Laminate and Vinyl Flooring
Laminate and vinyl flooring are two flooring options that are very cost effective, and durable. Vinyl flooring is made from plastics, while Laminate flooring is typically constructed with a compressed wood core. Both products offer superior scratch resistance when compared to solid, or pre-finished engineered hardwood flooring.
Advantages of Laminate flooring
There are several benefits when comparing laminate to hardwood. Often, they will be your least expensive flooring material to purchase. Originally, laminates were constructed with a compressed fiber core, and an extremely durable plastic veneer. The downside to compressed wood core construction is that it makes the floor more prone to swelling from moisture. In recent years several manufacturers have began to use very water resistant cores eliminating this issue, while keeping the cost of the material floor down to a minimum. We will install your laminate flooring with a floating floor system. Floating floors have a locking system which allows the planks to lock together, and are not adhered to the subfloor. We install the flooring over a premium underlayment pad, which includes a moisture barrier. They are extremely scratch resistant, this makes them ideal for homes and businesses with high traffic, and heavy pets.
Advantages of Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring has come a long way in the past several years. Originally we installed in large rolls, or square commercial tiles. More recently we have seen a surge in the production of LVT, or luxury vinyl tile. LVT flooring comes in wood plank shapes, or stone tile shapes depending on what the flooring is designed to mimic. The look, and textures used today create a very real wood or stone look to your vinyl floor.
Vinyl flooring is a better option when installing in wet areas, it is highly resistant to moisture. The all plastic composition of vinyl flooring make it superior to the moisture resistance of most laminate floors. Scratch resistance is also a big plus when installing vinyl flooring, although the laminates are slightly more durable on the surface. Vinyl flooring installation methods come in either a click system, like the laminate flooring, or in a glue down application.
Laminate and Vinyl Flooring Cost
Both flooring types typically costs between $1 to $4 per square foot for materials. They will also be needing an underlayment of some sort which range in the $ 0.25 – $ 0.50 per square foot range. The savings in cost when comparing to a hardwood or tile floor are significant.
How long will my flooring take to install?
Typically, a laminate or vinyl flooring job between 1000-1500 square feet will take less than 1 week from start to finish. Determining factors include tearing out existing flooring, and subfloor preparation. These are two things that will increase the amount of time needed. Your salesman will be able to give you a better idea of timing during your at home consultation.
Laminate and vinyl flooring Maintenance
After you install your new flooring, you must know how to properly clean it.
With both products the bona hard surface floor cleaning kit is all you need to keep your flooring clean. You can purchase at most big box home improvement stores, or you can purchase directly from us.
You can wet mop, or steam mop vinyl flooring. When you clean your laminate, however it is best to rely on the bona kit.