in my last house just to get it habitable again. I knew I wasn't going to like it. I didn't realize how much I was going to hate it. Dropping just a cable to the floor is like a mini gun shot. The coating applied to the surface... better not have wet boots or even wet bare feet. I'm an agile fit man and came close to busting my ass far to many times.
@@ShainAndrews There's gotta be something fundamentally different in the surface treatments on the two. LVP does not have that slippery when wet thing that laminate has, yet it cleans & sweeps easily.
I wanted hardwood floors so bad because our new house came with wall to wall carpet but wasn’t able to afford it so we installed vinyl and we love it . We had two options use all of our savings to install hardwood throughout or use half of it to install vinyl , furnish the house and do some remodeling . I didn’t even bother to do engineered hardwood . I wanted to save for the real deal down the line . I don’t spend hours staring at my floor wishing it was hardwood . It cleans us nice and hold up to anything . Our 10yr plan is to convert the main floor to hardwood . I’ll pick vinyl over laminate any day . My parents have laminate in their kitchen and it doesn’t hold up. Another way to save on flooring in a house you’ll live in for a while , is to tile the kitchen and carpet or vinyl the bedrooms . Make sure the match the hardwood you have elsewhere . Vinyl is an amazing option while you save for hardwood
I have had a Pergo floor in my basement studio for 20 years and it looks every bit as good as it did the day it was installed. Better yet, me a 2 friends installed it ourself and it took better part of a day. It has seen very heavy traffic and numerous types of spills (including dye and paint) that came right up without any discoloration. It was installed on a concrete floor with a plastic layer that went underneath to block moisture. The floor was not even close to level but you cannot tell once installed. I can't speak for other brands but I would definitely recommend Pergo. I don't know where they get 10-20 years.
Just stumbled onto your channel and had to comment; I'm blown away by the breadth, quality of information and presentation of you video. You're a real pro at this.
Unless you are very limited in budget, luxury vinyl is just an all around better material for most homes. It looks good, is low maintenance, and resists scratches (such as my dogs' nails). I personally think that hardwood floors can look better but not enough for us to pay the cost delta. It was worth it over laminate.
The biggest down side to vinyl is you have large windows and extreme sun exposure unto your floor. Most vinyl varientions arent going to handel the heat well, and those they do tend to be on the more expensive side. So, laminate when you have a high amount of sun exposure, vinyl if you dont.
Interesting I have midpriced laminate Home Depot flooring for 15 years and 2 Labradors walking on them for 12 years now. No scratches by their nails. Maybe I am lucky. I will say having laminate floors where water spills often is not good unless you are quick to wipe it up.
Our first floor was a laminate, it did ok. It has been in 9 years. We are getting vinyl plank, by cortec, it has a lifetime warranty and states pet proof. Pretty excited about this new floor.
@@BelindaCarr so our new floor is installed! The vinyl plank has a better under foot feel, compared to the laminate floor. It is not slippery also. Wish I could say more but as of right now I am impressed.
i don't know how this video was suggested to me but this is great, i am just about to refloor my basement and the options for flooring are vast. This made some things more clear to me, Thanks!
Thank you Belinda!! I just installed luxury vinyl in one of our bathrooms, and am getting ready to install some laminate in one of our bedrooms. Understanding how each one is made, their characteristics and pros & cons really helps.
My go to for unbiased, informed product reviews. I always learn so much and your approach is effortless. Feels like learning from a friend 💯 thanks Belinda 🙏🏿 you should be at 300k followers!!!
I've been researching laminate vs. vinyl for days now, and this one video just answered so many questions I had, and gave me so much additional information. Thank you so much!!
@@this2shallpass410 The range is huge here. I found products under $1 per sq. ft. and products at $15 per sq. ft. I think the most common price was about $3.50, materials only.
Outstanding compilation of product characteristics for 2 things that look nearly identical but definitely aren't. If you ever have a water leak flood the MDF versions, U'll be replacing it, highly unrecommended for use in rentals whereas the vinyl works much better over time.
Yes! This video was so informative to me. As someone who is going to be buying a house soon and will likely have to DIY some cosmetic stuff including floors and also grows plants for a living, the potential for small floods and spills is enormous. Having something that can stand up to the inevitable water is super important to me!
I don't know if it's a topic you would like to discuss on your channel, but I would love to see a video surrounding the natural gas and oil situation right now. I don't follow any type of traditional news media, so I'm a little lost on it all. I appreciate the excellent presentation and dedication that goes into each of your videos!
Only 10-20 yrs? If you feel up for it, a video on different "wood"/"real wood" flooring costs vs. lifespan would be interesting. Great content on your channel.
There's also the "opportunity cost of money" vs the "nominal cost". If real wood is $20k and LVP is $5k, then going with LVP means saving $15k. That money can be invested, and that investment will likely return in the neighborhood of $10k in 10 years, so an LVP replacement in 15-20 years will be "free" in a sense (of course, better to keep saving if possible if the LVP is in reasonable condition!).
