When it comes to the flooring in your home, you have a wide range of choices available today. You can go with ceramic tile, or hardwood flooring, but can be on the pricey side. Laminate flooring is more affordable, but is often not as durable as it looks. The most affordable choice all around, is luxury vinyl tile flooring, which combines the best of both worlds when it comes to hardwood and laminate.
The Essential Differences between Laminate and Luxury Vinyl Tile
The first key difference between these two popular styles of flooring is of course, the price. Laminate flooring, depending on the grade, can be quite affordable, but there are styles of luxury vinyl that can be found in most price ranges today, especially if you order through flooring centers that offer pricing packages and discounts. On average, luxury vinyl can be had for anywhere from.99/square foot to $5/square foot.
Where the luxury type has laminate flooring beaten is in its durability. Depending on the brand and style, laminate can be quite durable, but most standards on durability in tiling are also based on the thickness of the material. The majority of luxury vinyl is at least 2 mil., far thicker than the average grade of laminate flooring.
Luxury vinyl Tile also has other qualities that make it a far better choice for most homes, especially in extreme climates, and for use in high traffic areas. Most brands of luxury vinyl Tile come with treatments that make them scratch-resistant, water-proofed, an inhibitor making it proof against mold and mildew, and even some have the added bonus of being extremely hypoallergenic. Laminate cannot say the same.
Easier to Maintain
This type of flooring is also perfect to use in households that have children and pets. The scuff resistance helps you to avoid dealing with a lot of marks on any shade of flooring, and the moisture resistance comes in especially handy with young animals that may not be as house broken as you might wish. Even those styles that simulate the look of other materials, like stone, hardwood flooring and tile can be very easy to clean and maintain, without a whole lot of chemicals to clean them with.
Spills and other accidents are not a problem, because these flooring styles will not absorb moisture, odors and are highly chip resistant. All you need to keep the shine of your luxury vinyl tile looking good is to wet mop it regularly, as well as sweeping or run a dust mop over it from time to time. Unlike laminate flooring and other materials, you will not need to purchase special cleaners, reapply finish solutions, or buff and wax. Easy on the budget and the housework.