Deciding to do any major renovation in your home can be overwhelming because of all of the available choices. This is especially true when it comes to choosing the right kind of flooring. Not only do you have to take material, styles and colors into consideration, but overall cost, installation, and most importantly, durability, as well. Now, if you’re social distancing and looking for home projects to do, updating your home’s flooring might be the route to take as it’s often overlooked. Thankfully, there is a product taking the flooring world by storm, but still has many wondering if it’s too good to be true– vinyl plank flooring.
Cost
There’s no denying that vinyl plank flooring costs a fraction of what you would pay for hardwood or tile flooring. Not just for the actual product itself, but also the cost for installation because it’s not as labor intensive as other flooring options. Vinyl plank flooring can range between $2 and $7 per square foot while hardwood can range between $8 and $15.
Installation
Vinyl plank flooring snaps together and floats on top of the subfloor. It does not require any nails or glue and can easily be cut with a utility knife. Vinyl plank flooring can potentially be installed over existing flooring or subfloor, depending on the condition and type of floor. For example, if you install vinyl plank flooring over tile, and the material is too thin, you could end up with subfloor telegraphing. This is where the grout lines sort of emboss themselves on the flooring above. There are ways to prevent this, so be sure to read manufacture recommendations should you choose to install over tile flooring. Since vinyl plank flooring is so easy to install, it is definitely appealing to new and experienced do-it-yourself homeowners. Vinyl plank flooring comes ready to install and doesn’t require acclimating like other flooring choices.
Durability and use
Unlike hardwood and laminate flooring, vinyl plank flooring is virtually waterproof and scratch resistant. Which makes vinyl plank flooring the perfect option when installing in basements, homes with a pool, or any area where moisture could be an issue. Vinyl plank flooring is especially ideal for those with pets and/or kids where wear and tear is inevitable. Vinyl plank flooring is also temperature consistent to the room that it’s in making it more enjoyable to walk across, even in cooler months, and doesn’t require any in floor heating or cooling.
Design Choices
Vinyl plank flooring comes in a variety of colors and styles. It can look like real wood flooring with actual woodgrain, tile, slate, and vary in sizes and pattern options. This gives homeowners the look and functionality they desire to update their spaces.
Disadvantages
While vinyl plank flooring seems like the hands down logical choice, there are some downsides to consider as well.
- Vinyl plank flooring most likely won’t add value to your home. It can definitely update your home and look better than hardwood that has seen better days, but vinyl plank flooring won’t necessarily bump your return on investment like hardwood floors typically do.
- Vinyl plank flooring, like laminate, cannot be refinished like hardwood floors. Although durable, you can’t touch them up like you can with natural flooring, you’ll have to re-laminate.
- Vinyl plank flooring is printed. Because of this, when installing the wood look vinyl plank flooring, there are only so many variations of the wood grain pattern. Mixing up the boxes and paying attention to what you’re laying down, will help prevent the same exact board from laying next to another. This will ensure that your flooring looks more realistic like real wood floors.
In the market for new flooring and intrigued by vinyl plank flooring myself, we recently installed this flooring in our master bedroom to find out if it was up to the hype. You can read all about why we chose vinyl plank flooring for our own home and my thoughts on the installation process.
Vinyl plank flooring has come a long way and has quickly become a homeowner favorite for updating floors, despite some of the minor drawbacks . The ease of installation, durability, and overall cost makes it a great choice when compared to other flooring options. The most important thing is to research all available flooring options and determine what your overall goal is for your home. If you’re looking for something that is going to give you the updated style you desire, with practical durability, and is budget friendly, vinyl plank flooring is for you.
Source: homes.com