I'm just installing laminate at the moment. If I had a bigger budget I'd go vinyl though. We are replacing vinyl that drastically failed but I think newer products are better than what we had previously. I do have a 15yr old laminate floor in my kitchen that has lasted incredibly well but it was a high end waterproof laminate.
I love laminate floors, I've put in a lot of them for family. I love the way they look and how water resistant they are, I didn't know they had a life span of 10 to 20 years though. That is good to know.
I had Karndean wood effect vinyl flooring laid in our hall 19 years ago and its as good today as when it was laid; indeed people come in and immediately take off their shoes! Laminate is noisy and vulnerable to liquid and expansion in heat; personally I think it's a bit dated too. I've recently had our kitchen, utility and conservatory done in vinyl flooring and its so easy to keep clean, I suppose I'm sold on it as I'm now using it to replace worn out carpets and lino. In addition, you don't get the smell of tired old carpets either and its far more hygienic. I think I should sell the stuff!!!
Wow thanks to your video I know I just installed vinyl luxury flooring, entire time I was telling people it was laminate because I thought they were the same
You are an amazing and so knowledgeable human being! I am putting in flooring in my mobile home 350sqft. I am on a major budget and trying to find the least non toxic. It seems like Vinyl flooring would be the best options. I looked in to hemp, but over budget for me.
Wow, what an amazing video! I am planning to replace my floors so this knowledge is so useful! I am a fairly inquisitive person and I always like to dig a bit more and research in order to understand things in a bit more detail. Your video is exactly what I needed, necessary info explained in a clear and concise way! Than you so much!
I just bought LVP from Home Depot. I got Lifeproof, which is their brand. I love the look at the store, and can't wait for it to be installed in my house!❤❤❤
Your thorough insights and explanations are so helpful! Watching these helps me feel a lot more confident about the DIY projects I undertake. Thanks so much!😊
Thank you. Excellent comparison. I found the difference in damage caused by water to be especially informative. It would be interesting to know how they compare in areas such as sounds acoustics, sound absorption, as well as walking/standing comfort.
We have vinyl plank flooring throughout our house. We left home in the winter to spend a month in Florida and turned our thermostat down to 55° F to save on the heating bill while we were gone. When we got home, there was small but noticeable gaps between a lot of the planks! This is an ongoing problem that we have learned to live with, so... Buyer beware!
@@maplenook We have lived in our house for over 5 years now and I don't remember the brand. If I poke around in the attic and find a name brand on a partial box I'll let you know.
I've had Pergo laminate in my kitchen for nearly twenty years. It have been subject everything but fire, but the only mark yet, is when I dropped a cast-iron pan.
Pvc is a thermoplastic, and has a high rate of thermal expansion. Installing on a very cold day will create buckling, while installing on a very hot day will cause gaps
installed plenty of LVP in my moms, friends, and my house and never saw any expansion, contraction issues with LVP. this is NOT PVC the same as PVC pipes. Are you installing indoors at 40degrees or above 90degrees? FYI, indoor temps should never be that extreme. Also, thats why you leave a 1/4" gap at all walls.
Excellent video! Love the technical details. I’ve lived with both products for years. Vinyl is more resilient in everyday residential use with family and pets. Laminate can scratch, chip and peel given years of living. All the best and continued success to you!
I have vinyl plank (put in before anyone was calling it luxury) and Pergo (laminate brand) in another room, and the thing I like about the textured vinyl plank is how friendly it is to walk on. It has a softer feel and is quieter than laminate or wood. It was also much easier to install than the laminate. If I had money though, I probably would have liked to use cork. It may not be the best looking or the easiest to clean, but it has a nice spring to it. It's expensive.
Inexpensive better then "cheap" cheap relates to poor quality, while the other is about $ THANKS FOR YOUR VIDEOS! I learn so much
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This channel is a great source of knowledge, I have zero experience on these topics, yet you made it so easy to understand. I deeply appreciate your efforts to share this knowledge with the rest of us. Thank you very much and keep up with the good work.
It’s weird this video popped up in my feed as I am looking at flooring in Home Depot but awesome job keep it up 👍. I’ll be looking for more info videos from you. Thank you.
I’m with you. I just want hardwood. I have bought reclaimed hardwood that was as cheap as using laminate, so I will go that route if I need to do it again. And oak floors handled my dogs just fine.
Sure wish I'd watched this before I bought my floor. Excellent information, thank you. I have laminate on my main level and vinyl going in my lower level as I write this.
Thanks for covering the VOC aspect of both options. Currently searching for a flooring option for a new home build and not sure what to use... currently leaning towards salvaged old wood planks or tile.
From walking around on other people's high end laminates and luxury vinyl planks, I prefer the feel and sound of LVP over laminate. I'll have to look into the hemp wood for my next reflooring
Belinda excellent presentation! Thank you for reporting on the VOCs as I will be selecting a flooring solution for a live-in Van. Offgassing is an issue in such a tiny space so would love to hear a recommendation that has minimal to no VOCs.
