luxury vinyl flooring living room
two terms you'll encounter a lot when youshop for flooring are laminate and luxury vinyl. and we want to help you know the differencebetween the two, so that you can make the best choice for your home and family. some people might get luxury vinyl and laminateconfused, because they can both look like hardwood or ceramic tile. they aren't actually wood or tile. that's right! both laminate and vinyl flooring provide thelook of wood, tile, or stone, but at more
affordable prices. vinyl flooring is made from–you guessedit!–vinyl, which gives the material a firm but elastic construction. you'll often hear it called lvt for luxuryvinyl tile, or lvp for luxury vinyl plank. it's composed of layers. on top is a protective coating, then a wearlayer to make it extremely durable. next, there is a printed photorealistic imageof woodgrain, tile, or stone. and then, a base layer and backing layer. laminate is also made of layers.
the top layer of a laminate floor is a verystrong, clear, melamine wear layer. it protects the photorealistic image thatyou see through the melamine. the third layer is a high-density fiber core,which gives the floor its strength. and the fourth, bottom layer is another balancinglayer of melamine. you can buy luxury vinyl in planks or tiles. laminate comes in planks. vinyl can be installed using the float, glue,or loose lay methods. floating installation means the planks arelocked together, but they are not attached to the wall or the subfloor.
laminate is designed to always be installedusing the floating method. they can both be installed over wood subfloorsor concrete subfloors. both laminate and vinyl are easy to clean. they look great after simply sweeping anddry mopping. both products can be installed on any levelof the home–including the basement! and both are great diy projects. vinyl is quieter and softer underfoot. laminate is both scratch- and fade-resistant. if you're considering vinyl in a room withdirect sunlight, you'll want to close the
blinds or drapes during peak sunlight hoursto protect the structural integrity of your flooring from the heat of the sun's rays. laminate is not suitable for areas with highlevels of moisture, which could warp or permanently damage your floor. vinyl is stain-resistant, as well as resistantto water, mold, and mildew, making it an especially great choice for basements and bathrooms. and some of shaw floors' luxury vinyl stylesare waterproof. laminate is generally more affordable thanvinyl. and both are generally more affordable thanhardwood or tile.
and finally, both options from shaw floorswill give you a wide variety of stunning styles representing the look of different wood species,textures, and colors. so whether you choose laminate or vinyl, shawfloors has a range of options to fit your every style. good luck making your final choice. if you have any questions, shaw floors expertsare always here to help.