5 Reasons Why LVP is Better than Hardwood Flooring
For ages now we’ve been seeing either fancy stone tiles or authentic hardwood flooring as the pinnacle of beautiful flooring, and it makes perfect sense. These are some of the oldest materials we’ve used to build just about everything. So in a way, we’re conditioned to love their designs.
However, these floorings, with hardwood flooring in specific, have a lot of disadvantages in the modern world. The good thing is that there has been a tremendous increase in the development of other flooring materials that look the same without any of these floorings’ disadvantages. You can see this best with luxury vinyl flooring.
Luxury vinyl flooring comes in two styles known as luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT), where the former captures the look and feel of hardwood flooring and the latter does the same for different types of tiles.
In this article, we’re going to explore 5 reasons why luxury vinyl plank might be better than hardwood flooring.
5 Advantages of LVP over Hardwood Flooring
1. Looks Exactly Like Hardwood Flooring
As mentioned above, luxury vinyl plank recreates the look of hardwood flooring, rendering it almost virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. This is perfect for homeowners for whom the look of the flooring is the most important factor while selecting a flooring material.
The story doesn’t end there; unlike other floorings, such as laminate sheets, that imitate only the look of hardwood flooring, luxury vinyl flooring also replicates that signature texture of hardwood flooring.
By getting both these factors right, the realism of luxury vinyl planks becomes so strong that one may wonder why authentic hardwood flooring is needed in the first place.
2. It’s 100% Waterproof
One of the biggest complaints homeowners have with hardwood flooring is how terrible it fares against water and moisture in general. This is no surprise; wood and water are pretty much enemies since water dries out the wood and over time warps its structural integrity.
This makes hardwood flooring problematic for areas that receive a lot of moisture such as bathrooms or even the basement. In fact, even your living room and kitchen can be vulnerable if you host a lot of parties since these events present the perfect opportunity for accidents and spills to take place.
Fortunately, you never have to worry about any sort of moisture damage with luxury vinyl planks; this flooring is renowned for its waterproofness. It does this job so well that we even consider this flooring as one of the best flooring options for bathrooms.
3. Requires Less Maintenance
Another con of having hardwood flooring is the sheer amount of maintenance that is required to keep it healthy and lively. The tedious upkeep needed for this flooring can be seen from the first step—cleaning. Since hardwood flooring is extremely porous, you’ll have to make sure not to dampen your mop too much.
Besides the daily mopping and weekly vacuuming, you’ll also have to use a wood cleaner once a month. On top of that, if you’re in this for the long term and you want your hardwood floors looking new even after years of use, you’ll have to get them polished every 5 years and sanded every 10 years.
Once again, all of this is never a problem with luxury vinyl flooring. There is no special cleaning agent you need to keep this flooring looking fresh. You can stick to a normal cleaning routine of mopping and vacuuming however often you prefer and that’s about it. This is one of the main reasons why luxury vinyl flooring is ideal for rentals.
4. Much More Affordable
If you’ve ever gone in search of hardwood flooring around most flooring stores, you might have been hit with the crazy price tag it comes with. There’s just no other way to put this, hardwood flooring is an expensive flooring option. On average, we see it going for anywhere between $3 to $12 per square foot.
There are some types of hardwoods that cost even more than $15 per square foot. Of course, this is influenced by where you live within the country but you can expect an average of $8 per square foot for durable, beautiful, and long-lasting hardwood flooring.
On the other hand, luxury vinyl plank is ironically not so luxurious in terms of its price. This flooring goes for anywhere between $2.5 to $5 per square foot, out of which, most homeowners find something to their liking within $3 to $3.5. Effectively, luxury vinyl planks and tiles are one of the most affordable flooring options in the market.
5. Suitable for Every Room
If there was one word that would most accurately describe luxury vinyl planks, that would be versatility. We say this because we’ve seen this flooring being used in all corners of the house and whether it’s the bedroom or the kitchen, luxury vinyl plank is suitable for each room’s requirements.
Even though we’re mostly focusing on how luxury vinyl planks can replace hardwood flooring, it’s a good idea to step back and remember luxury vinyl planks are a subset of luxury vinyl flooring that also comes in another style called luxury vinyl tile.
So if you’re looking to create some variety in your house and don’t want the look of hardwood flooring in every room, you can always use some luxury vinyl tiles to design a great contrast while staying within a reasonable budget. The design possibilities are endless with this flooring.
Conclusion
No flooring is without its demerits—luxury vinyl plank lasts lesser than hardwood flooring since it can’t be refinished again and again. However, in the case of luxury vinyl flooring, we see a huge list of pros that easily trump any of the potential cons of this flooring.
To recap, in this article, we’ve looked at 5 reasons why we think luxury vinyl plank might be the better choice over hardwood flooring -
1. Looks Exactly Like Hardwood Flooring
2. It’s 100% Waterproof
3. Requires Less Maintenance
4. Much More Affordable
5. Suitable for Every Room
Need help deciding between luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile? Floors2Day is here to help!
Reach out to us at Floors2Day by giving us a call at 877-356-6759 or booking an appointment online using this link. (If you book online, you say $150!) We offer our flooring services in Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., Virginia, Wisconsin, and Illinois!
Here at Floors2Day, we provide the best quality flooring products, coupled with excellent customer service, and quick and easy installation.
With over 20 years of experience in flooring, we have seen it all. Every client is unique, and our services are always custom to your needs! We also proudly offer 12-month 0% interest and 90-days deferred financing, learn more here! So, sit back and relax as our team provides you with an amazing, worry-free renovation experience.
To learn more about the flooring options we offer, click here.