Great information, and great additional information in the comments! As a video suggestion, I'd like to know more about Energy Recovery Ventilators and Heat Recovery Ventilators. I have an old house with no forced-air system, and while the radiators are very comfortable the lack of ventilation and fresh air (especially in the winter when the windows are locked) isn't great. I'm considering adding a ventilator of some type, so an overview of these technologies and the situations and climates where they are best used would be great!
A note about water resistant/ waterproof laminate, as soon as you cut an edge when installing, any protection is lost. Water can penetrate the cut edge and cause swelling, so sealing edges is necessary. I would not recommend them for bathrooms, their utility is more for near doorways were water being brought in by foot traffic is likely.
What an incredibly complete, unbiased and useful video. I'm going to redo my downstairs, open concept, house with a living room, entryway, kitchen combination and this will be very helpful in my choosing which product to use. Thank you for putting it together.
luxury vinyl is an excellent product for basement flooring. It gives you much more options vs old fashioned tile or poly and is a little bit "warmer". My basement had water in it once and I was able to remove and dry out the floor, saved me a few thousand $$.
Thank you, very technical which is what we need to think like these days! From Costco I put Mohawk total 7 mm laminate in one bathroom and from Lowes their brand Allen & Roth total 8 mm in the other. My personal opinion, go with Lowe's brand as it buffers floor imperfections better. Remember to fill any divots over 1/8th of an inch and double check the eveness of the floor. Also, be careful going over 8mm total, but if you have baseboards off then it should be fine.
Hi Belinda, thanks for explaining very well, you are so professional, I learn a lot about the laminated floors, eaven how the factory made this product... Keep going and thanks so much for sharing this information... blessing's ❤❤❤❤
The deciding factor for me was that any water spilt on laminate flooring may cause the MDF to swell and split the surface. The cost of LVT/LVP was not substantially more than laminate. So we chose LVT. Observations? We replaced carpet and the accoustics for the hifi with LVT were great! Noticeable! Also visitors at Xmas said light from Xmas Tree reflected off floor out of windows. So far so good. I rubbed down a spare piece of LVT with sandpaper to see how the finish copedand didn't get through it. Felt pads on furniture have prevented sxcraping
Wow Belinda! I’m scrolling through TH-cam and see this recommended! Gonna subscribe and not just coz we were classmates in school lol ;) looking good girl! Xxx
Thank you for this! Easily the best video I've seen explaining the differences. We have vinyl in our house now and have been extremely happy with it. We've been trying to decide what to get in our new house and almost went with laminate but I think vinyl is definitely the way to go. Thank you!!
I recently had hardwood floors ruined by water damage, replaced them with luxury vinyl planks. Ease of installation and care were what sold me on vinyl. I don't care for Laminate. My parents put Laminate flooring in their condo. The edges of the planks started to chip after a few years. We have had vinyl planks at work for 4 years now. They really hold up well. I live in NYC and the floors take a beating in our climate and heavy traffic.
Outstanding video! My wife and I are debating between the 2 and this helped a lot. We did have a question that i am hoping you can answer. When you mentioned the VOC's, is this only a concern for the first 2 days with the off gassing or the entire life of the flooring? We are concerned about the chemicals and walking on the floor with our bare feet. any concerns? Thank you!
I have a shaw laminate flooring that I installed in most of my home probably 12 years ago and it looks like new. No problems with dog nails. I left some of the cut off scraps out in the rain for months and they didn't swell. I like the way it feels underfoot and that it's very smooth- no texture, no beveled edges. I have 1 box of lpv flooring that I'm going to try out before ordering for a whole room. Just seeing it in one area I'm not as impressed as I am with the laminate. I'd think using a chop saw as I did with my laminate would give a more exact cut that scoring and snapping.
Really great video. Keep up the great work. Very informative plus entertaining. I am a contractor so I especially enjoy when you take a blowtorch to a product to see how quickly you can destroy it. :)
Thank you so much for sharing useful information on laminate and vinyl flooring. This will come in handy when I choose flooring material on our upcoming home improvement project. 🙂
I really like the luxury vinyl plank - I put it down in my kitchen when we did a DIY reno and it was just as easy to install as you said. I will be using it again when I renovate my laundry room.
Thank you for the comparison.This did clear out a lot of questions I had on mind but also brought up a many new ones😀.. Still in the 'homework' phase and assessment with such information is going to have an impact
If you're looking for a gorgeous, natural flooring product that doesn't off-gas, check out HempWood: th-cam.com/video/3Qy6awPeric/w-d-xo.html
Thankyou Belinda.. I will... that was one of my considerations... I simply don't like mdf. too many toxic issues.
Great video! Can you please mention if HempWood can be used in a basement? I’m trying to avoid off-gas products.
IIRC, you mentioned that Hempwood is quite sensitive to moisture, so I presume that means one shouldn't really consider it in high humidity locations. Do you know of any other non off-gassing materials that do better in high humidity environments?
