Luxury Vinyl vs. Hardwood - Making the Right Choice

If it is about time to choose a new floor for the room, you may find it a bit of a challenge or at least an overwhelming experience to choose the right floor that ticks all the boxes on your list because of the impressive variety of options available on the market to choose from. Indeed, it is safe to say that nowadays we are spoilt for choice of so many different and amazing types and styles of flooring available on the market everywhere in the world.

However, the two most popular and well-loved wood flooring options remain hardwood flooring and luxury vinyl and this information can definitely help you narrow down your choice. However, you still have this dilemma to solve and you may be wondering what is the better option for you out of these two. In order to find the right solution to this dilemma, you definitely want to consider your lifestyle and individual aspects that would probably affect your final decision.

First things first, when making such a serious investment as a new floor and considering a home improvement project on that big of a scale, you want to start by considering the objectives you have and why you want this new floor. Some of the most common objectives people would have to include:

• Building a dream home to grow old in
• Remodeling the property for a potential sale within the next couple of years
• Investment in a new property for renting it out
• Refinishing and working on a new additional space to the house such as a basement, a conservatory, loft conversion
• Selecting a floor for an additional vacation home or a cabin

It often happens that your objective is not just one of the above-mentioned but a combination of a couple of them or even more. No matter what the case is, your priority is figuring out the most important and primary objective that makes you decide on investing in a new floor. This will help you to focus on achieving the particular goal you are going for by choosing the right floor that will help you achieve this goal.

In fact, both luxury vinyl and hardwood flooring come with a long list of advantages and just a few disadvantages and both are worth considering. Each of the flooring types can suit the property perfectly, it all depends on the given context and your main objective. Once you know what your main objective is, it will be easier for you to narrow down your choice. However, in order to do so, it is crucial to also understand the main advantages of these types of hard flooring, check them out below.

Main Advantages of Hardwood Flooring

When it comes to a luxury flooring choice, hardwood flooring is definitely considered to be amongst the most high-end options available on the market.

Hardwood flooring is also considered to offer the most comfort and convenience, having the ability to stay warm in the wintertime and cooler in the summertime and with great insulation abilities.

Hardwood flooring also ensures timeless beauty and style that never goes out of fashion. This type of flooring is known to increase the value of every property listed on the real estate market and retain the value of high-end houses.

Hardwood flooring can look brand-new and flawless every time it is re-sanded and refinished which can happen up to five-six times in its lifetime.

Hardwood flooring is a very durable, long-lasting, and hard-wearing flooring option that can last up to a whole century if maintained properly and regularly.

Main Advantages of Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Luxury vinyl flooring is considered to provide amazing durability and hard-wearing power, which makes it a perfect choice for big families and busy households with many kids and pets.

Out of all hard surfaces, luxury vinyl flooring is also considered to require the least maintenance and upkeep. This type of flooring is extremely resistant to temperature and humidity fluctuations.

Luxury vinyl flooring is easy to install which also makes it a great project for DIY-ers.

Compared to hardwood flooring and other flooring options, luxury vinyl flooring comes at a lower cost. This makes this type of flooring a great choice if you are looking for a durable yet reasonably priced flooring option for properties you are planning to rent out.

So, depending on your main objective of purchasing a new floor, here is what your better flooring choice is:

• Building your dream home - Better choose hardwood flooring, it offers timeless beauty, a lot of charm, elegance, and comfort. It is also a very durable and long-lasting option.
• Remodeling your home for a potential sale – Hardwood flooring increases the resale value of every property, which makes hardwood flooring a better investment.
• Investing in a property for renting it out – Typically, a renter won’t treat a new floor with the same caution you would, therefore, you don’t want to spend a serious amount of money on an expensive floor just to have it damaged. Luxury vinyl flooring is less expensive, it can withstand a lot more issues than a hardwood floor and it is easier to keep clean and well-maintained.
• Refinishing an additional space in your home – when it comes to remodeling and refinishing project of a new additional living or storage space in your home such as the basement, a loft conversion or a conservatory, it all depends on the individual project. For example, if you are going to use your basement as an additional storage space, there is no need to invest in the more expensive option hardwood flooring. However, you will find hardwood flooring to be more convenient and enjoyable if you are planning to use this basement as an additional living space like a spare bedroom or a family room.
• Selecting a new floor for a vacation home or a cabin – Vacation homes and cabins will most probably be vacant for the majority of the time, therefore, it is not required to invest a big amount of money for an expensive floor. In addition, luxury vinyl flooring ensures ease of maintenance and cleaning.