Vinyl or Wood Flooring: What’s best for your home?

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Image credit: Quick-Step

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Choosing the best flooring for your home is one of the most important decisions as part of a successful home renovation, as the floor is the base of any room design scheme and can set the tone for a cohesive, durable and comfortable space.

When looking for solutions, you may be considering vinyl or wood flooring. Both real wood and vinyl has its own set of pros and cons, so it can be difficult to choose between the two.

If you are looking to select new flooring for your property, here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about vinyl and wood flooring to help you decide what might be most suitable for your own home.

Vinyl flooring

Vinyl flooring has captured the attention of homeowners in modern interiors, as this option mixes several important elements: visual appeal, versatility, and durability. Vinyl flooring is a synthetic option created from PVC (polyvinyl chloride); its technology has improved to great extent to replicate natural materials like stone and wood.

One of the main benefits of vinyl flooring is that it is more affordable than hardwood, as well as being water-resistant.

Types of vinyl flooring

Bio-based vinyl flooring

Bio-based vinyl flooring maintains a good aesthetic appeal without harming the environment, as it is constructed from recycled and renewable materials.

Luxury vinyl flooring

You will find luxury vinyl flooring in two main forms, which both mimic different materials and textures. Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) replicate the look of ceramic tiles and natural stone, while Luxury Vinyl Planks (LVP) mimic hardwood flooring. 

Image credit: Quick-Step

Wood flooring

Wooden flooring is made from solid wood; because of this, it helps you bring unparalleled beauty and warmth to your home. There are many types of woods you can choose from depending on what you prefer in terms of colour, grain and durability. It costs a bit more, but it does add value to your home if you have it installed.

Types of wood flooring

Solid hardwood flooring

This option is made from solid wood pieces, being recognised for its longevity and its versatility to be used in places like bedrooms and living rooms. When selecting it, it is important to consider the climate of your region, since the solid hardwood is susceptible to moisture damage. However, the natural appeal of the solid hardwood can give your home a vast amount of visual warmth.

Engineered hardwood flooring

Engineered wood flooring is constructed from multiple layers of timber bonded together and topped with a solid hardwood veneer. It’s more affordable than hardwood, with some of its best features being that it adds more resilience to higher humidity levels and is more able to stand daily wear and tear.

Factors That may impact your flooring choice

Budget

Budget is one of the factors that can impact whether you will go for vinyl or wood flooring. The budget-friendly solution here is the vinyl flooring, which is more affordable compared to wood flooring.

Image credit: Quick-Step

Climate

Comparing the two options in terms of humidity, the winner will be vinyl flooring as it is water-resistant. Solid hardwood is more susceptible to moisture and humidity damage, while engineered wood offers a better moisture resistance than solid hardwood (but you still need to be careful with moisture).

Aesthetic

If you prefer an organic, timeless look, then hardwood flooring would be right for you. However, if you prefer the durability and resilience of more modern technologies, vinyl flooring has improved to a great extent to mimic the look of wood (even if it is not comparable in terms of texture).

Durability

The most durable material remains solid hardwood, which has the ability to last for generations and has a lifespan of 30 to 100 years when protected and resurfaced. The others have a variable, shorter lifespan: vinyl flooring typically lasts between between 10 - 25 years, with higher-quality luxury vinyl enduring more than 30 years.