You always reach my expectations... Great video as always.... Well detailed and researched... Great
@@parasharkchari hardwood or bamboo maybe
I installed Mohawk water resistant laminate flooring in 4 bedrooms and a hallway. Got it cheap feom Costco . Before I installed it, I placed half of plank in a bucket of water and let it sit there for half a day. I removed it and let it sit for a day. It was absolutely untouched. I could not tell where it has been immersed in the water. I also put 2 planks together and put water on them overnight. Checked them in the morning and all looked perfect . Zero damage. I also took the scratchiest chair and sat on it and tried for scratch the heck out of it on purpose and could not make 1 scratch on that floor. So, Mohawk laminate is super strong and it’s way more than water resistant .
But this means nothing really. You don't want water entering the subfloor. The joins need to repel this
I was humbled by this video as someone who was prepared to go down the rabbit hole doing research, this video was stunningly cohesive and informative, thanks for your time and have a good day
This is the most thorough comparison between between vinyl and laminate flooring I have seen. I'm looking to remove the carpet from my house and this has been very informative.
The most comprehensive and non biased reviews I have found about construction projects. Thank you!
I run a kennel with hundreds of dogs every year. I also have a rental. I installed TrafficMaster textured vinyl floating plank with tongue and groove glue strip. (Whew! That is a mouthful.) I have been using it for 6 years and it seems nearly indestructible. It is swept and mopped multiple times everyday and is still in excellent condition.
We foster 4 our animal shelter which means lots of animals & lots of accidents. We're replacing our carpet but w what is the ?. My friend said not to get lv bc hers buckled but i think it was not installed properly & maybe the newer lv has better water proofing tech. Ty 4 sharing ur exp bc it truly helps people like me (that also have a zoo).
I've used both wood laminate and vinyl plank in two separate houses. Both have held up really well. The vinyl is harder to cut but has the benefit of being truly waterproof. The only placed I've ever glued anything was vinyl plank onto stairs. Taking the underlay off was a huge pain but the results were nice. Such a nice video, Belinda! Keep up the great work!
In my old house, I had the HVAC on the first floor and didn’t do proper maintenance for a couple years. As a result, the unit started leaking water from the AC. I would hear a drip every now and then, but thought it was in my head. Eventually, I would walk by the closet where the HVAC was and found the floor was saturated. Eventually the LAMINATE floor started to buckle wherever the water spread. Basically all the water was sitting under the laminate for a long time. I had tried out vinyl plank flooring for one of the bedrooms a year before and was really impressed with it. So I bought Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring for the entire first floor. It literally felt nice to walk on, it looked good, and most importantly, it was waterproof. Plus there’s a 5 year warranty on the floor. It was a really good investment. It was one of the things that helped me sell my house for double what I bought it for after 1 day on the market (it was my first house I had for a decade). I did end up upgrading to a newer, nicer place, but I miss my old house. I did a ton of projects upgrading everything. My new place doesn’t need anything. But next time I buy a place, I’m going for a project house. I’m pretty sure a project house will keep you living longer.
True about laminate's water intolerance. I rented out my apartment for 3 years to a woman with a child. When I moved in, some of the laminate was bloated.
I can’t wait for your linoleum video! Most people sleep on it due to the design insanity of the 70’s, but it’s an exceptionally sustainable product
I agree. I just won't use plastic flooring. Obviously new wooden planks would be impossibly expensive, but lino, while not super-cheap, is much less expensive. Linseed oil and cork or sawdust - can't get much more sustainable than that. And none of the awful click-clack noise of laminate when you walk on it. I detest the sound of that garbage.
Natural cork, FSC-certified solid bamboo flooring with low-VOC resins (much lower resin content than engineered floors anyway), even high-quality rubber in wet areas are all other alternatives.
I'd be interested in seeing a video on linoleum too. I've heard it's making a comeback because of the environment, but I wonder have they improved it since it's heydey.
I have 3 dogs and luxury vinyl was a game-changer for the look, resistance to wear and tear, and the waterproof is a game-changer. It is so easy to install, and the cost was comparable with laminate, so for me, it was a no-brainer. Thanks for the video, always very informative, well done.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!! We also have 3 dogs, 2 of which are large and have massive paws/nails which create huge gouges in our real wood floors.
I needed flooring after my carpet was ruined by something spilled. I went with luxury viny flooring. I'm very happy with it and no need to worry if a guest spills wine. It looks beautiful and so easy to care for. Thank you for the excellent video.
Is it scratch resistant or does it scratch easily?
Beautiful and smart! I was actually going to buy laminate flooring next week but now I'm changing it to luxury vinyl. Thanks!!!
Great video! My wife and I have been talking about replacing our carpet with one of the two options. I knew some of things from the video but still learned a lot. One thing I would add is that laminate flooring can dull saw blades due to the aluminum oxide being so hard. If I ever do a laminate install again, I am going to buy a purpose built laminate cutter.
Try taking a look at natural wood as well, this gives a more natural feel when walking on it, and is just as easily laid as these two coverings.
@@benartee9493 I prefer laminate or vinyl plank over hardwood hands down. Hardwood is too soft, damages easily in dents and scratches plus it is not waterproof. Different strokes for different folks. I've had all three.
I have just installed vinyl in my house and don't know yet how it will be, but reading comments about vinyl make me happy.
