Vinyl vs Laminate

When it comes to designing your home, there are several ways to choose the right design. Particularly popular, because it is timeless, is above all the wood look.
Since real parquet is often not very easy to care for and clean, more and more people are opting for more easy-care alternatives. For example, vinyl and laminate in high-resolution wood look often even have a decor-synchronous embossing, which visually and haptically matches the planks to the real material.

Depending on your needs, it may be better to either lay a vinyl floor or opt for a laminate.
In this article, we have summarized for you the advantages and disadvantages. After this article, you can certainly better decide what is best for your circumstances.

DECORS

In view of the variety of different decors, you can access a wide range of different wood looks when deciding on laminate. Laminate is available in a variety of wood shades: Both dark, light and coloured designs refine each room. 

If you opt for a vinyl floor, you have the opportunity to decorate your floor with a variety of designs. Not only wood decors are available, but also high quality and hardly distinguishable by nature mineral decors in the appearance of marble, granite or other surfaces are available. But you can also opt for brushed metal designs or tile look in a retro look.
So if you choose a vinyl floor, you have a wider design spectrum than laying a laminate floor.

WET ROOM SUITABILITY

Many people wish to have a floor in the look of wood, even in the kitchen and bathroom. Normally, however, it is not possible to lay real hardwood flooring, since wood swells in the presence of water.
So you still have the opportunity to opt for a floor in a wood look. For example, you can choose a moisture-proof laminate for your kitchen and bathroom. Please pay close attention to the labelling of the manufacturer: If this does not explicitly refer to the wet room suitability, the soil will be permeable to water and therefore not suitable.
Vinyl floors, on the other hand, are much more suitable for wet rooms, because vinyl is already a water-repellent material. However, it is also worthwhile to pay attention to the manufacturer's identification and the particular specifications of the product.

DURABILITY AND RISK OF BREAKAGE

Vinyl is an elastic material and therefore flexible by nature. Whether it can break, depends mostly on its overall strength:  click vinyl often has an HDF carrier, which can be damaged in bad transport. However, once the vinyl is laid, the risk of breakage is almost impossible.
Laminate, on the other hand, can break much more easily when exposed to rough conditions due to its lack of elasticity. Therefore, make sure before buying on the use class of flooring: It indicates whether you can move the floor only in the residential or in the object and industrial area.

From time to time, it's not just the kind of space that's crucial to your choices, but also the question of what activities you want to pursue in them. Basically, vinyl is now as durable as laminate. Floor coverings offer the advantage that damage to the surface can be easily eliminated with a repair kit.

WARM FEET

Basically, you can combine all floor coverings in combination with underfloor heating on warm water basis, as long as the respective product is explicitly suitable for it. So it does not really matter if you have such a system for the heat on your feet. Most vinyl products will specify that a temperature of no more than 27° degrees should be used in conjunction with vinyl products.

ROOM ACOUSTICS

Your roommate regularly complains that you are trampling on the floor or noisy neighbours under you? Counteract this by choosing a floor on which your steps do not echo throughout the apartment. In fact, here the vinyl floor is clearly superior to the laminate and generally has much better values than its comparison partner. Does footstep play an important role in you, but you do not want to resort to products such as an extra insulation mat? Then vinyl flooring is definitely the right choice for you.

PRICE

Here, the laminate can now play its full strength despite being technically inferior to the vinyl mostly, it can make up for its comparatively low price a lot. If you are looking for a cheap and easy-to-lay flooring, laminate flooring is the better option. For higher demands, however, we recommend the flooring of the future: vinyl. We believe overall, that vinyl flooring is the better option. Yes, it may be more expensive but once you have installed it, you will see why this is such good value.

EXCELLENT LAMINATE & VINYL FLOORING ON BRICOFLOR

We hope that we could help you with your decision and answer a few of your questions! Of course, you will find a large selection of suitable laminate and vinyl floors at BRICOFLOR UK. Our expert team are on hand Monday - Friday to help guide you through making the best choice for you, your space and your requirements.  Call us or contact us via email and we are happy to assist you in choosing the floor of your dreams.