Is LVT A Good Wood Flooring Alternative?

As a very natural and beautiful flooring solution, wood flooring can be a perfect choice for all interiors throughout the house. Very versatile, it comes in a variety of species, colours, finishes and board sizes. Actually, the only thing that limits you in a wood flooring project is your imagination. Perfect for bedrooms, living rooms and hallways, solid wood flooring is a 100% natural solution, which lives and breathes, as can be expected from any natural product. On the other hand, engineered wood flooring is a man-made option, yet it’s made with the use of natural ingredients, and is cleverly manufactured to withstand variations in heat and moisture levels.

Vinyl is a flooring option that has become very popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. As it’s an extremely practical solution, no wonder that it gained such popularity. It’s not only a resilient and durable option, but it’s also a good noise insulator and is really enjoyable to walk on. Additionally, vinyl is easy to maintain and came in a vast range of colours and styles. But today it’s probably among the most common floors which are ripped up and replaced! Yet, many very stylish and good looking vinyl flooring options are still available on the market if you’re ready to devote some time and patience to look for your perfect vinyl flooring.

If you are going to lay a new floor, it’s quite probable that you’ll want to complete your project within a pre-determined budget and undoubtedly you’ll already have some ideas in your head about what your flooring should look like. Now, if you have come to a point when you need to choose between wood and vinyl – you may wonder how exactly to decide which one will be best for you. We’ve compared them for you, so read on to find it out.

LVT price

Firstly, let’s focus on price. Obviously vinyl flooring is a more affordable option as compared to wood, unless you pick a top of the range, designer option. But, if you are going to purchase a floor to stand the test of time, you will need to look forward and leave aside the immediate purchase price. In the case of most wood floors, you may expect to get a floor for a lifetime for the given purchase price. In most cases vinyl flooring will start looking tired after more or less 5 years (and sometimes even earlier), even if you pay much attention and maintain it well. This means you’ll probably need to make an investment every 5 years to keep a vinyl floor looking good.

LVT durability

The second aspect we’d like to ponder over is durability. Even in busy interiors, properly finished wood flooring will withstand pretty much any circumstances. Vinyl floors usually show the signs of wear and tear quite quickly, especially by developing traffic traces and tracks along with aging. One of the definite pros of a wood floor is that even if it ends up looking a bit worn, it can be re-sanded and re-finished multiple times, which makes it possible for you to make it look like new again, and it will require a relatively small budget and not much effort.

LVT maintenance

Let’s now compare maintenance requirements of these two flooring options. It’s widely known that a vinyl floor needs to be swept or vacuumed and cleaned with a mop in order to keep it looking clean and hygienic. But, a well-finished wood floor usually does not require more regular maintenance than a vinyl floor. Actually, if a given wood flooring is properly finished, you usually don’t even need a detergent to keep it looking perfectly clean, as water alone will suffice.

Look of LVT

And, finally, the look. Obviously, if you want to achieve a chic and stylish look in your home, wood flooring is an absolute winner over vinyl flooring. It’s true that a vinyl floor can be really eye-catching, but wood flooring guarantees an outstanding, classy look, which is definitely unbeatable.