Thanks Belinda for explaining the difference and the importance of getting the correct rated product for the area it’s being applied to.
LVL for basements is a must. We had it installed 2 years ago, then we had a flood. Simply took it off, dried it out and installed it back. No musty odor, no lingering water.
laminated veneer lumber?
Thanks for the video.
One important difference, at least to me, is the surface sound. The degree varied by brands, but laminate flooring consistently has a louder, more harsh sound when walked on or when things are slid across it. A lot more high frequencies to the sound profile.
Another is that LV planks will relax to fit the undulations on a floor surface, while laminate will just bridge the hollow spots. This makes for an unpleasant feel when walking across said hollows. It's particularly noticeable on concrete floors, which tend to not be as flat.
Great observation!
The core hardness is a big part of the noise difference. Vinyl is softer often used as a mass dampener and sound deadener. MDF and HDF are much more solid while vinyl has more give. I also much prefer the feel of the LV to the laminate.
@@ljprep6250 I'll go further & say that laminate makes me uncomfortable. Almost a fingernails on a chalkboard feeling. My son's last house had laminate throughout & I hated walking on that floor, shoes and no shoes.
@@frankpratt529 I agree with all of your points. Made the mistake of using it in my last house just to get it habitable again. I knew I wasn't going to like it. I didn't realize how much I was going to hate it. Dropping just a cable to the floor is like a mini gun shot. The coating applied to the surface... better not have wet boots or even wet bare feet. I'm an agile fit man and came close to busting my ass far to many times.
@@ShainAndrews There's gotta be something fundamentally different in the surface treatments on the two. LVP does not have that slippery when wet thing that laminate has, yet it cleans & sweeps easily.
I wanted hardwood floors so bad because our new house came with wall to wall carpet but wasn’t able to afford it so we installed vinyl and we love it . We had two options use all of our savings to install hardwood throughout or use half of it to install vinyl , furnish the house and do some remodeling . I didn’t even bother to do engineered hardwood . I wanted to save for the real deal down the line . I don’t spend hours staring at my floor wishing it was hardwood . It cleans us nice and hold up to anything . Our 10yr plan is to convert the main floor to hardwood . I’ll pick vinyl over laminate any day . My parents have laminate in their kitchen and it doesn’t hold up. Another way to save on flooring in a house you’ll live in for a while , is to tile the kitchen and carpet or vinyl the bedrooms . Make sure the match the hardwood you have elsewhere . Vinyl is an amazing option while you save for hardwood
How much was the vinyl material and installation altogether?
I have had a Pergo floor in my basement studio for 20 years and it looks every bit as good as it did the day it was installed. Better yet, me a 2 friends installed it ourself and it took better part of a day. It has seen very heavy traffic and numerous types of spills (including dye and paint) that came right up without any discoloration. It was installed on a concrete floor with a plastic layer that went underneath to block moisture. The floor was not even close to level but you cannot tell once installed. I can't speak for other brands but I would definitely recommend Pergo. I don't know where they get 10-20 years.
Thank you, we just installed preggo in our house and everyone keeps telling us laminate is crap... this is reassuring to read
Just stumbled onto your channel and had to comment; I'm blown away by the breadth, quality of information and presentation of you video. You're a real pro at this.
Unless you are very limited in budget, luxury vinyl is just an all around better material for most homes. It looks good, is low maintenance, and resists scratches (such as my dogs' nails). I personally think that hardwood floors can look better but not enough for us to pay the cost delta. It was worth it over laminate.
The biggest down side to vinyl is you have large windows and extreme sun exposure unto your floor.
Most vinyl varientions arent going to handel the heat well, and those they do tend to be on the more expensive side.
So, laminate when you have a high amount of sun exposure,
vinyl if you dont.
@@powerflumi Vinyl anywhere there’s any humidity.
Hardwood adds equity to your home vs plastic photo floors.
@@worldchangingvideos6253 Laminate has also a foto layer my dude - even if we argue that with quality flooring its made from paper
Interesting I have midpriced laminate Home Depot flooring for 15 years and 2 Labradors walking on them for 12 years now. No scratches by their nails. Maybe I am lucky.
I will say having laminate floors where water spills often is not good unless you are quick to wipe it up.
Our first floor was a laminate, it did ok. It has been in 9 years. We are getting vinyl plank, by cortec, it has a lifetime warranty and states pet proof. Pretty excited about this new floor.
Awesome! Let me know if you're happy with it.
@@BelindaCarr so our new floor is installed! The vinyl plank has a better under foot feel, compared to the laminate floor. It is not slippery also. Wish I could say more but as of right now I am impressed.
i don't know how this video was suggested to me but this is great, i am just about to refloor my basement and the options for flooring are vast. This made some things more clear to me, Thanks!
I recently did lament and vinyl in my basement and actually preferred the lament
Lovely too see a female giving this sort of presentation. Thank you Belinda, I now know the difference and what to ask for.
It was the most complete video I found on this type of flooring, I really appreciate your time to do it.
