Hardwood Flooring vs Luxury Vinyl – Choose the Right One for You

When it comes to choosing the right type floor for your newly built home or for a home refurbishment and renovation project, the task may be overwhelming and too stressful. With such an impressive variety of different natural and man-made floors and so many aspects to think of, including your lifestyle, habits, requirements and needs, interior design, budget, and all that jazz, narrowing down all the options and opportunities you have to the right floor is really a challenging task. Then you may decide to do it tactically and go for what is trendy at the moment, or you bet on the beaten path and go for a classic that has to withstand the test of time in terms of style and quality.

However, even in this case, the dilemma is still putting you in a position not many would like to be in. However, this is how you end up choosing between luxury vinyl and hardwood flooring. The first one being a "child" of modern technology in the flooring industry, while the latter one is the epitome of domestic flooring. The truth is if you don't consider the specific requirements and needs you may have, choosing between hardwood flooring and luxury vinyl would be a mission impossible. Therefore, selecting the right floor for your project requires you to take some time and do thorough research, consider all factors and aspects, and finally make a decision you won't regret. We hope this short guide will help you to an extent.

Your Objectives

In order to make sure you are choosing really the right floor for your needs and lifestyle, because this may sound like an easy thing but you will be surprised how challenging it is once you start considering all options, you must consider all aspects and the objectives you have set. Imagine how your new floor will contribute to achieving these objectives. Think of how the new floor will fit into your life, how everyone at home will feel with the new floor. Are you trying to build the home where you are planning to grow old at, nest in with your family? Is this a project for a house you are planning to rent out or sell in future? How much are you willing to invest in both cases or in different situations?

Is this a vacation home, a cabin, or any time of property you are not constantly using? Is the floor installation going to happen in a room you are not using very often anyways? Are you planning to increase the living or storage space at your home by adding a new floor to the basement, for example? There are many questions you should ask yourself and consider before you purchase the floor. Figure out the most important objective and then think of what type of flooring will best fit into the plan. For example, you may not want to invest a big pile of money for a premium quality hardwood floor to be installed in the basement, or a property you are planning to rent out next year, right? In such cases, maybe choosing the more affordable yet still attractive and durable option of luxury vinyl will be the better choice.

However, if you are investing in building up your home, your nest, the place you want to grow older and have your children, then you may be keener on installing an ever-lasting hardwood floor and create an atmosphere of cosiness. In fact, both types of floors come with a long list of benefits and advantages and both can find their places in your home. However, there are slight nuances and little details to every type of floor, which make one of them a better investment and more suitable than the other. Consider these by keeping in mind your specific requirements and also the specifics of the property, the project.

Hardwood Flooring - Benefits

• Hardwood floors are usually known as a high-end, even luxurious flooring option. Besides their amazing looks, hardwood floors are very high-quality and extra-durable, their natural origin usually increases the price. Hardwood floors also increase the value of every property where such are installed.
• Considering all hard surfaces available on the flooring market, hardwood floors are considered to most comfortable and convenient option. You can stay on your feet for long periods of time without getting tired too soon. Hardwood floors also have the ability to stay warm in the winter months and are usually built with great insulation properties.
• Hardwood floors are considered the epitome of flooring in the industry and probably the entire world. They possess timeless beauty and elegance, by this retaining the value of high-end houses. Hardwood floors are available in an impressive variety of styles, colours, textures, wood species, and finishes.
• Hardwood floors have high lifetime value. They can be sanded and refinished a few times in their lifecycle and look like brand new over and over again. Hardwood floors are naturally very long-lasting, hard-wearing, durable.

Luxury Vinyl - Benefits

• Luxury vinyl flooring has great durability, it is considered one of the most durable and hard-wearing options on the flooring market currently. It is an excellent choice for households with a busier and more active lifestyle, big families with young children, pets, commercial and high traffic areas.
• Luxury vinyl is also a very convenient choice in terms of upkeep. It requires little maintenance and a simple cleaning routine to look and feel perfect and last for a long time. This flooring option is stress-, water-, temperature-resistant and extremely durable.
• It is easy to install and comes in a variety of types, each of them suitable to different projects, specifics of the room, even the design of the floor. Luxury vinyl floors are available in the form of boards, tiles, and sheets.
• Compared to hardwood flooring, luxury vinyl comes on a more affordable price and is a budget-friendly option.