Thank you Belinda!! I just installed luxury vinyl in one of our bathrooms, and am getting ready to install some laminate in one of our bedrooms. Understanding how each one is made, their characteristics and pros & cons really helps.
I've put in thousands of square feet of laminate in rental properties and have never ever been tempted to put it in a bathroom
I’m soooooo grateful I found your channel. This is my favorite way to learn about materials in more depth.
My go to for unbiased, informed product reviews. I always learn so much and your approach is effortless. Feels like learning from a friend 💯 thanks Belinda 🙏🏿 you should be at 300k followers!!!
I've been researching laminate vs. vinyl for days now, and this one video just answered so many questions I had, and gave me so much additional information. Thank you so much!!
Were you able to find the average cost for materials and installation?
@@this2shallpass410 The range is huge here. I found products under $1 per sq. ft. and products at $15 per sq. ft. I think the most common price was about $3.50, materials only.
Outstanding compilation of product characteristics for 2 things that look nearly identical but definitely aren't. If you ever have a water leak flood the MDF versions, U'll be replacing it, highly unrecommended for use in rentals whereas the vinyl works much better over time.
Thank you!!
Yes! This video was so informative to me. As someone who is going to be buying a house soon and will likely have to DIY some cosmetic stuff including floors and also grows plants for a living, the potential for small floods and spills is enormous. Having something that can stand up to the inevitable water is super important to me!
Unless it's water proof
I don't know if it's a topic you would like to discuss on your channel, but I would love to see a video surrounding the natural gas and oil situation right now. I don't follow any type of traditional news media, so I'm a little lost on it all. I appreciate the excellent presentation and dedication that goes into each of your videos!
Only 10-20 yrs? If you feel up for it, a video on different "wood"/"real wood" flooring costs vs. lifespan would be interesting. Great content on your channel.
Yes, I was surprised too. They have a limited lifetime warranty, but I doubt it covers much. I will make a video on real vs fake wood soon. Thanks!
@@BelindaCarr Looking forward to that video!
@@BelindaCarr i would love a video on engineered wood floors
The original oak hardwood in my house has been refinished at least once in its lifetime and still looks pretty good. Its 70 years old!
There's also the "opportunity cost of money" vs the "nominal cost". If real wood is $20k and LVP is $5k, then going with LVP means saving $15k. That money can be invested, and that investment will likely return in the neighborhood of $10k in 10 years, so an LVP replacement in 15-20 years will be "free" in a sense (of course, better to keep saving if possible if the LVP is in reasonable condition!).
I'm just installing laminate at the moment. If I had a bigger budget I'd go vinyl though. We are replacing vinyl that drastically failed but I think newer products are better than what we had previously. I do have a 15yr old laminate floor in my kitchen that has lasted incredibly well but it was a high end waterproof laminate.
I love laminate floors, I've put in a lot of them for family. I love the way they look and how water resistant they are, I didn't know they had a life span of 10 to 20 years though. That is good to know.
I had Karndean wood effect vinyl flooring laid in our hall 19 years ago and its as good today as when it was laid; indeed people come in and immediately take off their shoes! Laminate is noisy and vulnerable to liquid and expansion in heat; personally I think it's a bit dated too. I've recently had our kitchen, utility and conservatory done in vinyl flooring and its so easy to keep clean, I suppose I'm sold on it as I'm now using it to replace worn out carpets and lino. In addition, you don't get the smell of tired old carpets either and its far more hygienic. I think I should sell the stuff!!!
Wow thanks to your video I know I just installed vinyl luxury flooring, entire time I was telling people it was laminate because I thought they were the same
Learned so much from your presentation. You are an excellent speaker and educator. You would make a good Chemistry Professor.
You are an amazing and so knowledgeable human being! I am putting in flooring in my mobile home 350sqft. I am on a major budget and trying to find the least non toxic. It seems like Vinyl flooring would be the best options. I looked in to hemp, but over budget for me.
Wow, what an amazing video! I am planning to replace my floors so this knowledge is so useful! I am a fairly inquisitive person and I always like to dig a bit more and research in order to understand things in a bit more detail. Your video is exactly what I needed, necessary info explained in a clear and concise way! Than you so much!
Omg great review she broke it down step by step, i love the way you gave the name of each product so i didn't have to do research thank you so much.
I just bought LVP from Home Depot. I got Lifeproof, which is their brand. I love the look at the store, and can't wait for it to be installed in my house!❤❤❤
Your thorough insights and explanations are so helpful! Watching these helps me feel a lot more confident about the DIY projects I undertake. Thanks so much!😊
I just LOVE your channel and your delivery! You always give concise, helpful and direct information. THANK YOU.
Thank you!!
I have used both in my rentals. Waterproof vinyl click and plank for the win!
Until you drop something...
Thanks so much. Building a house and never understood the difference between the two. The look identical most of the time.
Thank you. Excellent comparison. I found the difference in damage caused by water to be especially informative. It would be interesting to know how they compare in areas such as sounds acoustics, sound absorption, as well as walking/standing comfort.
We have vinyl plank flooring throughout our house. We left home in the winter to spend a month in Florida and turned our thermostat down to 55° F to save on the heating bill while we were gone. When we got home, there was small but noticeable gaps between a lot of the planks! This is an ongoing problem that we have learned to live with, so... Buyer beware!
What brand???
@@maplenook We have lived in our house for over 5 years now and I don't remember the brand. If I poke around in the attic and find a name brand on a partial box I'll let you know.
@@joemace6218 my vinyl instructions was keep it above 8c, that is 46.4 f .
We installed ceramic tile everywhere except for the two bedrooms. It was cheaper than the other flooring and looks amazing. We love our floor!
Excellent job in explaining the differences. Thank you!
I've had Pergo laminate in my kitchen for nearly twenty years. It have been subject everything but fire, but the only mark yet, is when I dropped a cast-iron pan.
Pvc is a thermoplastic, and has a high rate of thermal expansion. Installing on a very cold day will create buckling, while installing on a very hot day will cause gaps
installed plenty of LVP in my moms, friends, and my house and never saw any expansion, contraction issues with LVP. this is NOT PVC the same as PVC pipes. Are you installing indoors at 40degrees or above 90degrees? FYI, indoor temps should never be that extreme. Also, thats why you leave a 1/4" gap at all walls.
On a very cold day, I'm going to have my heat set to about 70 degrees. On a very hot day, I'm going to have my AC set to about 72 degrees.
Good points Belinda = you know your stuff and we appreciate a real professional.
This video is the best source of information for these products that I have seen. Thank you!!
Excellent video! Love the technical details. I’ve lived with both products for years. Vinyl is more resilient in everyday residential use with family and pets. Laminate can scratch, chip and peel given years of living. All the best and continued success to you!
I loved your way in explaining the differences between laminate and vinyl flooring
great comparison, thanks for not reading from script!! when i see someone only reads from screen i feel uncomfortable to watch the video.👍🏼
I have vinyl plank (put in before anyone was calling it luxury) and Pergo (laminate brand) in another room, and the thing I like about the textured vinyl plank is how friendly it is to walk on. It has a softer feel and is quieter than laminate or wood. It was also much easier to install than the laminate. If I had money though, I probably would have liked to use cork. It may not be the best looking or the easiest to clean, but it has a nice spring to it. It's expensive.
Cork is largely no longer available.
You can get soft touch sheet vinyl that's specifically designed to feel softer under foot. It has a felt backing.
thanks a millions Ms.Belinda, i didn't know and can't decide laminated or vinyl for my floor but i do now, God Bless and keep up a good work.
Inexpensive better then "cheap" cheap relates to poor quality, while the other is about $ THANKS FOR YOUR VIDEOS! I learn so much
This channel is a great source of knowledge, I have zero experience on these topics, yet you made it so easy to understand. I deeply appreciate your efforts to share this knowledge with the rest of us. Thank you very much and keep up with the good work.
It’s weird this video popped up in my feed as I am looking at flooring in Home Depot but awesome job keep it up 👍. I’ll be looking for more info videos from you. Thank you.
Thanks I was just looking this up today. You are such a good presenter, your voice is clear, crisp and your diction is melodic.
Now THAT was an INCREDIBLE explanatory video on laminate and vinyl. Excellent job! Love the accent too :)
So well thought out and explained. Personally I stick with solid wood plank but I'm lucky having a private woodmill only a mile away.
I’m with you. I just want hardwood. I have bought reclaimed hardwood that was as cheap as using laminate, so I will go that route if I need to do it again. And oak floors handled my dogs just fine.
More flooring videos please . Love to have a bamboo and cork As one as well comparing these flooring systems compared to those flooring systems
I don't even know what your channel is about, but after seeing this video, I'm subscribing 😁 Thanks!
Its about that indian accent.
Sure wish I'd watched this before I bought my floor. Excellent information, thank you. I have laminate on my main level and vinyl going in my lower level as I write this.
Got recommended this, don’t know why but I am just going to watch it
Thanks for covering the VOC aspect of both options. Currently searching for a flooring option for a new home build and not sure what to use... currently leaning towards salvaged old wood planks or tile.
👏
Great idea
From walking around on other people's high end laminates and luxury vinyl planks, I prefer the feel and sound of LVP over laminate. I'll have to look into the hemp wood for my next reflooring
I love tiles over either of these surfaces !
Very interesting. I had luxury vinyl put in my condo over the tile. It looks amazing! I also have a dog and as much as he runs around, not 1 scratch !
This was very timely and informative. Easy to follow along. Thank you.
Excellent review, informative, and helpful in my flooring buying decisions….(LVT, at least 12 mil, waterproof, and etc)
Belinda excellent presentation! Thank you for reporting on the VOCs as I will be selecting a flooring solution for a live-in Van. Offgassing is an issue in such a tiny space so would love to hear a recommendation that has minimal to no VOCs.
Great information, and great additional information in the comments!
As a video suggestion, I'd like to know more about Energy Recovery Ventilators and Heat Recovery Ventilators. I have an old house with no forced-air system, and while the radiators are very comfortable the lack of ventilation and fresh air (especially in the winter when the windows are locked) isn't great. I'm considering adding a ventilator of some type, so an overview of these technologies and the situations and climates where they are best used would be great!
I'll add that topic to my list. Thanks!
Your video is very professional and informative. I hope that others will follow your example. Good job, please do other videos.
A note about water resistant/ waterproof laminate, as soon as you cut an edge when installing, any protection is lost. Water can penetrate the cut edge and cause swelling, so sealing edges is necessary. I would not recommend them for bathrooms, their utility is more for near doorways were water being brought in by foot traffic is likely.
We took a cut piece of water resistant laminate and put it in an aquarium for 3 days - no swelling, no warping, no damage at all.
Same could be said for LVP. Nothing is waterproof from the side or underside. All materials will buckle at some point if subjected to water that way.
What an incredibly complete, unbiased and useful video. I'm going to redo my downstairs, open concept, house with a living room, entryway, kitchen combination and this will be very helpful in my choosing which product to use. Thank you for putting it together.
What are you choosing laminate or vinyl? I would think you'd want viny
Answered all my questions and changed my mind about the flooring I chose.thank you.
luxury vinyl is an excellent product for basement flooring. It gives you much more options vs old fashioned tile or poly and is a little bit "warmer". My basement had water in it once and I was able to remove and dry out the floor, saved me a few thousand $$.
Thank you, very technical which is what we need to think like these days! From Costco I put Mohawk total 7 mm laminate in one bathroom and from Lowes their brand Allen & Roth total 8 mm in the other. My personal opinion, go with Lowe's brand as it buffers floor imperfections better. Remember to fill any divots over 1/8th of an inch and double check the eveness of the floor. Also, be careful going over 8mm total, but if you have baseboards off then it should be fine.
I remember the cork layer when I ripped up my brother’s floor to replace it with hardwood floors.
Hi Belinda, thanks for explaining very well, you are so professional, I learn a lot about the laminated floors, eaven how the factory made this product...
Keep going and thanks so much for sharing this information... blessing's ❤❤❤❤
The deciding factor for me was that any water spilt on laminate flooring may cause the MDF to swell and split the surface.
The cost of LVT/LVP was not substantially more than laminate.
So we chose LVT. Observations? We replaced carpet and the accoustics for the hifi with LVT were great! Noticeable! Also visitors at Xmas said light from Xmas Tree reflected off floor out of windows. So far so good. I rubbed down a spare piece of LVT with sandpaper to see how the finish copedand didn't get through it.
Felt pads on furniture have prevented sxcraping
Wow Belinda! I’m scrolling through TH-cam and see this recommended! Gonna subscribe and not just coz we were classmates in school lol ;) looking good girl! Xxx
Thank you for this! Easily the best video I've seen explaining the differences. We have vinyl in our house now and have been extremely happy with it. We've been trying to decide what to get in our new house and almost went with laminate but I think vinyl is definitely the way to go. Thank you!!
I recently had hardwood floors ruined by water damage, replaced them with luxury vinyl planks. Ease of installation and care were what sold me on vinyl. I don't care for Laminate. My parents put Laminate flooring in their condo. The edges of the planks started to chip after a few years. We have had vinyl planks at work for 4 years now. They really hold up well. I live in NYC and the floors take a beating in our climate and heavy traffic.
Very helpful info, straight to the point without any chitchat.
Finally a detailed, fact based comparison!
Outstanding video! My wife and I are debating between the 2 and this helped a lot. We did have a question that i am hoping you can answer. When you mentioned the VOC's, is this only a concern for the first 2 days with the off gassing or the entire life of the flooring? We are concerned about the chemicals and walking on the floor with our bare feet. any concerns? Thank you!
the potential mopping issue really sold me on luxury plank flooring
I have a shaw laminate flooring that I installed in most of my home probably 12 years ago and it looks like new. No problems with dog nails. I left some of the cut off scraps out in the rain for months and they didn't swell. I like the way it feels underfoot and that it's very smooth- no texture, no beveled edges. I have 1 box of lpv flooring that I'm going to try out before ordering for a whole room. Just seeing it in one area I'm not as impressed as I am with the laminate. I'd think using a chop saw as I did with my laminate would give a more exact cut that scoring and snapping.
Really great video.
Keep up the great work. Very informative plus entertaining. I am a contractor so I especially enjoy when you take a blowtorch to a product to see how quickly you can destroy it. :)
Thank you so much for sharing useful information on laminate and vinyl flooring. This will come in handy when I choose flooring material on our upcoming home improvement project. 🙂
Outstanding video. I learned a ton in 10 minutes.
Also, consider laminate flooring for wall cladding. It is fantastic
I really like the luxury vinyl plank - I put it down in my kitchen when we did a DIY reno and it was just as easy to install as you said. I will be using it again when I renovate my laundry room.
Thank you for the comparison.This did clear out a lot of questions I had on mind but also brought up a many new ones😀.. Still in the 'homework' phase and assessment with such information is going to have an impact